UCI XCO World Cup 2022 Season

[Headshot]

Maybe I just wasn't in the mood, but despite the better camera work, I enjoyed the Petropolis race far more. Maybe its the track which is pretty boring to the spectators eye. 

TP was running Suntour electro suspension which i imagine is like live valve or something. Are there other riders in the field with live valve I wonder? I would imagine it could be a bonus in a frenetic XCO race and make the bike more manageable for less effort?

Hoping Nino makes no 34 this year. 

 

[Jehosefat]

20 minutes ago, kosmonooit said:

K8 down in 46, eish what happened, I still think it might have something to do with overachievement on arrival in Elites, and the weight of expectations thereafter.

Apparently she had a big crash on Lap 2 then just nursed it to the finish according to her IG.

[Trashy]

3 hours ago, Headshot said:

Maybe its the track which is pretty boring to the spectators eye.

 

Completely agree with this. The track looked awesome to ride, but it didn't really make for exciting racing. The laps felt short and with few places to overtake. The super tight last corner didn't give much room for a last minute attack.
Camera work couldn't possibly have been worse than Petropolis so at least they sorted that out.

[Headshot]

3 minutes ago, Trashy said:

Completely agree with this. The track looked awesome to ride, but it didn't really make for exciting racing. The laps felt short and with few places to overtake. The super tight last corner didn't give much room for a last minute attack.
Camera work couldn't possibly have been worse than Petropolis so at least they sorted that out.

That said, they probably could have made better work of the camera placement and angles and focused on the gnarly bits. The rocks and features look so much more terrifying in the photo spread on PB thanks to way better camera angles.

[babse]

22 minutes ago, Headshot said:

That said, they probably could have made better work of the camera placement and angles and focused on the gnarly bits. The rocks and features look so much more terrifying in the photo spread on PB thanks to way better camera angles.

This was exactly my thoughts. 

 

Anyway this wkend will be different. Will Piddy be present?

Recon N1no and Fluckiger battle on the cards. 

HA to look good for 3 laps then die. Hoping AH finishers stronger this week. 

[kosmonooit]

I think what defines this course is the big climbs, and the scope to make attacks on them that stick. Over the last five years, I'd say that technically its been dumbed down somewhat, like the drop after the amphitheater climb, used to be very spicy, now its all nicely paved, and those boarded sections are just plain boring,.

 

[DieselnDust]

3 hours ago, kosmonooit said:

I think what defines this course is the big climbs, and the scope to make attacks on them that stick. Over the last five years, I'd say that technically its been dumbed down somewhat, like the drop after the amphitheater climb, used to be very spicy, now its all nicely paved, and those boarded sections are just plain boring,.

 

But b line was harder to ride faster 

[OVERDRIVE]

He def aint coming: 

Giro d'Italia leader Mathieu van der Poel to return to MTB racing in 2023 | Cyclingnews

[babse]

13 minutes ago, OVERDRIVE said:

He def aint coming: 

Giro d'Italia leader Mathieu van der Poel to return to MTB racing in 2023 | Cyclingnews

That Olympics ploeg knocked his wind uit for XCO racing 

[DieselnDust]

well giro will take up the next three weeks of his career and then Tdf and hen worlds so I guess MTB will get in the way.

Piddles is scheduled to race Nove Mesto as well.

 

[babse]

9 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

well giro will take up the next three weeks of his career and then Tdf and hen worlds so I guess MTB will get in the way.

Piddles is scheduled to race Nove Mesto as well.

 

So the rest of the okes battling for 2nd place then... 

[Jewbacca]

8 hours ago, DieselnDust said:

well giro will take up the next three weeks of his career and then Tdf and hen worlds so I guess MTB will get in the way.

Piddles is scheduled to race Nove Mesto as well.

 

You think he will last 3 weeks at Giro? I'm sceptical as to whether he will go the distance. 

I hope he does. I'm hoping he goes hard for Purple and for Green this year. It will certainly animate the racing

[W Smith]

Avancini is a big disappointment for me . In the last few races  he would dominate in the first few laps and then fade thereafter, completely off the pace of the leaders . Is it a case of riding too hard at the beginning of each race?

[Jewbacca]

13 minutes ago, W Smith said:

Avancini is a big disappointment for me . In the last few races  he would dominate in the first few laps and then fade thereafter, completely off the pace of the leaders . Is it a case of riding too hard at the beginning of each race?

Not sure if you ever watched the cyclo cross, but Toon Aerts did the same at almost every race.

Once or twice the move stuck but usually he just got reeled in and spat out the back.

I guess there is the 'maybe it will stick this time' mentality if they don't think they can win in a sprint or go with all the surging.

 

[dave303e]

For me it was just a little too single lined. Apart from the split sections and the one downhill it was very narrow. The last race had rock gardens with multiple lines and the B line was also really competitive, made it a bit more exciting. And yes, mtb races can have too much single track, in fact often they do.

[jcza]

9 hours ago, DieselnDust said:

well giro will take up the next three weeks of his career and then Tdf and hen worlds so I guess MTB will get in the way.

Piddles is scheduled to race Nove Mesto as well.

 

Win on Sunday, ride to next race on Monday