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What a World Champs XCO course SHOULD look like


nigelhicks

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I found this on FB ... this is ONE of the lines on the Worlds XC course this weekend in Champery Switzerland ...

 

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

 

NOW we are talking ... wonder if any of the XCO guys will be running dropper posts to make the descents easier?

post-16861-0-61681500-1314789116.jpg

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I found this on FB ... this is ONE of the lines on the Worlds XC course this weekend in Champery Switzerland ...

 

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

 

NOW we are talking ... wonder if any of the XCO guys will be running dropper posts to make the descents easier?

 

Nigel I think some of them will bring there hiking boots and a step ladder.

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NH - That ski jump is damn scary, the photo does not do it justice.

 

I saw it last year when they had a WC XCO race there, its located near the bottom of a short steep downhill section with a really tricky chicane which causes a huge pile up before you get to the actual ski jump, and to make matters worse there is a VERY steep uphill just before the downhill section starts so the riders are already maxed out aerobicaly.

 

There was a chicken run option last year, some riders were also walking the chicken run....

 

Its a very popular spectator viewing point :D

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NH - That ski jump is damn scary, the photo does not do it justice.

 

I saw it last year when they had a WC XCO race there, its located near the bottom of a short steep downhill section with a really tricky chicane which causes a huge pile up before you get to the actual ski jump, and to make matters worse there is a VERY steep uphill just before the downhill section starts so the riders are already maxed out aerobicaly.

 

There was a chicken run option last year, some riders were also walking the chicken run....

 

Its a very popular spectator viewing point :D

 

:thumbup: :thumbup: SWEET ... yeah it said that the chicken run is a roll off drop ... is this in "The Hell" or in "The Stairs" do you know?

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good luck on a hardtail ;)

 

Here are a few more pics from various angles:

 

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/photos/photo-gallery-a-walk-around-the-mtb-worlds-cross-country-course

 

The A line looks a tad rough.

 

Personally I think it's a bit silly - sure XC should be challenging but adding gap drops when riders are not using body armour or full face helmets is asking for trouble.

 

XC and DH are very different disciplines - by making one like the other you dilute both. Whats next? 20% climbs in DH?

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Here are a few more pics from various angles:

 

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/photos/photo-gallery-a-walk-around-the-mtb-worlds-cross-country-course

 

The A line looks a tad rough.

 

Personally I think it's a bit silly - sure XC should be challenging but adding gap drops when riders are not using body armour or full face helmets is asking for trouble.

 

XC and DH are very different disciplines - by making one like the other you dilute both. Whats next? 20% climbs in DH?

 

Please no! that's way worse than gaps and drops on an XCO course :lol:

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Here are a few more pics from various angles:

 

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/photos/photo-gallery-a-walk-around-the-mtb-worlds-cross-country-course

 

The A line looks a tad rough.

 

Personally I think it's a bit silly - sure XC should be challenging but adding gap drops when riders are not using body armour or full face helmets is asking for trouble.

 

XC and DH are very different disciplines - by making one like the other you dilute both. Whats next? 20% climbs in DH?

 

you excluding the speed factor, because all drops can be negotiated at some minimum speed. It's vastly different from a DH pace where stuff get sent massively. I'd reckon the operative concern whould be whether the bike can handle the drop or not.

 

Also eldron, XCers can get hurt badly irrespective of drops, PMB rock garden comes to mind. Hell, at any pace down even a fire road you can pick up some serious abrasive and concussive damage. You advocate body armor for that too?

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That settles it!!. That's going in at Tokai this weekend! Yeehaa.

 

Might produce some world champ material in this sleepy town yet!

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Looks much better then the tarred course of the Olympics next year.

 

http://www.bikerumor.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/2012-london-olympic-mountain-bike-course-hadleigh-park.jpg

 

http://cdn2.media.cyclingnews.futurecdn.net/2011/03/23/2/photo4_600.jpg

 

http://www.bicycling.co.za/files/touchline/bicycling/imagecache/node_preview/node-files/22/article/2012MTBOlympicCourse.jpg

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you excluding the speed factor, because all drops can be negotiated at some minimum speed. It's vastly different from a DH pace where stuff get sent massively. I'd reckon the operative concern whould be whether the bike can handle the drop or not.

 

Also eldron, XCers can get hurt badly irrespective of drops, PMB rock garden comes to mind. Hell, at any pace down even a fire road you can pick up some serious abrasive and concussive damage. You advocate body armor for that too?

 

I guess you need to draw the line somewhere - for me it's air. DH should have it - XC should probably not. Normal drop offs can be ridden relatively safely by rolling slowly over the edge - gap drops/jumps require speed. Personally I think it detracts from XC - maybe it's just me but the adrenalin in XC comes from bumping elbows, trying to over take riders to get into the next single track section first, 90 minutes of flat out racing.

 

Fireroads = fast but low risk.

Rock gardens - slow but medium/high risk.

Gaps = fast and high risk - one step too far I reckon.

 

If XC is going to become an adrenalin sport why not just do away with DH entirely and leave XC and 4x?

 

World mtb already has 4x and DH as extreme sports - why remove a portion of the xc racers by making it too technical? It's not in the spirit of xc.

 

All my opinions of course :D

 

Edit: if the question needs to be asked if an XC bike can handle it then it's too technical! Horses for courses...

Edited by Eldron
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:thumbup: :thumbup: SWEET ... yeah it said that the chicken run is a roll off drop ... is this in "The Hell" or in "The Stairs" do you know?

 

Dont know about "The Hell" or in "The Stairs"

 

There was an aptly placed sign at the entry to the downhill part where the ski jump is, you know the usual 4 arrows pointing down.... the name might have been "the hell"

I'll post a pic of it tonight.

 

Just thinking about it makes me want to schleep out there this weekend....

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the run out of the hells gate drop looks perfect ... its just a big drop off - you can send that with your seat up easy ... but it will take balls to do it!

http://cdn4.media.cyclingnews.futurecdn.net/2011/08/30/2/img_0574_600.jpg

 

this looks cool too

 

http://cdn1.media.cyclingnews.futurecdn.net/2011/08/30/2/img_0604_600.jpg

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Dont know about "The Hell" or in "The Stairs"

 

There was an aptly placed sign at the entry to the downhill part where the ski jump is, you know the usual 4 arrows pointing down.... the name might have been "the hell"

I'll post a pic of it tonight.

 

Just thinking about it makes me want to schleep out there this weekend....

 

Its called "Hell Zone" on the official website ... and Hells Gate on the cyclingnews website ... gotta love sections that end up being like 6 arrows down rather than the usual 3 ... hahaha

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Looks much better then the tarred course of the Olympics next year.

 

Thats just silly - same problem but on the other end of the spectrum! Maybe we should get Champery to sleep with London and we'll get a nice flowing, technical course :lol:

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