Demise of XCO in SA

[rouxtjie]

good post nig...nail on the head.

[nigelhicks]

Let me re-phrase. I personally like to watch XCO, but mainly because i'm a bike rider myself, have appreciation for the technical sections etc. I also know that it is popular and very spectator friendly with a lot of followers and fans etc.

 

But still, the entire XCO season (with all 8 or so races combined over multiple continents) probably have <20% of the viewers and followers in comparison to the Tour de France and I do not expect that XCO viewing and popularity will ever reach similar levels.

 

On the other hand, I do believe that the Epic (as an example) has the ability to grow to Tour de France status (permitting certain changes in terms of the route and team format) with potentially a 5X increase in viewers, followers, sponsorships and contracts that what XCO can potentially bring. Yes, it is expensive to televise, but if the Cape Epic would have similar exposure to the tour de france it won't be more than one year before every stage is televised and land-owners grant fans access to mountain-top finishes.

 

I'm not running XCO down, I just don't think that the majority of people around the world will get together to watch a XCO race in the same way get together to watch Rugby, Soccer or F1.

 

I agree to some extent Rudi - but i have a couple of points to add ...

1. TDF has been around since 1903 and is now after 120 years become one of the biggest televised events in the world... Problem is that MTB (although growing at a MASSIVE rate) has not had the same international exposure as it is a relatively new (25 years old) discipline ... The Epic has only been around for 5 to 10 years - so it has some catching up to do

 

2. from a Media Perspective - as i mentioned in an earlier post - its damn hard to film an off road marathon like the Epic unless its just on dirt road or really nice jeep track - the dudes on the motorbike will NEVER be able to keep up with the riders on the descents if the going gets tough ...

 

So then you need to bring in choppers and this costs boatloads ... Also an issue is then who do you follow? In the Tour - you generally have a camera for the lead group and the chase groups and then the peleton ...

But in Marathon the field is so spread out that this is almost impossible - so in the beginning when the UCI were trying to get televised marathons going - they made the riders use gps transponders - so you could see where your rider was in the pack etc - but who wants to stare at a google map image with a blinking dot on it????

You want to see the racing! .. but its too spread out so you can only really focus on the leaders ... So the UCI canned the idea as it was just too costly to televise ...

 

Thats why XCO is spot on - mount the cameras in specific positions around a short lap and you see at least 70% of the racing with seing 50% of the riders!

Edited January 21, 2014 by nigelhicks

[nigelhicks]

ok this is for the DH - but the same rings true for the XCO events and the logistics that go into filming a World Cup Event.

 

Its NUTS what these guys do!

 

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Lights-Camera-red-bull-world-cup-coverage-video-2014.html

[RocknRolla]

Nothing like doing a xco race to put ones perceived technical skill and fitness into perspective.

 

I keep on getting schooled, but each time i cant help going back and trying again.

 

 

[nigelhicks]

So you okes are of the opinion that everyone and anyone can 'upskill' themselves to the level required to ride an XCO course (i.e. Pietermaritzburg) or at least to the ability not to hold you up in the singletrack but they just are too lazy and or don't want to

 

Not Lazy ... but YES!!!! .... Everyone also has the ability to come and race Provincial XCO or DH (even on their XC 29er rice rockets) .... It is ALL mis-conception ...

The thing that people need to realise and come to grips with is not the technicality of the course - but their own tenchical limitiations ... you decide what you can or cant ride - and be happy with your decision ... if you need to take a B-line in an XCO or DHI event - do so ... no one will chirp you for it ... you may loose a second - but so what ... you are participating and having fun to the best of your known ability - soon you get up the confidence to try something and this helps you improve ...

 

You dont come in gungho like some of the XC Masters this last year and try stuff, bin it and then complain as you think you are too hardcore to be forced to take a b-line! ...

 

Everyone in SA could ride every XCO course or DHI course - you may not be able to be as fast as the top boys (but then again - are you as fast as Kevin Evans in every marathon you enter? or do you - like me - come in midpack but race your own time??? - same thing with XCO and DHI)

You may not be able to do every jump etc, but you can ride the track using lines set for your ability ... and you can have fun ...

[rouxtjie]

Nothing like doing a xco race to put ones perceived technical skill and fitness into perspective.

