nigelhicks

Ps also work has shunted me off to upington for 2 weeks and I go home on tues. So would have missed worlds anyway. But am planning for Andorra next year

Nope! I defaulted. I chose a 3 week holiday in Europe with the wife over worlds. And looking at the conditions and spectator turn out I think I made the right choice

Xc and dh footage was amazing. Well done to the guys at windham for putting on a cracker event. The dh was so tense being so short. And havig the feed die! Hahahha

Sven Martins pic of Bryceland on the Vital Slideshow

bryceland has stuffed his face up at the MSA afterparty it seems - nice Black Eye!

Dude - its crazy how well organised that event is - its a full on festival for a week! ... Even back when I went over there it was on another level - and that was in 1996!

here is my best - Belgian Beer!!!

From a Restaurant we went to in Prague

This is ALWAYS the case - 3 venues will generally host a double header event with the rest seperated and split in different countries etc. Areas like Nove Mesto and Albstadt do not have gravity trails and the hills cannot support a DH event - but their XC tracks are insane. Fort Bill can host a double header and has done so in the past - but the spectators only really show up for DH so the organisers only bid for the DH event. The issue with having a single discipline event in SA or AUZ is that there needs to be a ton of infrastructure for just one event - with a double header the infrastructure costs are reduced as there is more bang for your buck. SO a single event here would be really costly for the teams to come to. And thats a negative. The teams have BIG influence - and yes it does make it a bit crap - there have been events in the southern hemisphere for a while but none have lasted the length of Fort Bill or Mt St anne as the teams complain about costs getting there - in Europe and USA the teams have their big rigs and all the toys so they love going there as they have all the equipment on hand. Coming here they have very little ...so thats an issue. But its happened time and time again where the UCI try to move the sport to different areas around the globe - it works for 2 or 3 years - then the pros whinge or they loose funding for the series and it reverts back to a Europe - USA series. There has even been a year or 2 when it was only in Europe when the UCI was in deep financial crap when their sponsorship dried up.

Mike Jones in 5th in timed training! Ok so timed training doesnt mean much really - but still thats a good one from the youngster

maybe - but i was just wondering about the Chest mount - as the UCI said these are not allowed at sanctioned events and they can cause damage to your sternum.

No - this is set at 4 cams for the event - and riders are given the option to ride with it - its to be used in the final editing of the programme (like they do in MX that they can go onboard "live") ... So the rule is still no cameras other than those 4 for TV purposes

hahahaha - i did too - I think i was a bit more diplomatic than you though. hahaha I started getting chirpy but then took it out as i dont feel like starting an internet war with a 15 year old

XC maybe - DH Not likely... The XC riders loved Nicks course - but the DH okes (apart from the Hannah's) hated PMB ... also the DH teams didnt like it because of logistics and uplift issues. So they dont want to come back. XC on the other hand would - but it may be too expensive for the teams to come out just for a single discipline round. But again we will have to wait and see.

LOVE this comment in reply to Stretch's post on Pinkbike .... Typical reply from someone who obviously thinks we still run around in loin cloths. http://es.pinkbike.org/sprt/f2/s/35.gif game (9 hours ago) south africa has how many people that can afford to mtb? is how far away from the rest of the major mtb scenes in europe and north america? You guys were lucky to have a WC in the first place.

What happened to the ruling of no chest mounted cams? Gregs Optrix was chest mounted - and he did that in SA too .... ????

