@SillyTorque careful I can see Gee and Dan throwing their toys out of the pram

 @paulmurphy1989:
"I lost all respect for this undefeated world champion Athlete because she asked to be considered on her own terms and recognized for her hard work."
You can't handle her speaking out, but she's the baby right?

 @Altabird: I lost respect for her, yes. I still respect her achievement.

I think it is such a shame she felt the need to attack Claudio when he was giving her major props.

He did not draw attention to her gender, she was the one who started talking bs about gender.

Claudio and Rob always talked about how Ratboy benefited from Peaty, why can't they say the same about Rach and her brothers.

She was looking to be offended so she could complain about a problem that doesn't exist in this sport.

 How will she sleep at night... paulmurphy1989 has lost all respect for her...

 @paulmurphy1989: I think the thing that irked me about that whole situation was that I've seen Claudio, in other broadcasts, correct other people that made similar comments about women riders. I distinctly remember an announcer saying something to the effect of "This course is really hard on these women" and Claudio making a point to step in and say that it's hard on the men, also. There were other instances that I remember seeing during some of his broadcasts, but that one stuck out the most for me.

I don't fault Rachel for getting upset, though. I don't think she was looking for a reason to be upset or focusing directly on Claudio, rather she was tired of hearing people say the same thing over and over again, Claudio was probably just the straw that broke the camel's back. Judging by what I've heard/read/seen from other women, both in riding and in other areas, they receive a lot of subtle (and not so subtle) sexism, regardless of how high they climb on their own. Her comments and response to Claudio were likely due to her hearing the same thing over and over again privately, then seeing a public figure make the same comment. You never know what she, or the other women riders, experience privately and every day.

 Despite the heavy bout of depression she's sure to face in the coming months because she lost the respect of a fellow millennial, I'm hoping she's ready for next season.

 @paulmurphy1989: It's tiring seeing a bunch of dudes on a bike website explain when a woman can or can't feel like they're being insulted. I'm guessing you're a dude, you probably haven't had people add "for a woman" or "you're talented because of your brothers" as a qualifier to the end of every success you've had in life.

If you really think a comparison between Ratboy and Peaty is equivalent, then I think you're incredibly oblivious. Try to empathize with a viewpoint that isn't your own before trying to mansplain sexism. I doubt Rachel cares what you think about her accomplishments on a personal level, but I think this sport will be a lot better off if a lot of us evolve out of the stone ages.

 @paulmurphy1989: It was a dumb comment by Claudio and Rob, even if their intentions were in the right place.

 @poozank: but invalidating a woman's achievements due to the influence of males is perfectly fine? Pinkbike logic, I guess LOL

 She completely deserves this IMHO. Why? Because women aren't as fast as men. For a woman, she is unbelievably fast. If she were racing in the men's division, she wouldn't have been on a single podium. But it's unfair to make this female-male comparison. Not sure why the obvious needs to be stated, but women and men are different. It's unfair to women if you say they're not.

 @matadorCE: you really do t think the riding with her brothers, who can absolutely stop her on any track any day, wasn't a huge part of her developing into the racer she is today? It is like Ratboy and Peatie, she just got more years with Gee and Dan.

 I think the reason people get a bit butthurt about this is that female DH just isn't as competitive as mens DH or many other female sports, like athletics for example.

Rachel dominates as she is overall the best rider in the field and that obviously comes with huge dedication towards the sport but it does not avoid the truth that it would be much more difficult for a rider to do this in the current mens category.

Anyway, lets hope Rachel goes into 2017 with a female field that is a little closer to her, I can see Tahnee getting there soon & well done to Rachel.

 @mattbrown9: thank you, thank you, thank you! Well said. I can't even count the number of times I would have loved to have had the support and sensibility of someone like you in this industry/sport

 @poozank: except I said nothing disparaging about millenials in any way shape or form. Good effort though.

 @ZZephyr: I think that is complete BS in the current industry.

There is more chance of an average female rider getting industry help than a male rider by an absolute mile, the quality of riding must be much, much higher for a man (I understand this has to do with ability for the rider to provide product exposure but it is still the truth)

I would give examples of many female riders in this position but I don't feel that would be in good taste.