 

I keep on getting schooled, but each time i cant help going back and trying again.

It is huge fun...even just riding XCO courses....you are always busy, its like a full workout incl your upper body.

[DJR]

Thanks for some very informative posts Nigel. Don't stress about the length, some of us have an attention span beyond 2 lines!

[Super_mil]

so who is going to this then?

 

this is Africa champs !!

 

I'll be there for the DHI event at Contermans Kloof (race is happening on Sunday)

 

Will be my 1st MTB trip to CT

[SwissVan]

Nothing like doing a xco race to put ones perceived technical skill and fitness into perspective.

 

I keep on getting schooled, but each time i cant help going back and trying again.

 

It is huge fun...even just riding XCO courses....you are always busy, its like a full workout incl your upper body.

 

Heard lots of reasons why its great and why XCM is great but have we figured out why XCO races are less supported yet?

 

Other than perhaps being to intense, is it maybe less advertising / support from sponsors?

Its (XCO) is definitely more TV friendly....

[Grebel]

Not Lazy ... but YES!!!! .... Everyone also has the ability to come and race Provincial XCO or DH (even on their XC 29er rice rockets) .... It is ALL mis-conception ...

The thing that people need to realise and come to grips with is not the technicality of the course - but their own tenchical limitiations ... you decide what you can or cant ride - and be happy with your decision ... if you need to take a B-line in an XCO or DHI event - do so ... no one will chirp you for it ... you may loose a second - but so what ... you are participating and having fun to the best of your known ability - soon you get up the confidence to try something and this helps you improve ...

 

You dont come in gungho like some of the XC Masters this last year and try stuff, bin it and then complain as you think you are too hardcore to be forced to take a b-line! ...

 

Everyone in SA could ride every XCO course or DHI course - you may not be able to be as fast as the top boys (but then again - are you as fast as Kevin Evans in every marathon you enter? or do you - like me - come in midpack but race your own time??? - same thing with XCO and DHI)

You may not be able to do every jump etc, but you can ride the track using lines set for your ability ... and you can have fun ...

 

Never a truer word spoken. Sure Mr Joe Average is not as spectacular as Mr Sponsorship but they both get down (Albeit at a different pace!) and I reckon the smile factors are not far off.

 

EVERY course is set in such a way that like Nige said, anybody can get down. The bit that I really enjoyed about Nige's post are these parts:

 

The thing that people need to realise and come to grips with is not the technicality of the course - but their own tenchical limitiations ...

 

you are participating and having fun to the best of your known ability

 

As long as you know where the line is you are golden. Step Over that line however.....

 

You don't need to hit the road gaps. There is an alternate B-Line around it and if that is too gnarly, a C-Line will appear by the end of practise....

 

The general rule of thumb is that the more you do the better you get. The key is getting to the event and paying the entry fee. Your first few event may see you getting your arse handed to you but you'll get better. You gotta start somewhere!

 

http://mauivents.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/MAUIVENTS.jpg

[nigelhicks]

Heard lots of reasons why its great and why XCM is great but have we figured out why XCO races are less supported yet?

 

Other than perhaps being to intense, is it maybe less advertising / support from sponsors?

Its (XCO) is definitely more TV friendly....

 

Its because of the mis-conception that it is too difficult and too high profile for 80% of the riders ... Although you line up with the pros in A-batch at a marathon event - due to the nature of the course - they will never be able to lap you ...

 

In an XCO - its seen as being too difficult as if you cant stay with the top guns the impression is that you will be destroyed in 2 laps ...

 

What people also forget though is that (unlike Marathons) you race in your age categories - so you are racing people your age and not the likes of the pros ... (unless you race elites).

 

So it comes down to people thinking they cant do it and are aprehensive about it as they think "why go and do a race when i will be lapped and pulled off after 2 laps (10km) when i can go and do 40/60km for the same price" ... more bang for the buck ...

[rouxtjie]

Its because of the mis-conception that it is too difficult and too high profile for 80% of the riders ... Although you line up with the pros in A-batch at a marathon event - due to the nature of the course - they will never be able to lap you ...

 

In an XCO - its seen as being too difficult as if you cant stay with the top guns the impression is that you will be destroyed in 2 laps ...

