Paris Olympic MTB 2024 - ALAN you biscuit!!!

[Danger Dassie]

46 minutes ago, Headshot said:

What do you guys think of the track? Pretty dull and BMX like, except for those rocks which likely trashed CLs wheel and took out LL. The designer is from SA. Think he could do better. 

Didn’t think it was that bad, there were a few features besides the rock gardens, would guess that one needs to more cautious with cornering on some of the gravel sections as well as the fact you’re carrying more speed into those features.

Actually Nick had a hand in the design but not the construction as these were two separate contracts. I’m sure there’s alway room to do better, given Nick’s experience across numerous Olympic, World Cup and World Champs courses. But there’s a lot of other factors and bureaucracy at play. 
 

It’s worth mentioning that crashes and mechanicals took out at least two medal contenders tin todays race.

edit; this interview with Nick provides a better understanding; https://witness.co.za/news/kzn/2024/07/27/pietermaritzburg-mtb-designers-olympic-feat/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3FVr8sD-KoKO-We5xuLlZAFjMpKeQUiSIU8oFMikQWhl79K1NpeKTkmuE_aem_TSqFLtwloP7Gq5E7411XhA

Edited July 28 by Danger Dassie
Link

[DieselnDust]

42 minutes ago, ajnkzn said:

“The designer” has designed the last number of Olympic and some World Champs tracks and is the best in the world. 
 

He was a) working with a rubbish dump that has been converted to a man made hill b) quoted on building after the design was done and didn’t get the contract to build so perhaps things were changed c) is not even remotely the person who has the majority of the say when it comes to the nature of the course and d) name an Olympic track that hasn’t been mostly fast with a few large, tricky features. 
 

Please correct me if you have personal experience with track design and triticizing one person, especially someone we should be proud of for what he’s achieved on the global stage. 

The course was designed to a brief in that it had to be World Cup level but also needed to be able to accommodate, with minor changes, revisions that allowed it be used for local and provincial races catering to riders from novice to professional level. The Course needed to be hard wearing and not promote excessive erosion , hence the gravel surface. Basis the desire for the course to remain useful into the future It appears the course designer hit a great balance between technical challenge and raceability. And as you correctly state it's built on a rehabilitated quarry, not in the Alps, Nick did a fantastic job with it.

Some riders, like Pidcock and Richards complained about it, yet she barely featured in the race today coming home a distant 5th was it? The course claimed Lecomte, Lill's back wheel, Battens back wheel and Pieterse's tyre. Quite a few riders were lapped so it was more than enough of a physical challenge. PFP killed the course and the course killed her opposition.

So don't rise to5 the goading of members of the forum who aren't QUALIFIED to comment. Nick has built 3 Olympic XCO courses (, Rio, Tokyo and Paris?) and has fulfilled his brief everytime. It looked like a lekker course to race. Wide enough in many places to overtake, mutiple line choices were available and the B line and A lines took similar time to navigate. 

Sounds like mission accomplished

Edited July 28 by DieselnDust
correcteed number of Courses NF has designed for the Olympic Organising Committee/IOC

[SwissVan]

1 hour ago, Headshot said:

What do you guys think of the track? Pretty dull and BMX like, except for those rocks which likely trashed CLs wheel and took out LL. The designer is from SA. Think he could do better. 

TBH watching from the comfort of my couch I found the race somewhat boring, managing to fall asleep to wake up and see poor Lecompte lying face down…..and then waiting in vain for a replay to see what happened or to hear from the commentators if she was ok 

tbh I’m not sure if it was the track or the commentators/ tv coverage fault that I found it boring

 

Edited July 28 by SwissVan

[DieselnDust]

Commentators missed Batten not even attempting to take a bottle as she accelerated through the feedzone on the last lap. Generally this will incur a DQ but it appears Rissveds wasn’t supportive of the protest the Dutch team lodged.

good on Jenny but I wonder if Batten forgot that rule or if she took the risk and got away with it?

[OVERDRIVE]

31 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

Commentators missed Batten not even attempting to take a bottle as she accelerated through the feedzone on the last lap. Generally this will incur a DQ but it appears Rissveds wasn’t supportive of the protest the Dutch team lodged.

good on Jenny but I wonder if Batten forgot that rule or if she took the risk and got away with it?

imho thats a soft appeal. And she was being beat anyway, Puck didn't even see the battle for the podium. 

[DieselnDust]

24 minutes ago, OVERDRIVE said:

imho thats a soft appeal. And she was being beat anyway, Puck didn't even see the battle for the podium. 