 For the life of me I can't understand why people get so ruffled when others recognize that men and women are different. It's not a judgement of one being better then the other. And yes, Rachel most likely benefited from getting to spend so much time riding and being pushed by her two very fast brothers. Who doesn't elevate their own game when they get to train with others who are faster then them? That's something to be thankful for, not ashamed of or defensive about.

Congrats to Rachel. She would have been my pick as well.

 @skookumsalmonarm: Of course it's a huge influence, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that most likely all top women's DH riders are riding/training with men as well so why try to chalk Rachel's dominance as only down to the fact that she rides with her brothers? Both Tracey and Tahnee are racing/training with their brothers, but I didn't hear anyone saying that it was down to riding with her brother why Tahnee got within seconds of beating Rachel earlier this year.

 oh my god why is everybody still talking about this

 @paulmurphy1989: brave comment bro, mans got balls i agree mostly that the problem doesnt exist in the sport if a girl can send it then they equal respect as a bloke who can send it. like that girl at fest series cant remember her name who is sending it over fukin huge jumps at fest series. equal respect

 @sellcrackcocainetofundhobby: respect mandem, respect. Safe.

 What's the deal with her brothers? If you're family, sure you're going to be spending some riding time together at some point in life. Kaos with Tahnee, Manon with Jason (her dad), Tracey with Mick... And you're always going to feed off and learn. What's special with the Athertons is that Gee got better results than Dan and the industry was more interested in male than in female racers. But Gee insisted that if you want him on your team, you're going to have the whole family. This gave Rachel a level of support that was hard to get for women back then. Tracey and Mick Hannah were also racing but in different teams. I think Mick was on Cannondale or GT, Tracey was riding an Orange. She did pretty amazing back in 2007. I think she finished 3rd or so. But she just could make ends meet and left racing to operate heavy ground moving equipment. Like Dan does, but different. Of course with most WC racing in Europe (especially back then) it was always going to be more expensive for Ozzie riders than for the Brits to race. But I'd argue that if Tracey could have been on the same team as Mick, she could have kept racing.

So I'm not saying necessarily riding with her brothers has contributed to her great results. But I do think that especially in her early years when support for female riders was much lower than for males, being on a team with her brothers gave her access to funds, equipment, logistics etc that she otherwise wouldn't have had. Yes she could possibly get a better deal than her brothers now that she's racked up so many great results and now that female racers are getting more support and attention, but it must have been good for her to have gotten such great support right from the start.

I don't get the stick the Athertons are getting. If they're injured or still carrying injuries, they don't perform too well indeed. If they're fit, they're doing amazing. Rachel has suffered quite some injuries in the past that kept her from the top step. Luckily she's good now. Gee and Dan have both suffered some injuries this year (and Gee still managed to come down Ft Bill incredibly quick) but that doesn't mean that they're bad riders. Gee is a class act for insisting on taking his siblings along when shopping negotiating deals back in the day. And Gee is a class act for stepping down at the Worlds to allow Kerr to compete (and do incredibly well).

 @vinay: The fact that that comment can be considered sexist is sexist in itself...too much bullshit, and people get offended way to easy! Of course shes the best, and of course it´s beacuse of riding with her brothers and the support they gave her riding together in the same team, the same way as it because of 150 thousand more reasons, all as important!

 @fpmd: @fpmd: Then they should have two categories of athlete of the year, not one. Rachel's year is amazing compared to other females, but the competition was non-existent. When the accomplishments of the likes of Richie, Gwinn or Danny, with the competition they had, are compared as one group, she shouldn't even register.

 @VwHarman: believe he's speaking about the larger "millenial culture". Also, you hear all the time about certain riders benefiting from their mentors or riders who they got to "follow" in some capacity. She has older brothers who are faster than her and who have continued to push their boundaries, thus allowing her to continually follow them and push herself. The stupidity of it all is getting your panties bunched up because someone makes a comment about you being able to follow someone else. It's not like they did the work for you, you still have to work your ass off. It just gives you more access to being pushed, and obviously helps you improve.

IMO, we are developing a culture where everyone wants to be offended and everyone wants a gold f*cking star and credit for everything they've done, and anything that *might* be able to be remotely taken in a way that doesn't showcase that is "offensive". I think that is what @paulmurphy1989 is irked over. No need to attack someone for a factual observation that made you uncomfortable. Also, how many girls have brothers who are in the league of Gee and Dan? Tracey Hannah comes to mind, and I'm not up on all my bike racer celebrities, but if you think about it, it's a worthy observation when your brothers are top level athletes, but maybe not so much if you're a rider who has surpassed your brothers. In many ways, it would actually be offensive to be like "oh so and so is riding great, you know, she must learn a lot from her older brother who won a national round this one time 5 years ago".

