Tom! Pidcock!

[mattpage]

Cycling weekly quote him

Mathieu van der Poel says he didn't know a ramp on the mountain bike course during practice laps, situated on the downhill section where he crashed, would be removed for the actual race.

He clearly says Practice Laps, unless they've miss-quoted him or they just made it up?

Not there in the video though, maybe someone put it back sometime in the last 2 years? Perhaps you should have sent the video link to the Dutch team

All those quotes given might be in Dutch?

[mattpage]

Another video here from 2019. You can see the B-line and you can see Evie Richards being the first who uses it. I know she has been training, so hopefully, she nails it tomorrow. Time penalty looks limited mind.

https://youtu.be/D-Or86h3yVc?t=132

[GregMay]

Matt - apparently it was removed during the 2019 test event as well. He didn't race that. Agree that it shouldn't have been there, then removed. UCI Rules are quite strict on that.....but it's an IOC event. So not sure how that works out.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Maybe someone just dropped a bollock? It does happen.

[mattpage]

Maybe someone just dropped a bollock? It does happen.

I think in this case, the bollock dropped was MVDPs.

[voodoo_simon]

Evie earlier in the week

No idea what’s gone on, whether it was there or not but guess MvdP is hurting the most from it

[fatbikephil]

Thats one of these features that are fine as long as you can hit them with enough speed. The thought of doing it with others in the way doesn't appeal.....

[sean_iow]

I guess that picture must be photoshopped

That simply wouldn't have been allowed. When the course is open for official practice it must be as it is for the race.
The course can change naturally, but man-made features like that can't be altered after practice and before the race.

[summittoppler]

Just watched the 'highlights'.
Fair play it as a great ride but it got me thinking......
How about on a really hot dry day like this one they friggin soak parts of the course just to 'mix it up a bit'... or move some of them boulders... It would be good to see tyre changes like the F! pit stops

[Alpinum]

Thats one of these features that are fine as long as you can hit them with enough speed.

Is it? Did you ride it too?
I do agree it's dead easy from the seat in the train when I last looked at it.

They ride at average heart rates likely above max. hr of a fit pensionist, wheel on wheel and then tech features I'm sure hardly any posting here would ride.

The thought of doing it with others in the way doesn't appeal.....

Riding at the Olympics also didn't appeal to me either, so I stayed at home instead.


Re: van der Poel
Merck was still furious from him pulling out of the TdF early after winning stuff and in threw a stick into his front wheel in Japan as a revenge. Can be clearly seen in the replay.

Shame for what seems (from interviews) like a nice guy to read about him blaming others for a mistake he made.

[voodoo_simon]

The planks are back for the women’s race

[Bearbonesnorm]

Do you think someone is maybe using that pallet to stack wood or bricks on and when they've finished, they simply lean it against that rock until they need it again? I've a similar one lent against the pigsty wall.

[voodoo_simon]

^^ You might be on to something there Stu

Good women’s race this morning, dominant performance by Jolanda When I saw the course, i had her down to take the win.

The overnight rain certainly made a difference in the early laps, much less traction for the riders.

Good result for Evie too, she looked pretty happy at the end of the race Bit gutted for Pauline FP to not place higher in the standings though

[jameso]

Got to say, I thought seeing racers launching off that drop was great for XC racing in general. There's a shot of VDP's crash with (I think) Pidcock touching down totally bottomed out and tyres squashed, right behind him.

There is no way I'd be going off that drop without the board in the gap :) and even if I got happy with landing down on the rock, take the board out and nope, no chance. I know it's nothing compared to ews but on XC bikes, no protection apart from an open face lid? Got a lot of respect for a maxed-out racer hitting that a few times in a race. XC racing pace with the flair some of these riders have over the bigger features is always good to watch.

[Boab]

What's with all the flipping whistling by the marshalls...!?!

[fatbikephil]

What's with all the flipping whistling by the marshalls...!?!

