Officials should spray him with orange paint....for safetylove the guy laying on his stomach in the rocks - he blends right in
World Champs Thread
- Thread starter spornographer
- Start date
- Status
Mick is KILLING it.
I hope he can put the whole thing together, he's a blast to watch. The guy's got flashes of greatness. I remember him flying through the old Mt Snow Yardsale back in 2002 (when Yard Sale reached it's most ridiculous status) taking lines nobody else was and it was like the boulders weren't even there.
It's what happens in between those sections that he needs to step it up since even that year Johnny Waddell beat him for the win yet it was night and day watching the two of them in Yard Sale. On this course the pedalling has to mean more than how fast you can pin it through the rock garden and there are a few guys who come to mind who can pedal their brains out like no other.
that's a rad shot!Mick is KILLING it.
Just noticed Polc qualified 32nd in 4X. I guess that means that he's healed up well enough from his crash in Whistler. Good to see.
My guess...he's saving the nitrous for the finale and will try to break through or crack the engine block trying.
Mick is KILLING it.
I think I'll stick with my top 4 from post 8. The wild card goes to either Fabien, Gee, or Kovarick.
bike check with mick and mechanic about his custom-painted fury...photo/audio
http://www.vitalmtb.com/features/2009-UCI-World-Championships-of-Mountain-Biking,43
http://www.vitalmtb.com/features/2009-UCI-World-Championships-of-Mountain-Biking,43
DH or 4X, becasue I'm pretty sure Ben Cory is fully aware of wide bars. What you are seeing is the effect of the Go-Pro's wide angle lens.
Last edited:
Love that bike. Very original.bike check with mick and mechanic about his custom-painted fury...photo/audio
http://www.vitalmtb.com/features/2009-UCI-World-Championships-of-Mountain-Biking,43
And it somehow stands all by itself! Very well balanced.Love that bike. Very original.
Im going with Mick, Greg and Steve for top 3 in some order. Mick looks damn fast in the vids.
very cool head cam by Ratty....love the shadows when he's pimpin' the jumps
http://freecaster.tv/MTB/1009219/Santa-Cruz-Syndicate-DH-Helmet-Cam:-World-Championships-2009
http://freecaster.tv/MTB/1009219/Santa-Cruz-Syndicate-DH-Helmet-Cam:-World-Championships-2009
that's amazing how quick peaty and minnaar take off on that flat pedaly section.
22 more pics and some pretty rich audio from warner and victor lucas
so many people hustling out there! dirt and mtbcuts vids, freecaster, all the photogs...pretty unreal when you think about how much info we get, so fast! THANKS EVERYONE GIVING US THE GOODS!
http://www.vitalmtb.com/features/2009-UCI-World-Championships-of-Mountain-Biking,43
so many people hustling out there! dirt and mtbcuts vids, freecaster, all the photogs...pretty unreal when you think about how much info we get, so fast! THANKS EVERYONE GIVING US THE GOODS!
http://www.vitalmtb.com/features/2009-UCI-World-Championships-of-Mountain-Biking,43
Awesome thanks.
So Lopes thinks the course is more technical than he expected22 more pics and some pretty rich audio from warner and victor lucas
so many people hustling out there! dirt and mtbcuts vids, freecaster, all the photogs...pretty unreal when you think about how much info we get, so fast! THANKS EVERYONE GIVING US THE GOODS!
http://www.vitalmtb.com/features/2009-UCI-World-Championships-of-Mountain-Biking,43
Doesn't sound like he's bubbling over with confidence.Now Sik Mik on the other hand, I'm hoping he can pull off what he's truly capable of!
HA! Sounds like Lopez didn't get the memo that he wsa entering a DOWNHILL race.So Lopes thinks the course is more technical than he expected
Correct me if I'm wrong (since I'm not there), but the speeds is what makes that thing look technical to me. When you get up to Mach speed, a slack, low BB DH bike is way easier to hold onto. That's the thing with those SX Trails. Herndon ran it at Worlds that one year. The geometry is almost the same as his DH bike, but way lighter.
