UCI XCO World Cup 2020 -2021 Season

[Shebeen]

17 hours ago, Jewbacca said:

Annie Last?

Pretty sure she is British and has won an elite XCO race..........

https://web.facebook.com/35322908144/videos/10155210445713145

 

on a Silverback designed in CT airport industria too nogal!

[Stretch]

57 minutes ago, Headshot said:

For some very strange reason I failed to put Tommy P in my PB league team and backed that has-been Nino. You're out for Leogang buddy. Time for that Zimmer frame ???? 

an incredible competitor...but it certainly looks like he is nearing the end of his career...but who knows - lets wait and see - he is still on the sharp end of the competition. Puts Absalon's achievements in perspective though doesn't it.

[DieselnDust]

1 minute ago, Stretch said:

an incredible competitor...but it certainly looks like he is nearing the end of his career...but who knows - lets wait and see - he is still on the sharp end of the competition. Puts Absalon's achievements in perspective though doesn't it.

Not taking anything away from N1no but he doesn't seem to go well in wet conditions. Being Swiss I find this odd but that's just an observation based on watching his career over the last decade.

[Shebeen]

14 hours ago, DieselnDust said:

Alan and possibly Mariske would be my bet. She's showing better form as we get closer to the Olympics. However likely only Alan will get the nod since he's the only one showing medal potential. The ladies field is just too deep in talent at the moment for our girls to have a realistic shot at top 15. Mariske could do a top 20 though.

Would be a tough call between Mariske and Candace, but they are either only realistically pushing for a top20 (depending on who misses out from the riders who are quicker than them). I would not be suprised if SASCOC doesn't take this slot, and then I think Namibia would (https://inthebunch.co.za/2019/04/african-continental-mtb-cross-country-champs-elite-u23-junior-womens-results/) get it.

As for the men's Alan will surely go. Can he medal?

He's up there, but this 6th place is is his best ever result at an Elite World Cup.

2016 Rio games, finished 26th/50 as a real yungsta

2018 he won the u23 title

2019 elites - he ended up 38th on the standings, with 15th at Novo Mesto his only top 20.

2020 - cancelled

2021 - 8th and 6th at the two XCO world cups

 

It would have to be the race of his life, but there's a chance he could sneak onto the podium. Pidcock now being selected doesn't help things either.

 

 

[Headshot]

I went for consistency in choosing Nino, but the young guns are showing the old guard up in both the men's and women's events. Koretzky was also a disappointment...

[Shebeen]

26 minutes ago, Stretch said:

an incredible competitor...but it certainly looks like he is nearing the end of his career...but who knows - lets wait and see - he is still on the sharp end of the competition. Puts Absalon's achievements in perspective though doesn't it.

he came 2nd last weekend at Albstadt by a photo finish. I wouldn't write him off just yet.

Paris 2024 is probably a bridge too far

[Stretch]

6 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

he came 2nd last weekend at Albstadt by a photo finish. I wouldn't write him off just yet.

Paris 2024 is probably a bridge too far

Not writing him off by any stretch of the imagination. just saying his days of dominating are over  - which is great for the sport. A couple of seasons ago it was inevitable that he was going to win if he had no unforseen mechanical...now, its anyone's game

[dsw]

39 minutes ago, Stretch said:

Not writing him off by any stretch of the imagination. just saying his days of dominating are over  - which is great for the sport. A couple of seasons ago it was inevitable that he was going to win if he had no unforseen mechanical...now, its anyone's game

During the years he dominated he also never had to deal with ridiculously talented riders such as MvdP and Tommy P. 

I doubt whether Tommy P will continue for much longer with XCO after the Olympics as Team Ineos will probably get much more value for their money by "forcing" him to focus on road. 

[ChrisF]

15 hours ago, Grease_Monkey said:

That mentality exists only in SA.

 

What wins on the weekend SELLS on Monday .... always been the way SA does business ....

 

Let's see what the season brings ... and how long it takes to impact local sales  (if at all)

[stringbean]

Lots of talk about TP and the Olympics.While I agree 100% he should be there can anyone confirm that GB have actually qualified for a position in the men’s xco?

[Shebeen]

4 minutes ago, stringbean said:

Lots of talk about TP and the Olympics.While I agree 100% he should be there can anyone confirm that GB have actually qualified for a position in the men’s xco?

Rob Warner says so, 

['Dale]

1 hour ago, DieselnDust said:

Not taking anything away from N1no but he doesn't seem to go well in wet conditions. Being Swiss I find this odd but that's just an observation based on watching his career over the last decade.

The mossels don’t fire so lekka when it’s cold and you’re relatively older. ????

[Shebeen]

16 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

 

What wins on the weekend SELLS on Monday .... always been the way SA does business ....

 

Let's see what the season brings ... and how long it takes to impact local sales  (if at all)

if that was the case then BULLS would have sold a lot of marathon bikes here

[stringbean]

The conditions on the weekend suit TP and he rides his best in them.In CX races even MVDP and wout struggle to beat him in those conditions.

Olympics are going to be completely different ballgame.Course is technical and it’s going to be dry and hot.Suit Nino more than anyone else .In the test event it saw in the women’s race Prevot go home with a broken nose and Kate with stitches in her knee.

[Jewbacca]

31 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

 

What wins on the weekend SELLS on Monday .... always been the way SA does business ....

 

Let's see what the season brings ... and how long it takes to impact local sales  (if at all)

Lecomte is riding Massi bikes.... I think it's rad that a small company is getting this sort of air time.

Realistically though, these days there is less and less between 'modern' bikes. Anything made in the last 18 months using the latest angles and tweaks rides amazingly.

Gone are the days of huge performance gaps. 'Most' companies have checked the boxes in the last little while and bikes are really similar. 

An example is how absolutely similar the Titan Cypher looks to the Spaz Epic Evo. 

Top of the range vs not. Similar angles, lengths, suspension platform etc..... Start going back to 2019 models and earlier and one uses the term 'for it's age' if it ticks all or most of the same boxes. 

I don't think TP on a BMC is going to have BMC's walking off the shelf, just like I can't see anyone calling Massi bikes and asking how  much it will cost to import one to SA

[Hairy]

44 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

if that was the case then BULLS would have sold a lot of marathon bikes here

The only problem is that is says "BULLS" ... in SA you may only find two .. maybe three Bulls supporters who exercise, and the rest of the country would never be seen dead on a "BULLS" branded item