2013 XC World Championships - South Africa

Aug 31, 2013
by Paris Gore  
The Rock Garden king.
  The Rock Garden king.

Emily drives guys batty.
  Emily drives guys batty.

Julie Bresset pulled through and held on to get first place.
  Julie Bresset pulled through and held on to get first place.

Tanja Xakelj
  Tanja Zakelj

Clearly the right line.
  Clearly the right line.

Nino took off like a bat out of hell on the start and never looked back.
  Nino took off like a bat out of hell on the start and never looked back.

Manuel Fumic only a small amount off from Nino.
  Manuel Fumic only a small amount off from Nino.

Geoff Kabush riding through the angel boners.
  Geoff Kabush riding through the angel boners.

Dusty loose short steeps mean dabbing and loosing time if you are off line.
  Dusty, loose short steeps meant dabbing and losing time if you were off line.

Not the result Absalon was looking for. An injury during practice stopped him short of his goals.
  Not the result Absalon was looking for. An injury during practice stopped him short of his goals.

Manuel Fumic held on through
  Manuel Fumic held on through.

Nino Shurter coming in hot by a long lead. Nino held first the entire race by a fairly large margin.
  Nino Shurter coming in hot by a long lead. Nino held first the entire race by a fairly large margin.

racing

The Weather for Mens Elite was a horse of an entirely different color on Saturday. Conditions quickly returned to dry and dusty.
  The weather for the Men's Elite was a horse of an entirely different color on Saturday. Conditions quickly returned to dry and dusty.

Jolanda Neff Stayed out in front for the U23 women s race to the finish.
  Jolanda Neff stayed out in front for the U23 women's race to the finish.

Zsolt Juhasz
  Zsolt Juhasz

By the time the U23 mens race had started the clouds had well established themselves and the drizzle began to come down. Cue greasy track and crashes.
  By the time the U23 men's race had started, the clouds had well established themselves, and the drizzle began to come down. Cue greasy track and crashes.

Nothing like keeping your sponsors happy on the side of the XC track while recording the whole thing.
  Nothing like keeping your sponsors happy on the side of the XC track while recording the whole thing.

Water break
  Water break.

Daniele Braidot looses his line looses traction after the rain made things slick in U23 men.
  Daniele Braidot loses his line and gets sideways after the rain made things slick in the U23 men's race.

Beams of golden glory
  Beams of golden glory.

Power hour
  Power hour.

2013 World Champion Nino Schurter up ahead by a long shadow.
  2013 World Champion Nino Schurter up ahead by a long shadow.

Julie Bresset women s elite world champion.
  Julie Bresset women's elite world champion.

Nino champion for another year.
  Nino, champion for another year.