Granted, Lopes and Graves ride hardtails in 4X boulder fields faster than I ride my DH bike on grass, so I don't think it would slow him and Barel down all that much at all. Just maybe make the bike a little twitchier at full on race speeds.
yeah, wonder how the trade off will work out. slower through rough/rocks (not a whole lot of), but probably faster for pedaling (which there will be a lot of). i was also surpised at lopes' tone (didn't seem that stoked/confident).
can't wait until race day.
also damian noted in one of the captions that there's no seeding. hadn't heard that. does a rider drop in based on rank in UCI?
can't wait until race day.
also damian noted in one of the captions that there's no seeding. hadn't heard that. does a rider drop in based on rank in UCI?
Minnaar races Sea Otter on full DH bike.....he has a 1st and 2nd the last 2 years. This course has about 100,000 more rocks on it than Sea Otter....
usually pretty normal. longer schedule than regular world cup for sure.
Best looking bike at worlds has to be Affys 4x bike, that thing is the sex!
Are the Athertons still sponsored by DT Swiss? Seems most shots of their bikes show Saint wheels 
& as for all the coverage, absolutely spot on! So a big thanks to Dirt, Mtb Cut, Vital and freecaster!
& as for all the coverage, absolutely spot on! So a big thanks to Dirt, Mtb Cut, Vital and freecaster!
He's got the skill and fitness level but mentally he hasn't had the "balls" (quoting Lopes here) to race World Cup level DH courses in over 10 years. Not even factoring in the current crop of talent, the guys from his generation: Peat, Rockwell, the Alien, Palmer, EC... They were just wired differently. I remember him not racing DH back in 1999 because he thought the Cannondale DH rig was the worst bike on the planet yet somehow AC and Gracia were still winning DH races on it.
Whole ton of talent but mentally I don't think he can pull it off at this level just listening to the couple interviews I've heard with him so far. Sounds like he was hoping this was a long 4X course with a small rock garden in it.
Aaamazing coverage from all involved - Thursdays dirt TV vid the best yet in my eyes - the guys are really starting to haul now.. (awesome tune too 
)
Keep it up guys! Even though i think that last sprint at the end of the track should be deleted this still has all the ingredients to be an exciting race...
IMO the 'modified' dh bike (gee) or 7" bike like sam & brendan are riding looks perfect, as the track gets rougher from all of the riding fabian et al may start struggling on those AM bikes especially as the speeds keep rising...
Rick
)Keep it up guys! Even though i think that last sprint at the end of the track should be deleted this still has all the ingredients to be an exciting race...
IMO the 'modified' dh bike (gee) or 7" bike like sam & brendan are riding looks perfect, as the track gets rougher from all of the riding fabian et al may start struggling on those AM bikes especially as the speeds keep rising...
Rick
i gotta disagree. lopes seems like one of the strongest mental competitors...especially considering his history. he may not have it in canberra (who knows what he's really thinking there, interview could have just been at a time he wasn't that stoked), but it seems like in the past, if he decided to win, then he'd win.
still days left, lots could change with track, weather, mind, etc, ya know?
still days left, lots could change with track, weather, mind, etc, ya know?
Hate to say it, but Minar looks FAST!
He's big and strong enough to pedal the shiz out of that V10.
I don't know if anyone can catch him.
He's big and strong enough to pedal the shiz out of that V10.
I don't know if anyone can catch him.
I haven't heard any of the interviews with Lopes, but even if he sounds not confident you can't count him out, most competitive guy i know, i still think its a stretch for him to win the whole deal though.
Thing is the guys that win world cups can pedal...they are strong and fit, guys like Greg, Steve and Mick are powerful riders and you had to expect that after last year Glen Jacobs was going to throw some harder stuff in, so they are going to make time on riders not willing to hang it out, even if its for a small section, it is a short course.
