Aussies XC Riders Abroad

Bushranger

Likes Dirt
What a ridiculous race if what people are saying is true.

My idea of a bike race is that everyone has an equal chance of winning.

If people are saying that you need to be seeded highly to win then I think the UCI MTB crew need a good hard slap in the face with a dead Aussie Salmon.

Do they actually want to grow the sport and encourage competition?
 

Australia

Likes Bikes and Dirt
What a ridiculous race if what people are saying is true.

My idea of a bike race is that everyone has an equal chance of winning.

If people are saying that you need to be seeded highly to win then I think the UCI MTB crew need a good hard slap in the face with a dead Aussie Salmon.

Do they actually want to grow the sport and encourage competition?
... are you serious? whats your plan, cut out the back 3/4 of the field who has no realistic chance of winning because they would have to pass too many other competitors? How exactly is this going to grow the sport?

edit: OR maybe we could run it like 4X and have elimination style heats... with 200 competitors and a 2hr race duration it should only take 6 days!!!
 

itrance05

Likes Dirt
What a ridiculous race if what people are saying is true.

My idea of a bike race is that everyone has an equal chance of winning.

If people are saying that you need to be seeded highly to win then I think the UCI MTB crew need a good hard slap in the face with a dead Aussie Salmon.

Do they actually want to grow the sport and encourage competition?
their all not equal,hence the rankings
 

Bushranger

Likes Dirt
So if you are ranked outside the top 60 for whatever reason whatsoever it's tough luck hey. Do a season or two to improve your ranking even though if you lined up at the start of the grid you'd place in the top 3.

That's what people are saying - that you can only climb a certain number of spots in any given race.

That is ridiculous.

If you line up in a running race, in road cycling race, etc. everyone has an equal opportunity to work their way to the front of the race if they are fit and fast enough.

But people are saying that isn't so in MTB, people are saying that you need to start the race in a given place based on ranking and you have to spend race after race to work your way up.

Of course there is a solution - make a course where there are lots of opportunities to pass riders and there is a long stretch before the "hole" ie. the point where people are aiming for the hole shot.

Just seems a bit of a non-contest if the starting order eliminates a quarter or whatever fraction of the field in any given race.

Why not have a two or three day event if the courses won't allow that many competitors. The competitors are there for that long anyway.
 

harmonix1234

Eats Squid
So if you are ranked outside the top 60 for whatever reason whatsoever it's tough luck hey. Do a season or two to improve your ranking even though if you lined up at the start of the grid you'd place in the top 3.

That's what people are saying - that you can only climb a certain number of spots in any given race.

That is ridiculous.

If you line up in a running race, in road cycling race, etc. everyone has an equal opportunity to work their way to the front of the race if they are fit and fast enough.

But people are saying that isn't so in MTB, people are saying that you need to start the race in a given place based on ranking and you have to spend race after race to work your way up.

Of course there is a solution - make a course where there are lots of opportunities to pass riders and there is a long stretch before the "hole" ie. the point where people are aiming for the hole shot.

Just seems a bit of a non-contest if the starting order eliminates a quarter or whatever fraction of the field in any given race.

Why not have a two or three day event if the courses won't allow that many competitors. The competitors are there for that long anyway.
Sounds like they're running an MTB TT.
 

Mr Green

Likes Dirt
It would be interesting to see how Trent Lowe fares on the World Cup circuit if he decides to give the road a miss...
 

czecharch

Likes Dirt
So if you are ranked outside the top 60 for whatever reason whatsoever it's tough luck hey. Do a season or two to improve your ranking even though if you lined up at the start of the grid you'd place in the top 3.

That's what people are saying - that you can only climb a certain number of spots in any given race.

That is ridiculous.

If you line up in a running race, in road cycling race, etc. everyone has an equal opportunity to work their way to the front of the race if they are fit and fast enough.

But people are saying that isn't so in MTB, people are saying that you need to start the race in a given place based on ranking and you have to spend race after race to work your way up.