Author Info:
parisgore avatar

Member since Oct 27, 2010
73 articles

82 Comments
  • 115 0
 more Emily Batty!! that is all
  • 7 1
 tried to double prop that...she's very cute
  • 6 0
 They should have one post just for her and then another one for the rest of the race!
  • 6 23
flag ProEdgeBiker (Aug 31, 2013 at 19:22) (Below Threshold)
 She loves the Pearl Necklace
  • 2 0
 Canadian proud
  • 1 3
 his face on the second photo is like "please dont rape me"
  • 37 5
 I hate to say it. I tried Spandex for the first time this season.. I loved it.
  • 17 3
 Noooooo.....not another one!
  • 6 1
 Great, another pro-against spandex debate ...
  • 51 0
 If you look like Emily, it's fine by me.
  • 10 3
 I love to say that I absolutely hate the feeling of spandex, I don't care if other people wear it, it's just not for me. There is no debate, it's all opinionated.
  • 5 0
 but it saves the nutterbutters from a tap from the seat. and you can get "compression shorts" not spandex (manly) Wink from under armor or Nike.
  • 6 1
 here's what I have to say. If I want to feel like I can have fun and have a more style-over-speed ride, I'll wear lycra underneath baggies and a tshirt. If I want to go fast, I'll wear my full lycra kit. But if I stop at the pump track in the middle of my ride wearing lycra i just feel so out of place...
  • 10 1
 I'm a DH guy straight up, but to be perfectly objective, Lycra is 100% performance as it allows for pure freedom of movement. Regardless, I still wear TLD 100% of the time, just because that's our culture.
  • 11 0
 have to admit, rode a bmx track on my cross bike with a skinsuit just for the fun of it and that was the most wrong feeling ever
  • 2 2
 I would look just SOOO stupid in spandex. Padded shorts for the win!
  • 5 5
 you can just wear compression shorts under your bike shots or pants and save the children but not look like a flamer.
  • 11 0
 I thought a lot of people wore a set of spandex padded shorts under their normal riding shorts. Even my when I go to the park or to ride DH I do it. If you're not, you are seriously depriving yourself from a LOT more comfort when you ride, especially if you have to pedal up a lot. Heck, even unpadded compression shorts make a ride much more comfortable.
  • 1 0
 they probably do, but even when I tried them they were just way too weird feeling, I honestly prefer just boxxers and my tld moto shorts, or just jeans over compression shorts quite honestly.
  • 3 0
 What about chamois cream? Changed my ars... I mean life on trails.
  • 1 0
 for road i wear it, I don't like it but it is faster. for everything else its baggys
  • 6 0
 I just wear my padded shorts under my baggy riding shorts. My comfort is more important than how "cool" I am.
  • 8 4
 the very awkward moment when you realize you're talking to a bunch of dudes online about the best way to pad your genitals
  • 3 1
 One person mentioned that, you seem hung up on it though.
  • 4 0
 I ride eco, use banana skins. When things get rough and there's a long way home, It can save your ass...
  • 1 0
 I tried to...yesterdaySmile
  • 2 1
 Its like surfing in g-string... so wrong... honestly nothing a grown up man should wear in public!!!
  • 3 1
 I honestly think that compression shorts + ben gey on your thighs, instead of usual underwear, will shave more time offtour DH or Enduro run than 650b could if it was true it actualy can. Taking a dump just before the ride as well, just wash it thoroughly, one missed seed from muesli that made it through the system in one piece can cause havoc on a 2h+ ride... Just sayin...
  • 1 0
 Lycra's good for pedal efficiency, minimises excessive sweat keeping you cooler at the same time, great for maneuvering on a bike where the saddle is way higher than a DH/FR/AM/DJ bike, and it's great with aerodynamics. As an XC rider if I didn't have to I wouldn't wear it. I also have baggies but I save them for days were I just want to chill on the bike, or go bar hopping on it. Lycra was not made to make you look good, it was made to make you perform better. Besides when you are racing XC it is so physical and mentally exhausting that the last thing you think about is the lycra. Of course when you are done riding you take em' off right away, no body wants to hang out looking like Tina Turner while having a beer at the bar, specially with your balls overheating and full of cheese...
  • 2 0
 Bibs under Baggies ftw!
  • 11 0
 Everytime there is a picture of Emily.... I get stuck on that one! She drives me Batty too! :-)
  • 7 1
 "riding through the angel boners" ooookay
  • 6 0
 Nino is simply a boss.
  • 3 0
 those two big crashes in the womens race were epic, crazy that they kept going! and Absalon racing with several broken rips is impressive.
  • 3 0
 oh no! not broken rips thats the worst :S
  • 5 0
 Balls + stem = badFrown
  • 3 0
 Amazing ride by Fumic after that early bobble. Schurter was cruising yet again.
  • 5 1
 whos thighes r bigger?
  • 2 0
 Nico is the Quadzilla.
  • 2 0
 I must say this course look fairly technical to be a xc course, gnarly to ride this for 2+ hours and on that geometry
  • 1 0
 A lot of experience on the podium. Congrats to Fumic, Hermida and of course Schurter. What´s with Kulhavy anyone else thinks his performance curve is kind of stange?
  • 2 0
 Cant wait till New York '14...
  • 2 1
 How come no captions for Mike Broderick even though he has two pics in this post?
  • 8 8
 I'm sure I'll get negs for this but hey... Why no knee pads?? Is it against regs or just less weight?? Maybe I just don't stay on my bike enough lol...
  • 5 0
 Let me guess, the answer is you just don't.
  • 12 0
 I'm gonna assume you are riding mostly gravity. Try pedalling for about 2hrs with knee pads, you will require knee transplants.
  • 4 0
 Too uncomfortable when you're doing an entire race at above threshold, When Nino does all mountain/enduro riding for training he will wear knee pads but definitely not in XC racing.
  • 1 0
 Average cadence for xc is around 80 rpm , imagine the chaffing kneepads create after a +2 hours ride. I guess better risk a gash in a crash that might not even happen than a burn you would surely get.
  • 1 0
 yeah, ive never even thought about wearing them for xc racing, besides - skin heals
  • 5 0
 stems from road to, why don't roadies wear it even though they go excess of 100km/h sometimes? simple it's too hot, uncomfortable and looks stupid
  • 4 1
 skin heals but when you rip open the front of your leg with your flat pedal.... trust me it isn't fun at all
  • 7 3
 the real question is, why are you on flat pedals for an xc bike?
  • 1 0
 Some of the pads that are soft elastomer that stiffen under impact aren't so bad but remember this is also happening in south africa in august, its not exactly cool there for a 2 hour race...
  • 2 1
 Did 4 hours xc rides with my 661 D30 knee pads at 30c degrees. No heat, no chaffing. Not much meat on your knees and since it's a joint, it's usually a mess to heal up. Ain't no pro for sure but I feel a lot more confident with them.
  • 1 0
 Yes, and you'll never convince a pro rider to INCREASE the weight of their XC racing setup not to mention the UCI probably bans them anyway. Anything that can be added to a rider to give an aerodynamic advantage is out. Camelbaks (and other similar hydration packs) for example are banned if they're larger than 0.5L capacity (that's smaller than a standard bottle) as are helmet covers, socks of a given height, and more.