To avoid spectators jumping into the track showing signs with 'Hello Mum' etc to the camera, and taking out half the field
Takes me back to DH days when your progress was proceeded by a mexican wave of whistle blowing

[Boab]

What's with all the flipping whistling by the marshalls...!?!

To avoid spectators jumping into the track showing signs with 'Hello Mum' etc to the camera, and taking out half the field
Takes me back to DH days when your progress was proceeded by a mexican wave of whistle blowing

It's quite annoying... Also, are you not allowed to wear CX spikes on your XC disco slippers...? Those ladies were all over the place trying to get round that slippy corner...

[Alpinum]

What's with all the flipping whistling by the marshalls...!?!

Rider approaching.
So the next marshall can (or can't in one case in Les Gets) stop folks doing stuff that could kill somebody.

Good stuff with the womens podium. Couldn't watch it (damage control at work after deluge) and have read the news. Shame... would've been worth waiting 'till the evening and watch the replay not knowing what was going to happen.

Well... that's already it from one of the sports. What a fuss.

[redefined_cycles]

https://singletrackworld.com/2021/07/ma ... n-removed/

STW article sheds a little light on the situation...

[redefined_cycles]

Thats one of these features that are fine as long as you can hit them with enough speed.

Is it? Did you ride it too?
I do agree it's dead easy from the seat in the train when I last looked at it.

They ride at average heart rates likely above max. hr of a fit pensionist, wheel on wheel and then tech features I'm sure hardly any posting here would ride.

The thought of doing it with others in the way doesn't appeal.....

Riding at the Olympics also didn't appeal to me either, so I stayed at home instead.


Re: van der Poel
Merck was still furious from him pulling out of the TdF early after winning stuff and in threw a stick into his front wheel in Japan as a revenge. Can be clearly seen in the replay.

Shame for what seems (from interviews) like a nice guy to read about him blaming others for a mistake he made.

You got a link to this pls Gian (the replay of Merck throwing a stick at VDP

[mattpage]

Reading more into it, I think the referees/commissaries cocked up, but MVP was also the only rider who had a problem.

It seems like the ramp was intended for the women's, but not men's race but both practiced at the same time. I'm not sure why as for the practice event in 2019 it was removed for both and there is a B line and that is there for a reason.

Removing something like this isn't allowed in UCI rules, any man made obstacles must remain the same for the race as they are in practice, which is for obvious reasons.

Apparently everyone should have known this was happening and all his team did, but I still think the organisation cocked up here too.

[sean_iow]

Seems to be the perfect storm of the organisers messing up and MVDP not knowing/paying enough attention when being/not being told.

As you say, the course shouldn't change. It's hardly 'practice' if they alter the course between the practice and the race. Might as well ride anywhere and then issue a memo with how the supermarket car-park differs from the xc course!

I think Tom would still have won even if MVDP hadn't crashed as he was very motivated for this but a shame for Matheiu as he may have got silver. Mind you a stage win and yellow in the Tour isn't a bad haul for the summer.

[Alpinum]

Reading more into it, I think the referees/commissaries cocked up, but MVP was also the only rider who had a problem.

There was a memo. There was 1 h training on the course just before the race. Everyone got it, thought of it when riding up to the ramp. All except for one did what they were meant to do to not crash - jump. van der Poel was the only to crash there because he forgot about the ramp. There was only one person who made a mess, it was van der Poel. Blaming others for his own mistake and with his leverage is poor show.
In interviews (I know... questionable how much can be told about a person from only seeing them talk in post race interviews) he always came across as a nice guy. He must have been very frustrated and not himself shortly after the race.

but a shame for Matheiu as he may have got silver.

Why second? Why not first, or sixth?
Whilst he showed just how technically skilled and powerful a rider he is in the last couple of years riding XCO, his results weren't consistent when he rode more than just one or two XCO world cups per year. Going by his placements, crashes and defects (many defects come from not riding carefully where needed) he had in his couple of years of XCO (and XCC)... nah. Not sure there's currently a force against Flückiger, unless Pidcock gets a clean run. Check this seasons world cup races.

