Downhill Riders,including current SA National Champ, overlooked for World Champs

[J Wakefield]

3 minutes ago, Headshot said:

John I think you're showing your lack of knowledge of the sport of downhill racing. At least two or three of the riders not permitted to go would never be two minutes behind the winner. Who gained you say .. well the sport gains because it provides an incentive for other riders to up their game and try to get there too.

No help given by CSA and little if any interest in the sport from sponsors and the average marathon/gravel riding SA public so its an uphill battle, as can be seen from your and the other punters here who seem to look down on the downhill racers from their lycra clad pedestals. Greg has mentioned time an again the lack of recognition his achievements have received in SA and that trend is clearly not about to change, given the attitude to up and coming racers displayed here.

The WC  is like the  CTCT - said nobody, ever? That's ludicrous. 

There are many examples of breakout performances that occur in DH racing because suddenly everything clicks, especially for the younger riders. 

SA is the poorer for not having all its best riders at the WC. 

I've won  multiple SA titles with DH clients and provided significant set up info on their bikes from previous motocross knowledge and background. I think I know what I am talking about and it was a figure of speech. 

[Headshot]

3 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

I've asked this a few times

Who out of those NOT going earned UCI points towards the allotted slots, as it looks as though the available places have been earned by those already going.

No one seems to want to answer 

I would also ask, those not going, who of them is still young enough with enough dedication, talent and discipline to still be spotted by a big team and race at the top level?

Before everyone says Theo, he is 30 odd and while I'm not ageist, most teams won't invest in a 30 year old rider to develop

So why take riders who have realistically missed their chance at the big time to learn to race in the big time?

One thing I learned was that no matter how loyal we are to our country and want the best for our country, we don't always have the talent pool in every sport to fill the shoes of generational outgoing talents across sport genres and that's ok.

Again, this is not a personal attack on anyone, I'm sure they are rad, but going to learn and going for experience is different to going for a jol, which is not the point of World Champs

 

 

30 is still young for DH these days. teams sign riders for various reasons. Greg was signed at 42. Kerr is 36. yes they're well established but there are many who only bloom later in their careers like Kerr for instance. How well do you actually follow DH? I suspect that numerous opinionated nay sayers on this thread barely do.

Ill informed invective from bikehubbers - who would have thought.

[J Wakefield]

6 minutes ago, Headshot said:

30 is still young for DH these days. teams sign riders for various reasons. Greg was signed at 42. Kerr is 36. yes they're well established but there are many who only bloom later in their careers like Kerr for instance. How well do you actually follow DH? I suspect that numerous opinionated nay sayers on this thread barely do.

Ill informed invective from bikehubbers - who would have thought.

Greg wasnt 100th+ in the world at 42 and had a few results it seems before that at at close to half his current age. 
Its like comparing the Zim dollar to the Euro

[J Wakefield]

11 minutes ago, Gnarly said:

Don't bring us into this ...... you can not compare Junior level athletes to Elites. Juniors can go over and learn, and appreciate the experience. Hopefully they will learn for when they do progress to become elite riders. All riders that went met the MSA qualification protocol. MSA in fact also rejected, probably faster riders, who did not meet the qualifying protocol. 

These MTB guys have simply not read the rules early enough and have NOT met the qualifying protocol. So they shouldn't go end of story.

Elite riders are NOT there to learn, Junior rider can learn go away.  

 

You forget the level of juniors now days when mx riders are turning pro at 15 and 16 years old for 6 figure salaries. 

[Headshot]

Just now, J Wakefield said:

You forget the level of juniors now days when mx riders are turning pro at 15 and 16 years old for 6 figure salaries. 

And there is a massive difference between MX and DH - big $$ for everything from equipment to coaching. 

 

I'm still not understanding why any of you think it would be a bad idea to have as big a contingent of riders as possible at the Worlds. 

[J Wakefield]

1 minute ago, Headshot said:

And there is a massive difference between MX and DH - big $$ for everything from equipment to coaching. 

 

I'm still not understanding why any of you think it would be a bad idea to have as big a contingent of riders as possible at the Worlds. 

for starters they did not qualify and their level is not good enough. It's World Champs not Argus. 

[sias]

13 minutes ago, J Wakefield said:

for starters they did not qualify and their level is not good enough. It's World Champs not Argus. 

Maybe you should just say that a few times more, as it seems some people have not heard it said several times before...

[Gnarly]

10 minutes ago, J Wakefield said:

You forget the level of juniors now days when mx riders are turning pro at 15 and 16 years old for 6 figure salaries. 

