UCI XCO World Cup 2020 -2021 Season

[DieselnDust]

On 5/14/2021 at 6:56 PM, BaGearA said:

strange to me that the men are doing the same laps as the women , perhaps the ladies race went too far over 20min ( can't remember what it was now 

The ladies went flat out from the start so their race was pegged at 6 laps to hit the maximum 25min.

 

The men went out slow and this pegged their laps also at 6 laps

[Stretch]

12 hours ago, Frosty said:

Could XCC be the T20 of mountain biking?

XCO/XCM being the ODI format, and stage racing the Test match format.

I was just thinking today ..Stage races are pretty much dead in the water..

[Jewbacca]

5 hours ago, Stretch said:

I was just thinking today ..Stage races are pretty much dead in the water..

Stage racing was mostly just a huge deal in SA.

Even countries like Aus, NZ etc had a few a year. We had one every second week.

CX and XCO are the staple race format for anything off road. Easy to set up, easy for spectators, sponsors get good coverage as everything happens close to 'the hub'. Lots of foot traffic for all the disciplines all day. 

Mom and dad can bring the kids to watch whoever is racing without taking leave or driving 29 hours and it is a million times more spectator friendly.

In SA, as we have ALL the space and farrer is betterer, we obsessed over XCM and Stage Racing for way too long.

I used to race CX a lot when I was on the road. UK/Europe, Canada, NZ. It is the raddest form of racing. XCO a close second. Skill, red zone and the above spectator/logistic reasons make it rad. 

Getting back to the Cricket comparison.....

Short track would be more like The100

XCO - T20

XCM - ODI

Stage Racing - Test Matches

[kosmonooit]

Any sport with a ball is outside my realm of reality... so no comment on the kriket analogy.

But talking XCM vs XCO vs CX etc its different for the average recreational mtb cyclist like myself, those events like Sabie, Barberton, Crater Cruise, Lion Man etc were / are a chance to get out of town and have a good day out on a mtb in nature, in parts not normally accessible. Most ride to finish, not for results. I consistently finished at a pace twice that of the winning time, and I was happy with that. 

XCO racing, whilst I am a fan, I would and do not enjoy, you need to be on very a high  level and I don't really enjoy going round in circles, I like an adventure, to go out there and back. Same with CX, big fan but I am not a racer and probably that applies to most cyclists.

So what happened to all those XCM events like I mentioned? In my opinion they got too commercial, what with mtb being the new golf, they all became part of a bigger brand and  were milked dry to the point of extinction.   Once I saw the VIP tents at the start/ finish areas, I knew the end was nigh.

Also a certain series turned itself into a dom two day event, that did not work out did it.

Around about now used to be the Lion Man in Bela Bela. You are missed. Magalies Monster seems to have survived though, as have a few other grass roots events.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hairy]

4 hours ago, Jewbacca said:

Stage racing was mostly just a huge deal in SA.

Even countries like Aus, NZ etc had a few a year. We had one every second week.

CX and XCO are the staple race format for anything off road. Easy to set up, easy for spectators, sponsors get good coverage as everything happens close to 'the hub'. Lots of foot traffic for all the disciplines all day. 

Mom and dad can bring the kids to watch whoever is racing without taking leave or driving 29 hours and it is a million times more spectator friendly.

In SA, as we have ALL the space and farrer is betterer, we obsessed over XCM and Stage Racing for way too long.

I used to race CX a lot when I was on the road. UK/Europe, Canada, NZ. It is the raddest form of racing. XCO a close second. Skill, red zone and the above spectator/logistic reasons make it rad. 

Getting back to the Cricket comparison.....

Short track would be more like The100

XCO - T20

XCM - ODI

Stage Racing - Test Matches

And a poop load of fun to race in (Disclaimer, I have only done 1 x XCO format race, in the SS category where the first rider got a beer, the second rider got two beers and the third rider got three beers .... everybody else got a beer and the last rider got a medal with his beer) 

[Hairy]

One thing that SA has that European Countries might not have as much of, is vast open spaces to race marathon events in?

[Eugene Oppelt]

The slippery muddy business of today's course will suit the cyclocross specialists.

Could it be a matter of Pidcox vs MathieuOfThePool?

[Eugene Oppelt]

The rise of Haley Batten, wow. Not to mention the pocket rocket from France. Both applying pressure to the traditional favourites of KC and PFP.

Depth in the women's race, superb.

 

[Stretch]

10 minutes ago, 'Dale said:

The rise of Haley Batten, wow. Not to mention the pocket rocket from France. Both applying pressure to the traditional favourites of KC and PFP.

Depth in the women's race, superb.

 

She demolished everyone. 2 for 2 and in both races no one has even been close

[Frosty]

2 hours ago, kosmonooit said:

Any sport with a ball is outside my realm of reality... so no comment on the kriket analogy.

But talking XCM vs XCO vs CX etc its different for the average recreational mtb cyclist like myself, those events like Sabie, Barberton, Crater Cruise, Lion Man etc were / are a chance to get out of town and have a good day out on a mtb in nature, in parts not normally accessible. Most ride to finish, not for results. I consistently finished at a pace twice that of the winning time, and I was happy with that. 

XCO racing, whilst I am a fan, I would and do not enjoy, you need to be on very a high  level and I don't really enjoy going round in circles, I like an adventure, to go out there and back. Same with CX, big fan but I am not a racer and probably that applies to most cyclists.

So what happened to all those XCM events like I mentioned? In my opinion they got too commercial, what with mtb being the new golf, they all became part of a bigger brand and  were milked dry to the point of extinction.   Once I saw the VIP tents at the start/ finish areas, I knew the end was nigh.

Also a certain series turned itself into a dom two day event, that did not work out did it.

Around about now used to be the Lion Man in Bela Bela. You are missed. Magalies Monster seems to have survived though, as have a few other grass roots events.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The comparison to cricket is for the Pros only. 
 

T20 - over very quickly. Explosive type of action. I agree on the split that XCC is below T20 (wasn’t aware there was such a game.

ODI - The single stage events for 3+ hours.

First Class - 2-3 stage events

Test Match - week long

[Thomo]

I missed the start so imagine my surprise when just 2 laps in the leader already has a gap in excess of a minute.

Wow ! Lecomte is so dominant at the moment.

[W@nted]

Is ss broadcasting?

[Spafsack]

Yeschanel 210

 

[W@nted]

5 minutes ago, Spafsack said:

Yeschanel 210

 

Thanks

[kosmonooit]

Looks like LL is in a league of her own - and the rest fighting for scraps. Which is fantastique but doesn't really make for great racing from a spectator PoV

But the Mens Elite seems more open now, after being dominated by NS for so long.

 

[Hairy]

14 minutes ago, Spafsack said:

Yeschanel 210

 

Who does the commentary on SS .. is it the Redbull TV team or locals?