SO the World Cup Circus stays in the northern hemisphere for 2015 with 2 new rounds. PMB and Cairns have both been dropped from the Calendar. (We knew it was happening to PMB - but its a surprise for Cairns as they will host the World Champs in 2017) "The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) today published the 2015 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup calendar on its website. The world’s leading mountain bike series will comprise nine rounds: three exclusively for Downhill (DHI), two for Olympic Cross-country (XCO), and four combining the two specialties. The season will kick off on April 11th and 12th with round one of the DHI in the new venue of Lourdes (France). Although new to the World Cup calendar, Lourdes has already hosted the French Cup, and will present riders with a 2.5km long course that descends 600m in altitude. The other first-time destination next year is Lenzerheide, Switzerland, which will organise a double event (DHI and XCO) on July 4th an 5th. This will be the first of three consecutive rounds (2015-2017) in the Swiss resort as it prepares to host the World Championships in 2018. Often voted best XCO event of the World Cup, Nove Mesto na Morave (Czech Republic) will host round one of the XCO on May 23rd and 24th. This will serve as a final rehearsal before the 2016 World Championships for XCO and Cross-country Eliminator (XCE). After the Czech Republic, the World Cup will move to Albstadt (Germany) for the third consecutive year then the downhill Mecca of Fort William (Great Britain) and the Austrian resort of Leogang, another regular World Cup venue and host of the World Championships in 2012. The World Cup’s two destinations on the American continent will be held the first two weekends in August: the popular Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada), which has hosted a round every year since the creation of the World Cup in 1991, and Windham (USA). The overall World Cup winners will be crowned in Val di Sole, Italy, on August 22nd and 23rd. The Italian resort is known for its difficult DHI track, and returns to the World Cup calendar after a break in 2014." 2015 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup calendar - DHI # 1 April 11-12 Lourdes (France) - XCO # 1 May 23-24 Nove Mesto na Morave (Czech Republic) - XCO # 2 May 30-31 Albstadt (Germany) - DHI # 2 June 6-7 Fort William (Great Britain) - DHI # 3 June 13-14 Leogang (Austria) - XCO # 3/ DHI # 4 July 4-5 Lenzerheide (Switzerland) - XCO # 4/ DHI # 5 August 1-2 Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada) - XCO # 5/ DHI # 6 August 8-9 Windham (United States) - XCO # 6/ DHI # 7 August 22-23 Val di Sole (Italy)

Claudios Helmet cam Run! and he bins it again on the same corner as last year! http://www.redbull.com/za/en/bike/stories/1331668035451/claudio-caluori-wc-course-preview-mont-saint-anne

All things Mont St Anne Looks like they have done an amazing job with the track - so good that even Fairclough is not complaining. Keen to see the guys start practice today! Vitals Power Rankings - http://www.vitalmtb.com/features/Vital-Power-Rankings-Mont-Sainte-Anne-World-Cup-The-15-Fastest-Going-In,760 Trackwalk Slideshow - Vital http://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/Mont-Sainte-Anne-World-Cup-Downhill-Track-Walk,7935/Slideshow,0/sspomer,2 Dirts Trackwalk http://dirtmountainbike.com/mountain-biking-events/downhill/uci-world-cup/2014-mont-sainte-anne-world-cup-track-walk-gallery.html#!brPYmO Pinkbikes Trackwalk http://www.pinkbike.com/news/trackwalk-mont-st-anne-dh-world-cup-5.html Some GNAR! http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p5pb11240849/p5pb11240849.jpg http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p5pb11240848/p5pb11240848.jpg http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p5pb11240844/p5pb11240844.jpg http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p5pb11240861/p5pb11240861.jpg TOTALLY Natural track it seems! So whos your money on? Ratboy? Mr Minn? Hill? Smith? Gwin? Bruni? Brosnan? The list of contenders for top spot is LOOOONG

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BqLTqLcurqI/T9bToofMz_I/AAAAAAAADV4/I1AKOzMGfYU/s320/mrburns_excellent1.JPG

And so its out and Mr Minn, Ratboy and Peaty will be aboard these big wheel monsters this weekend From Pink bike - Details coming in, but for now Santa Cruz are saying little: "So, while we're unable to confirm ANY details about the bikes the guys are racing on in Mont Sainte Anne, we're not going to deny that what you see here isn't happening..." Photos are up, expect more info as it comes in the next few days. Word is that it now features a single travel position instead of the two positions on the old bike, has new geometry and a revised leverage curve. http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p5pb11239454/p5pb11239454.jpg http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p5pb11239479/p5pb11239479.jpg http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p5pb11239481/p5pb11239481.jpg

and a pressfit BB!!! .... WHY!!!!! http://dougleschan.com/the-recruitment-guru/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/headhunter-why.png

Specs havent been released yet - they have some 2015 demo specs up but i think its for the normal demo - not the S-works What is interesting 12x135mm rear axle!! ... WHY??? I mean fair enough - new 7spd XX1 is spacered to 150 - but that really limits hub choice

hahahaha yip Sean it is ... hahahhaa .. In My Humble Opinion! ... hahaha No i have honestly never ever liked that old design ... to much stuff going on

same bottom pivot style as the Devinci - pivoting around the BB housing. Looks interesting ... Not too sure about the singlesided seatstay ... but hey if it works! Sorry Mill and Mayhem - but I think that is a MASSIVE improvement on the asthetics compared with the old Demo which looked like a tank of metal arms IMO .... Still would hate to see the pricetag though