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

[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 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 by DieselnDust

[Danger Dassie]

“ 

What we would like to see is CSA focus more on what’s best for the riders, especially since CSA have no funds. Comparing themselves to international standards of other cycling federations when they don’t have government funding to the same extent as those federations, makes no sense. CSA has different challenges and should focus on what’s best for South African Athletes.

It is the position of WC DH, that allowing a bigger quota of riders to represent the country allows these riders to attract sponsors. Since these riders pay for everything themselves (it costs CSA or the country nothing) they should not be stopped by CSA from participating. Most of the riders that should be included in the team, are in Europe already, where the World Championships will take place.

There has to be limits to who can compete and we believe whilst the selection criteria hasn’t served the talent of riders we have, it merely needs some slight adjustments, to make it a fair criteria for the racers. Currently, due to financial reasons, this new selection criteria makes it incredibly difficult or almost impossible for riders to gain international experience andmeet the demands of the selection policy. For riders to travel all over South Africa and then expected to travel all over the world to get experience without backing from CSA, shows that CSA don’t see this from a rider’s point of view. “

[Headshot]

22 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

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

Yes, more strange facts on this thread. Well spotted.

 

Its bad when people cant even regurg Google results properly.

Edited July 19 by Headshot

[Sally E Kirk]

9 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

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 ….

Qualification through the National DH series is indeed possible, however the 4th race in the 2024 National Series was held in Limpopo on the 17th of June, this clashed with a World Cup race in Val di Sole, Italy and I don't see any SA elite rider (self-funded or sponsored) (at age 19, 20, or 29 if you want specifics), giving up the experience of racing at the most difficult track in the WC series to return to South Africa to participate in a National race held on a unchallenging, simplistic, dusty Enduro trail.

Not all of us have the deep pockets required to fund one European season for our riders, let alone provide a European base for them. Sponsorships for travel, accommodation, race entries, DH bikes etc take years to earn through exposure and top level performance.

Our upcoming Junior and young Elite riders require the ongoing support of their Federation both within SA and internationally.

[Jewbacca]

27 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

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

He owns Pivot Factory racing

 

Started it in 2012

[SwissVan]

1 hour 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. 

I’ll be the drol in die drinkwater and say it:

As a spectator at many international events and WChamps it’s embarrassing to watch the participants who did not qualify and are just attending to boost the numbers, it’s the real deal at world champs not like Benoni world champs or argust wc’s. 

Also I don’t think it can be good for a participants confidence to suddenly be thrown in literally with the lions.

The business of sending riders to WC who did not qualify has been going on for many years in a variety of sports not just DH, and what good did the so called experience do them, where are they today? 

Its life Jim, but not as we like it

 

 

 

 

Edited July 19 by SwissVan