World Cup Question?
- Thread starter hamdh
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Le Matelot
Canberra Off-Road Cyclists
They had had some some initial concerns about Mt Stromlo's drop for the DH course so we took them up and out to the edge so they could see. They were happy with the proposed DH course area, but, yes, they were very interested that they could see Canberra Airport from the top of the DH course. Why? Well, at their previous World Champs, it was a 4:30 drive from the airport to the venue and everyone had been very critical of that.
As I said, there is more to deciding a World Champs venue than just the courses. No use in having a fantastic course if people can't get to it easily or you can't fit spectators along it.
I also imagine that your comment (and this being Farkin, after all) is directed at the DH. Remember, there are 3 other MTB disciplines in a World Champs.
The Stromlo XCO course was rated by Ralph Naef (1st) "I think its a great course, one of the best I have ever seen.", by Geoff Kabush (3rd) "a really fun race today, a really fun track", by Irina Kalentieva (1st) "a very technical course, a very interesting course, I like this course, also many spectators", by Catharine Pendrel (3rd) "The climbs are really technical and challenging, the descents are super fun - you're just going from berm to berm and having a great time out there. It was a good course".
On the 4X, Jared Graves (1st - of 5 Aussies) said, "what can I say, Australia has the best crowds! Fort William has always held the crown as being the best atmosphere for the world cup season but Canberra for sure beat it!" Now, we thought that Mr Graves might be being a little bit biased, being an Aussie and having just won the race, so we checked with the UCI and they said his comments were spot on.
I must echo Jared's comments on the crowd. You guys were great and the UCI rated you as "probably the most enthusiastic [crowd] of the season". With 24,600 total spectator-days, Canberra came in 3rd for the season behind the Italian World Champs (30,000) and the Mont Sainte Anne World Cup (25,000). So, as the AMB article said, "the World Championships next year have a hard act to follow."
Well, the UCI have offered one to us and we have until about April next year to make up our mind. They are talking about maybe the final one for the season when it will be a bit warmer and the riders might be inclined to stay in Oz for a bit of time after the race rather than head back to those northern hemisphere winters.
However, at the end of the day, the decision may well be a financial one. The World Cup wasn't cheap to put on.
Yes, the final section of the DH course will have some of the corners taken out of it (just above the 4X) so that riders can carry more speed into the section along the 4X hill. The section along the 4X hill will also be resurfaced to make it all-weather. It was really the rain that screwed us, making that section very sticky so that the riders could not keep their speed up. Its a reasonably interesting section to watch at 70 Km/Hr but not at 20.
For those of you who completed the survey at the Canberra World Cup, a big thanks, and 88% of you said you'd definitely be back next year and 95% of you said you'd tell someone else who didn't come, to make sure they came next year.I had fun at the WC this year and like I said, I'd love to go again next year
If we are to really show the UCI that Australia is worthy of having major events on a regular basis, then we need to produce a turnout next year about double that of the World Cup. Remember, its a long way and lotza $$ for the overseas riders and teams to come here, so we have to make sure the Aussie events remain something special, and become a "must do" on the calendar.
PLUCAS
Likes Dirt
Well lets just take all our chains off then and see who the most skilled roller is.Why try to turn arguably the most heavily skill-based form of bike racing into a form that's covered by another discipline anyway?
Cmon man fitness has always been apart of DH and always will be.
At the world cup the fittest rider with cleats, on the best peddling bike won. Christ Rennie got 3rd on flats so the Cruz must peddle well.
Bike design is part of it too, you have just got to have the whole package.
Sam Hill always knew he would not do well @ Canberra, and made sure he won at Bromont the round before. I believe he is by far the most skilled and it was disappointing not to see him do well but the mud was not expected and made it much worse than in the dry.
The main point here, Think about how different it would have been if it had not rained??
indica
Serial flasher
I had a ball and thought the course was great, took the family, the wife enjoyed it, kids - 6 and 3 got a little bored.
I would love to go next year, but can we have some idea of the cost to get in?
Need to know if I should make time to go or not ...
