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Hard to imagine this kind of wobble on a far heavier less twitchy MTB with suspension. Interested to hear how the post accident test ride and mechanical check goes.

For once, me and the ANC are in agreement.

Don't be silly, that's not what I said or understand. Your opinion ignores all the other riders from numerous other countries who are also not as good as Greg but who will be there because their federations don't have poorly thought out selection criteria that ignore the nature of downhill racing and the hurdles our riders face. Send them all!

I'm too stupid to understand that except that its supposed to be an insult Please explain.

Why is 'investing in his career" relevant to this discussion. We're talking about sending the best riders SA has right now to the Worlds. If these are the best we have they should all go. Comparing them to GM is not really fair because he makes many if not most other riders on the circuit look bad.

So much bias and misinformation masquerading as fact...

I think you misunderstood my post. If you followed Kerrs results you would know he has really only come close to actually winning a WC round in the last two years or so. He himself has said how long it takes to get to that point, even with the advantages he has enjoyed. Is he a late bloomer, well maybe. Greg's career illustrates that age is not necessarily an obstacle to performance in DH. There are plenty of racers in their 30s. Erlangsen is over the hill according to you though..

A few puddles on the jeep track but little if any standing water or thick mud on the trails - just a few streams to cross usually lower down.

You're just being illogical now to avoid climbing off your high horse.

I can say with relative certainty that in DH riders support each other and would be happy to have as many fellow rider riding with them. This is not road racing.

Okay, you got it right now.

And the first point above goes to show that CSA are out of touch with reality and the WC calendar too, it seems.

Yes, more strange facts on this thread. Well spotted. Its bad when people cant even regurg Google results properly.

I'm waiting to get wind of what is happening "behind the scenes". If you hear, let us know please.

Looking into my crystal ball I see a DH worlds without any SA riders in it in a year or two after Greg retires. Hell he may not even make it to the 2024 worlds, given the risks attached to training and the possibilities of injury before the time. Zero participation is a possibility in 2024 It is quite clear that the qualifying criteria are set too high considering the "hurdles" faced by our athletes, many of which have been explained on these pages. They may not be good enough according to the CSA criteria but they're the best and only riders SA has. Not sure who has the wool over their eyes here, but it ain't me.

And there is a massive difference between MX and DH - big $$ for everything from equipment to coaching. I'm still not understanding why any of you think it would be a bad idea to have as big a contingent of riders as possible at the Worlds.

30 is still young for DH these days. teams sign riders for various reasons. Greg was signed at 42. Kerr is 36. yes they're well established but there are many who only bloom later in their careers like Kerr for instance. How well do you actually follow DH? I suspect that numerous opinionated nay sayers on this thread barely do. Ill informed invective from bikehubbers - who would have thought.

John I think you're showing your lack of knowledge of the sport of downhill racing. At least two or three of the riders not permitted to go would never be two minutes behind the winner. Who gained you say .. well the sport gains because it provides an incentive for other riders to up their game and try to get there too. No help given by CSA and little if any interest in the sport from sponsors and the average marathon/gravel riding SA public so its an uphill battle, as can be seen from your and the other punters here who seem to look down on the downhill racers from their lycra clad pedestals. Greg has mentioned time an again the lack of recognition his achievements have received in SA and that trend is clearly not about to change, given the attitude to up and coming racers displayed here. The WC is like the CTCT - said nobody, ever? That's ludicrous. There are many examples of breakout performances that occur in DH racing because suddenly everything clicks, especially for the younger riders. SA is the poorer for not having all its best riders at the WC.

Your post clearly states that there was no petition, or are you splitting hairs now and saying you weren't referring to the hard copy petition that was sent in, if there was one?

What we also have in SA is a growing culture of irrational rules and regulations that condone bad administrative decisions and cover those who make them. I stand by my point that CSA are ill equipped to deal with DH. They don't understand it and their behavior does nothing for the riders. Easy to say they shouldjust try again next year when they're already battling to pay their way to make a go of it as it is.

Exactly they did petition but we have fake news being spread here. Disappointing

Greg is 42, started racing when the R was about 3 to the dollar and now has a home in Andorra and full team support. He is super talented but the guys over there at the moment are also the best we have in SA at the moment, not some no hopers who can barely ride a bike, like most on this thread, me included. I'd like the biggest team of the best riders representing SA at the worlds. Why don't you?

Stop, you're making me cry with your in no way relevant comparisons to play to the audience on this thread.

It means that the criteria that road/XC biased CSA have in place for selection in DH are probably poorly thought out in that they fail to take the famous "hurdles" and nature of DH racing as opposed to road and XC into account. https://bikenetwork.co.za/csa-dont-see-this-from-a-riders-point-of-view/

This segways back to my statement that DH racers from SA face bigger hurdles than their XC)/marathon/roadie counterparts. How many pro DH racers come to SA over summer to train here? Absolutely none or if any do, its not for training but promo work like Greg. Why not? Because we lack shuttle and chairlift assisted DH tracks of a suitable standard. Where do they go - places like New Zealand's South Island. How many XCO racers including top names. come to Cape Town in particular to train - lots and lots. Why, because its terrain and trails are made for it. Nino. Keller and others are often here in summer. So, CSA and other punters on this forum including the XC coach, how are SA talents supposed to compete and meet criteria imposed by an organization that appears to hardly understands downhill racing given the dearth of training venues available to them in SA? Far tooo many high horses being ridden by too many people quoting this and that from the CSA without understanding the context or the nature of DH racing in SA.