road.cc/content/news/55389-uci-technical-regulations-update-socks-helmets-and-hydration-packs-all-come-under
  • 1 0
 helmet covers banned but giro air attacks, specialized evades, etc. aren't? but I don't think the hydration pack rule is effective in xc
  • 1 0
 Oh, I know won't convince a XC pro to add weight to his setup and cut on his aerodynamics to increase protection when DH riders barely bother wearing any protective gear, that wasn't my point.

Interesting link you posted. I understand that they put up those rules so the best riders win instead of it being a technological warfare... but aren't those super strict rules about aerodynamism hindering the overall progression of the sport? And why would you allow the shift from alu to carbon frames/parts but limit helmet covers? Why more efficient drivetrains but limited sock length? Why limited camelback bladder sizes but 26", 27.5" and 29" can ride alongside while we're at it? This makes no sense. If they really wanted all riders to be on equal footing they should all wear the same gear and ride the same bike but this is obviously never going to happen. I can't make sense of this but then again I guess it wouldn't be the first time UCI rulings don't make any.
  • 3 0
 Super Nino!!!!!!
  • 2 0
 perfect timing on Bresset pic for the change of crankring
  • 2 0
 Rock garden king !!!! Big Grin
  • 1 0
 I came here for the calves.
  • 1 0
 Paris you make XC look more interesting then it is.
  • 2 1
 I like the fact that a lot had single crankrings.
  • 1 0
 Nino with a 38....
  • 1 1
 None of the riders in the pix seem to be riding fs bikes just hardtails. Whats up with that!?
  • 1 0
 I would love to ride that course on a carbon hardtail WITH a dropper post.
  • 2 0
 great photos
  • 1 2
 Well that photo confirms what I suspected earlier, Julie Breset is ALSO on 650B this season (last year she was on a 26er at least as long as the olympics where she won gold).
  • 2 2
 XC just gets me the least.
  • 2 3
 So mens & womens XC won on 650b

if the DH is won on 650b too

can we ditch 29 and 26 and just go back to one wheel size
  • 1 2
 Damn, XC is so gnarly!!! Mince pie anyone?
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