 

What people also forget though is that (unlike Marathons) you race in your age categories - so you are racing people your age and not the likes of the pros ... (unless you race elites).

 

So it comes down to people thinking they cant do it and are aprehensive about it as they think "why go and do a race when i will be lapped and pulled off after 2 laps (10km) when i can go and do 40/60km for the same price" ... more bang for the buck ...

Yip spot-on...and why I said earlier that it presents to most bang(fun) for your buck(money / fitness level) to most people. Its not that its better, its just more popular. This brings it's own set of problems...the popularity that is.

 

PS don't underestimate the "socialness" of marathon's...I posted this earlier, but I would rather go and unicycle in my complex with my riding buds than go and hammer a piece of trail alone

Edited January 21, 2014 by rouxtjie

[SwissVan]

Its because of the mis-conception that it is too difficult and too high profile for 80% of the riders ... Although you line up with the pros in A-batch at a marathon event - due to the nature of the course - they will never be able to lap you ...

 

In an XCO - its seen as being too difficult as if you cant stay with the top guns the impression is that you will be destroyed in 2 laps ...

 

What people also forget though is that (unlike Marathons) you race in your age categories - so you are racing people your age and not the likes of the pros ... (unless you race elites).

 

So it comes down to people thinking they cant do it and are aprehensive about it as they think "why go and do a race when i will be lapped and pulled off after 2 laps (10km) when i can go and do 40/60km for the same price" ... more bang for the buck ...

 

Good points

 

The issue of being lapped, they should not pull off riders who are going to be lapped unless its Elite or an International type event. In my day lapped riders where never pulled off, even at national level.

I suppose that if you have a huge amount of riders on the course then it might be required but most XCO races (unless your in Europe) don't have enough for it to be a problem.

[Oceana]

To deviate slightly from the thread why don't our mountain bikers perform not only in XCO, but we don't do well either in XCM which is really big in SA. If we take a sport such as canoeing we have the senior world marathon champion as well as the winner and runner up in the under 23's. XCM is massive in SA, but we don't perform at elite level on the world stage.

[nigelhicks]

Yip spot-on...and why I said earlier that it presents to most bang(fun) for your buck(money / fitness level) to most people. Its not that its better, its just more popular. This brings it's own set of problems...the popularity that is.

 

Exactly ... this is where the word-of-mouth issues come in which reduces its popularity ...

 

Joe - "Hey Phil how was your ride this weekend? How far was it? What was your avg BPM? Strava COMS? .. etc"

 

Phil - "Hey Joe. I spent R150 and raced 20km at the Giba Provincial .. man i died .. it was tough ... great track though.. but those guys are fast ... i got lapped on lap 3 but still ended up 5th in my category ..."

 

Joe - "you got lapped?? (in joes mind he's thinking - man Phils a hacker if he got lapped), but wow R150 bucks to do 20km ... you could have gone to Karkloof and done 80km for R30?"

 

Phil - "Yeah i know i felt out of my depth, but was fun to race - but man it was hard - but then again you just go round and round in a circle ..."

 

Joe - "Ja that sucks ... Lets just go and do the Eston this weekend that will be cool - 60km in the cane roads - we can see what our max wattage is."

 

Joe then sees Bill - "Hey Bill - did you hear ... Phil did that XCO this weekend and got drilled (no mention of the 5th place) ... he said it was flippin hard and that it sucked. Also he had to pay R150 to do 20km ... WTF .. so we are going to do Eston rather as there you get to ride for every and you can just cane it in the cane roads ..."

 

..........

 

And thats how the bad reputation starts!

Edited January 21, 2014 by nigelhicks

[SwissVan]

To deviate slightly from the thread why don't our mountain bikers perform not only in XCO, but we don't do well either in XCM which is really big in SA. If we take a sport such as canoeing we have the senior world marathon champion as well as the winner and runner up in the under 23's. XCM is massive in SA, but we don't perform at elite level on the world stage.

 

Very good question

Normally I would say lack of exposure to international racing standards (larger fields of highly competitive athletes) but that's not exactly the case anymore (for XCM) as a lot of the top riders now spend time in SA training and racing during the European winter.

 

What are the canoeing fraternity doing that's different? I know years ago there used to be some overseas canoeists and coaches that would come to SA in their winters to train, maybe that was it and XCM just needs more time?