Duane_Bosch

It's time for a confession. If a grey ford double cab turned into that little slip way front of you on chappies right at the toll gate at around 6.30 a week or 2 ago it was me. Sorry guys in that crew. I did look and I honestly didn't see anyone. I've since started driving in there the "wrong" way to avoid the problem.

They didn't read the bit in the book about de escalation.

At the Elite level it's very much a young mans sport. The rider closest in age to GM who's won a WC or World Champs is Danny Hart at 33. Just shows how incredible he is as an athlete. Kelly Slater like. Source https://mtbdata.com/ranking/2024/downhill/men-elite/2024-07-30 The team manager role at SC had already been taken up by Steve Peat and they had already hired the next big thing in the sport being Jackson Goldstone. Sucks but it's professional sport.

Ja he's won at least one of them France has a great club system. I've often seen groups of sprogs (including Tahnee Seagrave when when a teenager) following coaches around Les Gets.

One more teeni comment and then I'm out. There's a reason Theo, Rory etc base themselves in Morzine and saffers all go over in groups every year and it's not the beer. It's not a bikepark. It's multiple bikeparks all linked making it the biggest linked mountain bike area in the world. You can ride the Champery World Cup track, The Chatel IXS track as well as tracks that have been used in National Champs races including the Swiss National, French national track(s) in Lindarets as well as the French National on Pleney. But the MAIN reason the fast guys base themselves there is the Pleney Steeps. The name says it all. There are MANY off piste trails that pop off the main lines that are SUPER steep and hectic. Like both wheels locked and still going too fast steep.

It's also a feeder series where there are age groups for younger riders to get up to speed. Also the events are typically held at venues that have previously hosted World Cups such as Wilengen and Lenzerheide. The track that they use at Chatel stitches together Bike Patrol and the bottom part of Serpentine which are both part of the Chatel Bike park. Serpentine is typical Euro Bike park with MASSIVE jumps and 5m tall berms. It's a blue. Bike Patrol on the other hand is a proper black that is honestly terrifying to a normal pleb like myself. It's suuper rooty and slippery in the trees and there are parts that are basically impossible to ride unless you are committed and going fast. It starts off with an off camper loose shale section that feels like you are going to fall off the mountain if you get it wrong.

Just a funny little anecdote when Duran was doing his postman pat impression in a tiny van around Europe he'd enter the IXS races because the race entry includes 3 or 4 days of lift access and the race entry was cheaper than the equivalent lift pass at normal times. That and the free food. He'd also collect all the red bull cans and feed those to reverse vending machines to gather a bit of cash.

To race the IXS races you need a UCI license. Much like a world cup there's a track walk followed by training, a seeding run and a finals run. IIRC they have a small final (21st-40th in seeding) and a big final (1st to 20th in seeding) The top 20 fastest qualifiers get to race for the win and podiums in the big final. So everyone gets a "finals" run but only the top guys get to race for the W and the cash. It's most certainly NOT a f*** around mates race series for losers who can't cut it at the World Cups. The level is incredibly high as evidenced by the top 10 around Ross.

What edges is ever so slightly to the Suito for me is that you can fold it up nicely and pack it away neatly. If you're in an apartment or pressed for space that might make a difference. That's probably a moot point tho because most people on here will have some sort of dedicated training area. *disclaimer I have an Elite trainer but not the Suito.

Notice he's on a Pyga proto. *Edit. Dylan Lamb won!

Theo & Rory washing off the disappointment with some Pleney Bangers. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-DAJnHsuBN/?igsh=MWVwcDJtYjFjcjY4aA==

It's the Bike Morzine whip off comp at the big table on Zore today. Holding thumbs for the Saffers. This is WAY more prestigious than a podium at a silly little World Cup or World champs. This is apparently Dylan Lamb looking to take gold for SA

Well done to Ross Kew for getting on the box at the Le 2 Alpes IXS race. https://www.pinkbike.com/news/video-and-results-ixs-european-downhill-cup-in-les-2-alpes-france.html

To begin with I think we as bike fans have been spoiled by the presence of GM. He's a one off and unlikely to be repeated ever again from any nation let alone a 3rd world country with a currency that is very weak. Somehow with an unbelievably thin talent pool we've managed to produce people like GM, Brad Binder, Grant Langston, Alby, Calvin Vlaanderen etc. And I think that has made us arrogant and spoiled. The reality is we are Not France, USA, UK and our riders are unlikely to reach those levels without spending extended periods away from home tackling Euro tracks. I've been to a French national and all the factory rigs are there and the fields are INCREDIBLY deep. Compare that to an SA national where a Gazebo is considered rather flash. I've been saying this since my first trip to the Alps in 2011. I took Duran on his first Alps trip who in turn took Theo on his first trip. The only way our guys have any chance is if they man in a van it and somehow get spotted. But they're up against it because the fast french kids have been known for years and are a safe bet. And the reality is many of the factory teams are a closed system. The 2 factory Commencal teams are NOT going to hire a Saffer. Neither is Canyon. Bernard Kerr is going to hire his mates whom he's known for years and years. Personally I think that there should be a system that rewards those guys who make the effort to go over there and put it all on the line and enter World Cups and IXS cups because our races do not prepare them for racing in Europe. Worlds in my view isn't only about the medals. It's about these guys getting the necessary exposure and experience to elevate themselves to the next level. Expecting a south african to come anywhere near the box at worlds is frankly delusional and measuring them against Greg Minnaar is cruel IMO. Anyways. Have a great weekend.

I know you didn't post that.