Yeah Stu, but I think you missed the two main points:
- You showed a lack of organisation in being unable to make the announcement far enough ahead of time that people could make plans
- You showed typical american arrogance by yet again taking another 'world' championship back to North America, something the rest of the world really grew tired of a long time ago.
I'd hazard a guess that there's probably every chance if you'd stayed outside North America, you wouldn't have caused an alternative option to fire up.
Canberra gave you the perfect opportunity to fix these issues and take the event to, say, Europe, or Asia. So while I'm sure you'll be able to continue to run this as a business operating in North America, the rest of the world is likely to move on to what's going to be much bigger.
Really this shows to us that the "24 Hours of Adrenaline World Championships" is just that - the "24 Hours of Adrenaline" world championships, not the world championships of 24hr mountain biking.
Tim,
First of all, unless you are intimately aware of what it is that Stu goes through to put one of these events together, particularly in a foreign country, then you have no right to comment on his organisational skills. For the past several years he has managed to run increasingly successful events culminating with the one here in Aus. There could be any number of reasons for him not being able to pull together a 2011 worlds event including:
- The inability to source a hosting club/organisation able to demonstrate both the knowledge and drive to logistically support such an event,
- A family crisis that he may not, and rightly so, wished to have made public knowledge to the world MTB community,
- Simply not wanting to.
Regardless, the fact is that he is running all of these events as a private promoter and is therefore allowed to do whatever he wants. There is no mandate from a governing body or other overarching agreement to be upheld and as such you have absolutely no right to expect that he will conduct himself in any particular manner. It follows then that you are equally unable to be annoyed that your expectations have not been met. If that is the case, as it appears to be, then you need to be more realistic in your expectations. Bottom line, Stu owes you nothing and if you don't like the way in which he is running the 'worlds' you are free to attempt to run your own, as CORC has obviously decided to do.
Secondly, your observation that the second main point in this whole debate is rooted in a generalisation about Americans being arrogant is both unbecoming and slanderous. You whole post in fact highlights the point that arrogant and rude people exist on both sides of the equator. Furthermore, what gives you the right to presume to speak on behalf of the rest of the world?
As for your comment about the nature of Stu's world championship event, to the best of my knowledge it has always been marketed as the "24hrs of Adrenaline - World 24hr championships". The only point you have made that is remotely close to being legitimate, albeit very poorly and hidden amongst the other emotive rubbish, is the fact is that without some form of sanctioning body there will never be a true World 24hr event. Until now the Adrenaline champs have been far and away the best attempt at getting one established. Again, that you feel deceived or cheated is your own expectation management problem and you have no right to make such spiteful comments here or in any other public forum. Aussies has been very active at the "Worlds" and many riders over the recent years have been celebrated as, and in no small part profited from, being considered "world champions" either as outright or age group winners. We, the Australian MTB community, therefore have had no issues with the Adrenaline champs being considered the "Worlds" in the past which renders your comment void. It has been the Worlds because we have been prepared to accept it as such. Feel free to ask Jess and Jason however - " Would you please stop introducing yourselves as the World Champion because I now have my knickers in a twist?" You would likely get the answer you so richly deserve.
What an uninformed, immature and otherwise unhelpful piece of dribble.
At the very least you should learn to pull your head in and try and gain some perspective. At best you should give Stu a rather large, and public, apology.