I am well aware of this, 65cc riders already signed 5 year contracts. We we also well aware that some of the other riders are already on factory machines. But he we learnt, we come back to Dubai, where we have one track. We will assess the next move in the next couple weeks, if any. 

What we learnt the most, you can not be in SA or Dubai if you want to make it over there. SA title not getting you very far in Europe. 

[J Wakefield]

7 minutes ago, sias said:

Maybe you should just say that a few times more, as it seems some people have not heard it said several times before...

Well he asked did he not and I answered which is clearly not what you want to hear or others. 
Maybe people need to take the wool off their eyes

Edited July 19, 2024 by J Wakefield

[J Wakefield]

4 minutes ago, Gnarly said:

I am well aware of this, 65cc riders already signed 5 year contracts. We we also well aware that some of the other riders are already on factory machines. But he we learnt, we come back to Dubai, where we have one track. We will assess the next move in the next couple weeks, if any. 

What we learnt the most, you can not be in SA or Dubai if you want to make it over there. SA title not getting you very far in Europe. 

I was talking in general as whole collective. 

 

[DieselnDust]

3 minutes ago, Headshot said:

And there is a massive difference between MX and DH - big $$ for everything from equipment to coaching. 

 

I'm still not understanding why any of you think it would be a bad idea to have as big a contingent of riders as possible at the Worlds. 

Did not  qualify 

[Headshot]

Looking into my crystal ball I see a DH  worlds without any SA riders in it in a year or two after Greg retires. Hell he may not even make it to the 2024 worlds, given the risks attached to training and the possibilities of injury before the time. Zero participation is a possibility in 2024

It is quite clear that the qualifying criteria are set too high considering the "hurdles" faced by our athletes, many of which have been explained on these pages.  

They may not be good enough according to the CSA criteria but they're the best and only riders SA has. 

Not sure who has the wool over their eyes here, but it ain't me.

[Jewbacca]

57 minutes ago, Headshot said:

30 is still young for DH these days. teams sign riders for various reasons. Greg was signed at 42. Kerr is 36. yes they're well established but there are many who only bloom later in their careers like Kerr for instance. How well do you actually follow DH? I suspect that numerous opinionated nay sayers on this thread barely do.

Ill informed invective from bikehubbers - who would have thought.

Bernard Kerr is 33. He has been a pro bike rider since forever and he owns and manages Pivot cycles, a company he started 12 years ago in 2012

He wasn't signed on as a late bloomer, he rides, manages and runs the Pivot team and has owned the company since he was 21 years old.

I won't even begin to draw a parallel between Greg and anyone else close to this conversation.

[Headshot]

32 minutes ago, sias said:

Maybe you should just say that a few times more, as it seems some people have not heard it said several times before...

I'm waiting to get wind of what is happening "behind the scenes". If you hear, let us know please.

[DieselnDust]

1 minute ago, Headshot said:

Looking into my crystal ball I see a DH  worlds without any SA riders in it in a year or two after Greg retires. Hell he may not even make it to the 2024 worlds, given the risks attached to training and the possibilities of injury before the time. Zero participation is a possibility in 2024

It is quite clear that the qualifying criteria are set too high considering the "hurdles" faced by our athletes, many of which have been explained on these pages.  

They may not be good enough according to the CSA criteria but they're the best and only riders SA has. 

Not sure who has the wool over their eyes here, but it ain't me.

Interesting………

if South Africa’s geography is a stumbling block then surely a European base solves that  issue. No sacrifice is too much in the quest to pursue dreams.

however qualification through the national series was possible so clearly they didn’t want to go to worlds as desperately as projected. Even less reason to support the appeal.

if we have no elites at world champs in 2024 then so be it. I know one or two kids racing MX that could fill that gap in a few years if they chose. One is a friends son. All is not lost, There is another ….

[DieselnDust]

19 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

Bernard Kerr is 33. He has been a pro bike rider since forever and he owns and manages Pivot cycles, a company he started 12 years ago in 2012

He wasn't signed on as a late bloomer, he rides, manages and runs the Pivot team and has owned the company since he was 21 years old.

I won't even begin to draw a parallel between Greg and anyone else close to this conversation.

You sure he owns Pivot? Pivot stemmed from Titus and owned by Chris Cochalis,…..

 

I see he owns Pivot Factory Racing Team along with Chris Cochalis

sorry side bar discussion

Edited July 19, 2024 by DieselnDust