UCI XCO World Cup 2019 Season

[J Wakefield]

Quick Question, Is Alan based in Cape town throughout the year or is he basing himself in Europe for the XCO season?

Long haul travel back and forth can't be great for recovery.

He stays in Europe for races but if there long gaps between he comes home

[Eugene Oppelt]

.

Hehehe

This is good ????

[OnTheRicky]

How does the world cup differ from the world championship, when only the winner of the world championship wears the rainbow colours? 

 

Is there some sort of recognition for being the overall winner of the world cup series? How about for a single race? 

 

Someone asked me these questions this weekend and I didn't really have a good answer 

[DieselnDust]

How does the world cup differ from the world championship, when only the winner of the world championship wears the rainbow colours? 

 

Is there some sort of recognition for being the overall winner of the world cup series? How about for a single race? 

 

Someone asked me these questions this weekend and I didn't really have a good answer 

 

 

UCI World Cup = series of 6 races where points are amassed in the XOo and XCC discipline. The competitor with the highest number of points takes the series and the series trophy. No special jersey  as far as I know.

 

UCI XCO World Champs is a one off off race at a venue outside of the 6 races used for the XCO Series. Winner gets to wear the World Champions jersey for the year of their reign and can use the WC colours on the collar or sleeve piping on their race jerseys or the stripes on the cuff of their shorts.

 

Series obviously rewards consistency whereas the World Champs rewards the best rider on the day

[OnTheRicky]

UCI World Cup = series of 6 races where points are amassed in the XOo and XCC discipline. The competitor with the highest number of points takes the series and the series trophy. No special jersey  as far as I know.

 

UCI XCO World Champs is a one off off race at a venue outside of the 6 races used for the XCO Series. Winner gets to wear the World Champions jersey for the year of their reign and can use the WC colours on the collar or sleeve piping on their race jerseys or the stripes on the cuff of their shorts.

 

Series obviously rewards consistency whereas the World Champs rewards the best rider on the day

 

"Series rewards consistency," but the series champion doesn't get much recognition without getting colours. The person asking me this doesn't know any of the riders, so it was hard to explain that Neff was actually just as good as KC. That was the part I couldn't really answer, because it doesn't really make sense. 

 

To be fair, I get that being the series champion is also a great achievement! I just thought I was missing something.

[MrJacques]

Yeah, the series winner should get a special jersey as well

[DieselnDust]

"Series rewards consistency," but the series champion doesn't get much recognition without getting colours. The person asking me this doesn't know any of the riders, so it was hard to explain that Neff was actually just as good as KC. That was the part I couldn't really answer, because it doesn't really make sense. 

 

To be fair, I get that being the series champion is also a great achievement! I just thought I was missing something.

 

 

 

Well they can call themselves World Cup Winner but it doesn't carry as much weight as World Champ

[Rigardt@Scott]

It is a bit of a silly concept, I think world cup winner should carry more weight than world champ. JN was clearly the superior athlete last year - by a long shot over KC, as were a few other athletes such as Langvad and Batty. KC just had one amazing day yet wears the rainbow.

 

Nothing against KC, I think she is gonna take overall this year - just in my mind makes more sense that recognition goes to overall champ.

 

Anyway, it's just an opinion, there is obviously a reason (maybe historical) things are the way they are.

[Morne Veer]

It is a bit of a silly concept, I think world cup winner should carry more weight than world champ. JN was clearly the superior athlete last year - by a long shot over KC, as were a few other athletes such as Langvad and Batty. KC just had one amazing day yet wears the rainbow.

 

Nothing against KC, I think she is gonna take overall this year - just in my mind makes more sense that recognition goes to overall champ.

 

Anyway, it's just an opinion, there is obviously a reason (maybe historical) things are the way they are.

 

 

I think the World Champ and World Champs events, in many MTB disciplines, not just xco, but downhill for example too, is copied form the road scene, where the UCI Road World Champ has annually be crowned since 1920's (I kid you not).

 

However, all said and done, as we all know, what works on the road, does not automatically work on the dirt :-)

 

For me personally, I do like the idea of a once-off event, no matter if it is downhill, XCO, or even the road race which our beloved Peter Sagan (worth again to note he was originally a MTB'er), won three years in a row. It is like an all-in once off let's see who's got the good on the day kind of affair, but agree, does not automatically in my book mean you are the best cyclist in the world - but it is what it is and this "world champ crowning for one specific event" is not limited to cycling only, but other sporting codes as well.

 

We just had the same scenario at our Western Cape XCO Series, where the last event, doubled up as the WP Champs, and if you won that event, you were the WP Champ, but you might not even be in top three on the overall series log, or feature at all in the actual series for all the previous events in the series up to then.  

[WrightJnr]

I’m betting Cape Epic field next year will not be stacked with the best of the best. Those who want to win the Tour don’t race the Giro.

[DieselnDust]

I’m betting Cape Epic field next year will not be stacked with the best of the best. Those who want to win the Tour don’t race the Giro.

When is it ever stacked with the best? Every year there is one team that totally dominates. The ladies race is a complete joke. Twelve competitors of whom only one team is fully prepared.

I doubt we'll see cannondale and Scott in the Cape epic next year. Their contracts with the race expired this year.

[J Wakefield]

When is it ever stacked with the best? Every year there is one team that totally dominates. The ladies race is a complete joke. Twelve competitors of whom only one team is fully prepared.

I doubt we'll see cannondale and Scott in the Cape epic next year. Their contracts with the race expired this year.

The most important variable on riders doing is Epic is Olympics. If you want a shot at Olympic title you don’t do Epic in same

Year.

[DieselnDust]

The most important variable on riders doing is Epic is Olympics. If you want a shot at Olympic title you don’t do Epic in same

Year.

Wholeheartedly agree. It's medal suicide.

[Ascension]

XCO World champ should be the person with the best constant performance throughout the season and should wear the rainbow colors. The once-off world champ thing is silly.

 

As for the Epic, do away with the 2 man teams. Make the teams bigger and have an individual category and a teams category.

[kosmonooit]

Diffs as well with World Champs is that they ride for their national teams and all sorts of people pitch to ride that are not on the regular private team based World Cups

[kosmonooit]

Normally for Anika The Epic   has meant  she is in good condition for the earlier part of the World Cup season.

 

Something else is a-miss me thinks, I think it might have something to do with her participation in road events, its a different more cooperative mindset, and then having to battle all these young fearless things on the dirt, which she has always not been that at ease with, especially when it gets technical.