Of course there is a solution - make a course where there are lots of opportunities to pass riders and there is a long stretch before the "hole" ie. the point where people are aiming for the hole shot.

Just seems a bit of a non-contest if the starting order eliminates a quarter or whatever fraction of the field in any given race.

Why not have a two or three day event if the courses won't allow that many competitors. The competitors are there for that long anyway.
Surely it's just the nature of the beast, is it not?
what's your answer? No singletrack?
The explanitory posts indicate that the Australians are doing what they should to work their way up the seeding order. This surely is something you have to earn over a number of races.
Anyway, let's go back to the most interesting revelation of this post thus far...
http://www.willowkoerber.com/image.php?pNum=xcwomen_132_600.jpg&pSize=2&pType=3&album=gallery
:p
 

Grover

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Perhaps this should be renamed the "Aussies in Europe" thread.

There was a Swiss Cup race last night (Swiss National Round)
Paul Vandy was unlucky in the start and then got a flat and had a race to forget...although he has a good story from the previous days short track.
http://paulvanracingfeltbikes.blogspot.com/2011/05/strange-weekend-in-solothurn.html

On the other hand Dan Macca put a great race together finishing eighth, including setting the fastest fifth lap. Very good signs given some of the names in the race.

Results here.
http://www3.your-sports.com/details...ste Runden+Total&CertificateLink=1&format=pdf

Looks like on their day with an even start our guys can mix it up.
 

Markymark188

Likes Dirt
On the other hand Dan Macca put a great race together finishing eighth, including setting the fastest fifth lap. Very good signs given some of the names in the race..
Umm super WOW... Nice lap times and to finish only 3min down on Nino and Suisi is a great effort.

I note Urs Huber was a fair way back as well.. Well done Dan...

These Swiss cup races are seen as 'form indicators' for XCO World cups..

This is really getting exciting now..
 

-iRideBikes-

Likes Bikes
On the other hand Dan Macca put a great race together finishing eighth, including setting the fastest fifth lap. Very good signs given some of the names in the race.
Heck yeah what a sick result! I love that his start number says 72, the rest are in the top 10:cool:
 

alchemist

Manly Warringah MTB Club
World Cup #2

1____Jaroslav KULHAVY_________CZE____26____1:40:53
2
____Julien ABSALON___________FRA____31____1:41:43
3
____Marco Aurelio FONTANA ITA____27____1:42:32

...

36
____Chris JONGEWAARD________AUS____32____1:47:25
44
____Daniel MCCONNELL________AUS____26____1:48:03
...

111
___Brian LOPES____________USA____40

Yes, that Brian Lopes - not to bad for and old bloke who described his job for the race as to do wheelies until he got pulled
 

markyh990

Likes Dirt
Now I understand how all this works, solid results ill say. I remember watching a dalby round last year and you could have gone round in on a road bike. Not sure how it was this year but but the boys are obviously strong.

It will be interesting to see how london 2012 goes, if stybar rides id don't think anyone would be beating him IMO
 

Antsonline

Likes Dirt
It will be interesting to see how london 2012 goes, if stybar rides id don't think anyone would be beating him IMO
On the Stybar thing - did you see Sven Nys riding?

On the short-loop at the beginning of the race (before they hit the full lap) he had ridden from something in the mid 70's to 17th position.

WTF!?
It was like a string of riders at full gas, all world class, and he must have just sailed past them all! He faded a bit, but he's got one hell of a turn of speed!
 

Mad Hatter

Likes Dirt
The Plow wins Sprint Eliminator

Paul Van Der Ploag finished on top of the podium for the Pro Sprint Eliminator at Dalby.
Nice work.
 

Grover

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I know you were a bit tongue in cheek markyh990 but the Dalby WC course couldn't be ridden on a road bike. I rode the British National Round there in 2009 which was the test event for the 2010 World Cup. It wasn't crazy, but there were challenges. There were competitors at that race complaining it was very tough compared to other UK courses. The cameras couldn't have gotten into the really tricky parts.
 
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