Also the big screen should be in the finish area, so we can stand there and cheer and watch it.
gbar
Likes Bikes
Le Matelot
Canberra Off-Road Cyclists
OK - here is the info you asked for - but please remember that it is all provisional - September 2009 is still a long way off...
The current World Champs schedule is attached. There are 3 big days at the World Champs:
. Friday is U23 Men XC and then 4X at night
. Saturday is Elite Men and Women XC, with Junior Trials
. Sunday is DH plus Elite Trials
However, other World racing starts as far back as the Tuesday with the National team Relay.
There will also be some races for the kids.
We have taken onboard the feedback about food quality.
. $17 for Adult (age 17 and over)
. $13 for Child (age 13 to 16)
. Free for Under 13 accompanied by an adult
. There will be a family pass option which will cover 2 adults + 3 children, at $50 per day, a saving of up to $23 per day.
Your ticket will include:
. entry to the venue
. access to grandstands
. car parking, bus to/from Canberra interchanges, or secure bike storage at the venue
. bus rides up the mountain, to the top or to selected viewing spots,
There will be an option to purchase a whole-of-event ticket (covers 6 days of competition + practice days) for any of the entry options, for 2.75 times the daily cost. For example:
. a family pass for the entire event would cost $137.50, a saving of $162.50 compared to purchasing daily family passes.
. an adult pass for the entire event would cost $46.75, a saving of $55.25 compared to purchasing daily adult entry passes.
Now, for the "bad" news. Remember, this is not our venue. Legally, it is the same as going to Canberra Stadium or Manuka Oval ......
. the venue will be fenced. This includes the 4X and Triple Treat.
. there will be no parking on Uriarra or Cotter Roads (unless you are prepared for the brown envelope under your wipers).
. there will be stricter enforcing of the "esky" rule by security staff.
. DH finish
. 4X (facing up the hill so it is visible for the 4X spectators)
. Triple Treat
There is also a plan for a large (1500 seat) grandstand on the southern side of the DH/4X finish area - the opposite side to where the hot seat was for the World Cup. You will get better visibility of the big screen from this grandstand.
The current World Champs schedule is attached. There are 3 big days at the World Champs:
. Friday is U23 Men XC and then 4X at night
. Saturday is Elite Men and Women XC, with Junior Trials
. Sunday is DH plus Elite Trials
However, other World racing starts as far back as the Tuesday with the National team Relay.
We had some kids entertainment this year (jumping castles, face painting etc) and you can expect that + more for next year. Also, the champs schedule provides for more events to watch because there are age categories at a World Champs, not just the Open categories you get at a World Cup.
There will also be some races for the kids.
We have taken onboard the feedback about food quality.
There will be 3 daily ticket prices. Costs are estimate at this stage and are shown for the online purchase discount. Tickets purchased on the day will cost more:
. $17 for Adult (age 17 and over)
. $13 for Child (age 13 to 16)
. Free for Under 13 accompanied by an adult
. There will be a family pass option which will cover 2 adults + 3 children, at $50 per day, a saving of up to $23 per day.
Your ticket will include:
. entry to the venue
. access to grandstands
. car parking, bus to/from Canberra interchanges, or secure bike storage at the venue
. bus rides up the mountain, to the top or to selected viewing spots,
There will be an option to purchase a whole-of-event ticket (covers 6 days of competition + practice days) for any of the entry options, for 2.75 times the daily cost. For example:
. a family pass for the entire event would cost $137.50, a saving of $162.50 compared to purchasing daily family passes.
. an adult pass for the entire event would cost $46.75, a saving of $55.25 compared to purchasing daily adult entry passes.
Now, for the "bad" news. Remember, this is not our venue. Legally, it is the same as going to Canberra Stadium or Manuka Oval ......
. the venue will be fenced. This includes the 4X and Triple Treat.
. there will be no parking on Uriarra or Cotter Roads (unless you are prepared for the brown envelope under your wipers).
. there will be stricter enforcing of the "esky" rule by security staff.