Those up front are all increadibly close together performance wise. Flückiger proved his stellar form in all world cup races of 2021. Pidcock struggled in Les Gets.
Now, in "Tokio", have a look at the time difference in the nearly 1.5 h race. How much does it take?

Today nearly all front runners are technically highly skilled riders and utterly powerful. One day you win, one day you don't.

Reading more into it, I think the referees/commissaries cocked up, but MVP was also the only rider who had a problem.

See, there was a memo. Everyone got it, thought of it when riding up to the ramp. All except for one did what they were meant to - jump. van der Poel was the only to crash there because he forgot about the ramp. There was only one person who made a mess, it was van der Poel. Blaming others is poor show.

but a shame for Matheiu as he may have got silver.

Maybe.
Maybe not.
Whilst he showed just how technically skilled and powerful a rider he is, I think it was just as certain for Koretsky, Cink, Flückiger, Shurter etc. to win or come into second. Going by his placements, crashes and defects (many defects come from not riding carefully where needed) he had in his 5 years of XCO (and XCC)... yes, I guess he had a similar amount of chance to win as 5 - 7 other riders had.

Those up front are all increadibly close together performance wise. Flückiger proved his stellar form in all world cup races of 2021. Pidcock struggled in Les Gets.
Have a look at the time difference in the nearly 1.5 h race. How much does it take?

Nevertheless, how Pidcock and van der Poel are changing disciplines or even sports (mtb and road racing is about as similar as rowing and kayaking) is incredible.
Just as is Shurters domination between 2010 and 2019.

https://singletrackworld.com/2021/07/ma ... n-removed/

STW article sheds a little light on the situation...

It doesn't really. It just repeats what vdP tweeted.
It doesn't tell the story of all the others telling vdP about the changes. It doesn't tell the story of how a person simply forgets, but tells the world he was not told.

As for Merck and the stick. It got cut from the internet. Sorry. 
(Was trying to be sarcastic given how Merck reacted towards vdP pulling out of the TdF.)

Over to Jolanda Neff. Did you see how she jumped off the drop vdP crashed on when she got slowed down by Ferrand Prevot? Proper skills. Glad FP didn't podium, she lacks the technical capabilities of other strong riders and regularly rode in an unfair way (trying to cause other riders to crash).

[fatbikephil]

More cycling mayhem
Vid of what Alpinum was talking about - https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/jola ... e-incident
Defo got full travel there
And on the BMX track - https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/bmx- ... o-olympics

And looks like Tom Pidcock is doing the vuelta

[Alpinum]

More cycling mayhem
Vid of what Alpinum was talking about - https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/jola ... e-incident
Defo got full travel there
And on the BMX track - https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/bmx- ... o-olympics

And looks like Tom Pidcock is doing the vuelta

Thanks for that. Unfortunately Neff and other riders have suffered from shady moves by Ferrand-Prévot before. One could say it's racing... I watch most of the replays of just about all XCO and XCC races when at home and never come across such elbowing except from FP, not in the women's field, nor in the men's.
Then FP sliping on the rocks this morning... from the couch it looked like she didn't have the momentum, put a sketchy pedal stroke in and slid, whilst, two riders width apart, Neff cleared it with ease due to coming in much faster.
Yeah... not a fan of FP.

Surprised Lecomte didn't do better, given how she dominated the last 4 wc rounds.

Great post race interview by the srf (Swiss tv, good commentary too by Frischknecht and the sports guy of the channel) of Neff. She often mentioned how important to her it was to enjoy the race. How she had missed racing with spectators cheering (due to injuries and COVID-19). Last Friday she was on her mtb for the first time in 6 weeks, due to two (iirc) fractures of the metacarpal bones. So... even at that level enjoyment seems important (to at least one rider).

I guess all athletes have stories to tell. Just like before and after a bikepacking event.