I had a lot of people pushing me to go for worlds this year saying "its just like Fontana (local DH)" you would do really good.
at this stage of my career if i couldn't go to worlds and win (which i thought would be a long shot) then it would be a waste of time and money, better to have a younger rider gain experience for the future.
Even though everyone is slamming the course, i find it exciting to hear all the different strategies.
I also think that it has a lot of riders making excuses for the result they think they will get...reminds me of rain races when riders start getting bummed out, they are the ones who usually throw the towel and lose intensity, some of the interviews i have seen with riders shows a lot about how confident they are for the weekend i think.
Going to be a tight race for sure.
Thing is the guys that win world cups can pedal...they are strong and fit, guys like Greg, Steve and Mick are powerful riders and you had to expect that after last year Glen Jacobs was going to throw some harder stuff in, so they are going to make time on riders not willing to hang it out, even if its for a small section, it is a short course.
I had a lot of people pushing me to go for worlds this year saying "its just like Fontana (local DH)" you would do really good.
at this stage of my career if i couldn't go to worlds and win (which i thought would be a long shot) then it would be a waste of time and money, better to have a younger rider gain experience for the future.
Even though everyone is slamming the course, i find it exciting to hear all the different strategies.
I also think that it has a lot of riders making excuses for the result they think they will get...reminds me of rain races when riders start getting bummed out, they are the ones who usually throw the towel and lose intensity, some of the interviews i have seen with riders shows a lot about how confident they are for the weekend i think.
Going to be a tight race for sure.
I hear you, I'd love for Mik to take it but on those open sections Minaar has a ton of power. I imagine running a big bike is less of an issue for big guys like him, or Peaty.
Oddly enough, not too many predictions here for the great Sam Hill. Can never count him out.
exactly!
I would have loved to see you race Canberra as would my 8 year old son too. He still wears the Mongoose cap you gave him two years ago at Mt Snow and you'd never know that his bike is really a Specialized as he's got every Mongoose sticker you gave him still on his bike. He downhilled at Killington for the first time this year and also spent hours on the 4x course at Mt Snow at the festival too. Thanx for taking the time that day, guys like you help inspire the little ones and that's awesome.
You're still his favorite character on Downhill Domination too but man do you take a beating in that game with him at the helm.
It seems like the mind games are going on strong. The guys with the DH bikes are certain they picked the right bike and wouldn't want something else. The shorter travel guys are saying they have the advantage. The in-between guys think they have the best of both worlds.
It would be interesting to know what they really think about their bike choices. Feeling you went to the worlds with the wrong bike can have a big impact on where your head is for the race.
Heck, it sounds like just showing up at the worlds had a big impact on Lopes' mindset. Of course, that also may be part of the mind games...
It would be interesting to know what they really think about their bike choices. Feeling you went to the worlds with the wrong bike can have a big impact on where your head is for the race.
Heck, it sounds like just showing up at the worlds had a big impact on Lopes' mindset. Of course, that also may be part of the mind games...
Big part of this race is playing the mental game...
Lopes is no n00b - he knows what's up and definitely knows how to win races. I wouldn't read into his interviews.
man this is turning out to be an exciting race!!
Even Stevie dusted off the old cleats for this one.
Lopes is no n00b - he knows what's up and definitely knows how to win races. I wouldn't read into his interviews.
man this is turning out to be an exciting race!!
Even Stevie dusted off the old cleats for this one.
pmsl
This coverage is absolutely ridiculous, between freecaster, mtbcut, vital, and dirt its like every time i check there is new coverage. So many videos and interviews its sick! Cant wait to watch the racing...even 4x!
unfortunately he front flatted on the 2nd straight. He was looking quick until that point.
I had a dream last night
Gwin for the Win!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wish all those boys and girls the best of luck.
Gwin for the Win!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wish all those boys and girls the best of luck.
- Status