Agreed, but the Dutch team manager saw it and lodged a protest. I’m glad nothing came of it and they can learn from Jenny 

[mazambaan]

Pity it seems about the dreaded puncture. But what is it about elites getting these?  Weight saving so very light tyres and no slime etc or low pressures plus sharp objects and hard impacts?

[Headshot]

12 hours ago, Danger Dassie said:

Didn’t think it was that bad, there were a few features besides the rock gardens, would guess that one needs to more cautious with cornering on some of the gravel sections as well as the fact you’re carrying more speed into those features.

Actually Nick had a hand in the design but not the construction as these were two separate contracts. I’m sure there’s alway room to do better, given Nick’s experience across numerous Olympic, World Cup and World Champs courses. But there’s a lot of other factors and bureaucracy at play. 
 

It’s worth mentioning that crashes and mechanicals took out at least two medal contenders tin todays race.

edit; this interview with Nick provides a better understanding; https://witness.co.za/news/kzn/2024/07/27/pietermaritzburg-mtb-designers-olympic-feat/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3FVr8sD-KoKO-We5xuLlZAFjMpKeQUiSIU8oFMikQWhl79K1NpeKTkmuE_aem_TSqFLtwloP7Gq5E7411XhA

Thanks a helpful post unlike the triggered response above. 

I am well aware NF has designed several courses and there is a design brief but IMO no elite mtb track should be a gravel paved  flow trail as much of this one was. Why not leave it natural?  There were one or two dirt sections towards the end. Would have been good if the entire track had been like that.

[BaGearA]

I don't know for sure but the track looks very Spectator friendly and that might be a strict requirement.

 

Remember the 2012 course ? 

[Shebeen]

11 hours ago, DieselnDust said:

Commentators missed Batten not even attempting to take a bottle as she accelerated through the feedzone on the last lap. Generally this will incur a DQ but it appears Rissveds wasn’t supportive of the protest the Dutch team lodged.

good on Jenny but I wonder if Batten forgot that rule or if she took the risk and got away with it?

surely the feedzone shouldn't be a viable shortcut, by design.....

which leads us to....

13 hours ago, Headshot said:

What do you guys think of the track? Pretty dull and BMX like, except for those rocks which likely trashed CLs wheel and took out LL. The designer is from SA. Think he could do better. 

If I have it correctly, starting with london it went to a more pacy sharp format with courses built specifically to have more exciting racing and not just an offroad uphill timretrial with a skills rest section. the winning times went from 2hr+ to 90mins.

I think this satisfies that without massive long drags, but PFP was just too good for the rest. We shall see today how exciting it can get.

 

 

 

[Shebeen]

17 hours ago, MongooseMan said:

https://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/2024-07-28-back-wheel-blues-blow-candice-lills-olympic-race-but-she-kept-fighting/

 

“And I was feeling good, moving up and then obviously the wheel thing happened ... I came down one of the roll-downs on the course and as I hit the bottom, my back wheel just blew to pieces.”

Lill ran to the tech zone to change the wheel. Her race was over, but she had no thought of quitting.

“I don’t want to regret something. You’re here for the Olympics, you have to give everything.

 

 

anyone ever heard of Forte wheels before? no, well you have now.

[babse]

What is mens start time? 

[Onlybikes]

14h10

[DieselnDust]

1 hour ago, Headshot said:

Thanks a helpful post unlike the triggered response above. 

I am well aware NF has designed several courses and there is a design brief but IMO no elite mtb track should be a gravel paved  flow trail as much of this one was. Why not leave it natural?  There were one or two dirt sections towards the end. Would have been good if the entire track had been like that.

because if you cared to read the "triggered response"  you will have read that the course is built in a rehabilitated quarry into which many endangered species have been reintroduced. The natural ground is in some areas quite sensitive  and therefore to satisfy the EIA had to have the gravel layer added to ensure that the sensitive soil below is not eroded. I'm sure the city of Paris will provide you with their reasoned decision if you mail them nicely

[babse]

6 minutes ago, Onlybikes said:

14h10

Eish there goes my 14:30-16:00 meeting 

 

🙃

[Kuys]

2 hours ago, Shebeen said:

https://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/2024-07-28-back-wheel-blues-blow-candice-lills-olympic-race-but-she-kept-fighting/

 

“And I was feeling good, moving up and then obviously the wheel thing happened ... I came down one of the roll-downs on the course and as I hit the bottom, my back wheel just blew to pieces.”

Lill ran to the tech zone to change the wheel. Her race was over, but she had no thought of quitting.

“I don’t want to regret something. You’re here for the Olympics, you have to give everything.

 

 

anyone ever heard of Forte wheels before? no, well you have now.

Its actually Porte wheels

https://www.rideporte.com/