The current plan is for 3 big screens:
. DH finish
. 4X (facing up the hill so it is visible for the 4X spectators)
. Triple Treat
There is also a plan for a large (1500 seat) grandstand on the southern side of the DH/4X finish area - the opposite side to where the hot seat was for the World Cup. You will get better visibility of the big screen from this grandstand.
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indica
Serial flasher
^^^^
Thanks.
Kids - wasn't complaining, more that fact was I wanted to know the cost as I wasn't willing to pay European prices. They did have fun though, still run around the house with the cowbells and my son - now 4 - asked when we are going back to Canberra.
Those prices sound good, the screen thing sounds better too.
Better food would help also ...
Keep that rain away if you can.
And thanks again for the free one last year, I'll try and make it back!
Thanks.
Kids - wasn't complaining, more that fact was I wanted to know the cost as I wasn't willing to pay European prices. They did have fun though, still run around the house with the cowbells and my son - now 4 - asked when we are going back to Canberra.
Those prices sound good, the screen thing sounds better too.
Better food would help also ...
Keep that rain away if you can.
And thanks again for the free one last year, I'll try and make it back!
Le Matelot
Canberra Off-Road Cyclists
Hmmmmm, lets see...
4 in the top 10 in Men DH, including 2nd
5 in the top 5 in Men 4X (Never been done before)
Winner of Women's 4X
And we actually got some of our best placings ever in Men and Women XC (OK - they weren't podiums but that still doesn't mean they weren't our best). This included 4 in the top 10 Women XCO (places 7-10).
If that is "not doing so well" then I'm sure there are a lot of other mountain biking nations out there who would be really happy to do that "badly"
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PLUCAS
Likes Dirt
PLUCAS
Likes Dirt
No I think that you are spot on.
and then there was 2
S.
ex offender
I'm not denying fitness is a part of it, I'm saying it shouldn't be the DOMINANT part. We already have road and XC for fitness-dominated racing. We COULD race DH on XC tracks, but why would you? We already have XC racing on XC tracks!
BTW V10s don't pedal anywhere near as well as they're claimed to. The fact that someone did well at one particular race on one (btw, Rennie got 2nd, not 3rd) is the most amusing "proof" I've ever seen that a bike pedals efficiently. What does suck is that a 2x world champion, who has handed the entire field their arses time and time again on the most technically challenging tracks in the world, had what he said was a nearly-perfect run and couldn't even crack the top 10.
There is actually, in Troistorrents I believe. The whole of Switzerland is tiny though, what looks like a big distance on a map is usually about 20 minutes' walk - hell you can walk to France from Champery in under an hour. No joke.
PLUCAS
Likes Dirt
please see my posts below.
i have been corrected and will perform the punishment
Yes it did suck that Sam did not do well, however he was never going to regardless of weather.
Would he have done better with clips and a skin suit probably but it is his choice, not up to us.
don't even get me started on the skin suit thing.
i have been corrected and will perform the punishment
Yes it did suck that Sam did not do well, however he was never going to regardless of weather.
Would he have done better with clips and a skin suit probably but it is his choice, not up to us.
don't even get me started on the skin suit thing.
dcrofty
Eats Squid
Yeah thats true but they aren't really that common in NSW and I don't know what the criteria are to get on one in terms of injury severity but its quite possible that two broken wrists wouldn't cut it. Which leaves a private flight and thats gonna cost someone $'s should it come to that.They have things called helicopters now, look into it.
J@se
Breezeway Bandit
Whilst there aren't a LOT of choppers in NSW/VIC they are available. NSW Air ambulance and the VIC equivalent can be put on call for airlift services to more remote areas. They certainly know the ski-field areas, they participate in heaps of Search and Rescue up there as well.
Its a world class event, with a qualified ambo to make the call on whether it was required there would be no reason it wouldn't work.
dcrofty
Eats Squid
Yeah I totally agree, no doubt it could work and really it already does as evidenced by the choppers who have been called to Awaba races amongst others.
Just saying cost could be an issue for non life threatening injuries.