If Rachel was a junior or even just another male rider, they could say the same thing and it would be entirely appropriate.

 Popcorn anyone?

 @mattbrown9: ever heard of "youngest child syndrome"? It happens to younger boys and girls all the time. no one is mansplaining anything, a lot of us are just tired of the constant "I'm so offended" rhetoric and would prefer if it stays out of bike racing. In specific reference to the complain from Rachel, I looked it up just to make sure - it wasn't that much of a rant or anything, and I'm sure she gets tired of hearing how great it must have been to grow up riding with her older brothers. However, playing the gender card irks people, and rightfully so. Claudio's comment was harmless and true; everyone knows these riders work insanely hard, and if he had made the same comment about a dude, no one would have said a thing. I've literally heard the same thing said about Finn Iles. Being the younger sibling has great advantages when it comes to following the older kids and constantly trying to keep up. It also instills in you a lifelong sense of "I have to keep up" and when someone suggests that what you're doing, it's often sensitive and you say, "Yeah well I can do it myself!". Throwing the sexism card into the mix is a little unnecessary, but definitely becoming the popular thing to do.

There is nothing stone age about what was said or anyone's reaction in these comments. I'm not agreeing with people being mean, but comments like yours are also not helpful in the sense that you're playing the "well if you disagree it must be because you're some backwards individual clouded by "stone age" prejudice"

You can feel insulted whenever you want. Just know that man or woman, whatever color you are, whatever your sexuality, you are still subject to the opinions of others, who may find you are being unreasonable. That doesn't make them prejudice people simply because they don't share your exact experience.

Aside from all this BS, I certainly think Rachel deserves this award. I have looked up to her for a long time. I admire her ability to push herself so hard and be so dominant, when she could probably keep winning and not do as much. I have always envied people who have the drive to go 120 when everyone else is going 100. It's a struggle for me to do that, and I never really succeed. Rachel is the one rider that I have seen doing that for years. Her and Nico Vouilloz get so much of my respect and personal admiration.

 HELL YES

 @jcklondon: Could you elaborate? As I mentioned earlier, Gee did a lot in favor of others. Rachel does a lot for female British racers, clinics, sponsoring etc. And while the media seems to see Dan as the guy behind the Hardline race, he himself makes it very clear that a lot of people were involved. And according to his latest video, he even built another less technical track after that for others to enjoy. I don't even live there, but I've got a very strong feeling they're doing a lot for the riding community over there.

 @matadorCE: the used he phrase "mansplain" a gendered term which seeks to silence men through means of gender shaming. It invalidates the whole point they were trying to make. It's like putting together a pro race relations statement and then ending it with a slur.

 @vinay: no one can explain family. Some of us do not have any and some who do are shunned by their loved ones for idiotic reasons. Never try to understand family relationships.

 @Adodero: she probably was on her days (it's a joke please don't kill me)

 @Racer951: is that including the men she was faster through the speed trap

 brace yourselves, the Paul Aston article about this comment section is coming.

 @paulmurphy1989: I mentioned this same thing to my girlfriend as we were watching one of the events, and she says "well, let's see if he gets mentioned again during her run, and then see if she gets mentioned during his run. That'll kind of show where their subconscious is at". Sure enough, Claudio again mentions that she rides often with her brother during her run.

His run rolls around. Not a f*cking word about Rachel.

 Pinkbike was scared of not rewarding her with athlete of the year in case of her retribution..

 @vinay: *I* think there are some big egos there. I'm *not* saying they're all kitty killin' reptiles from venus. This discussion man... Just f*cking shoot me already.

 @jayacheess: But he is the older sibling and the one who won everything first. Going back to my Ratboy/Peaty analogy you don't hear them saying during Peaties runs ohh he benefits from Ratboy.

Also, quite often when Gee is racing hard tracks they talk about the benefit of having Dan as a sibling due to his mad building skills.

 @nick1957: What does that have to do with how competitive the female class of DH is?

In no way did I slate Rachels achievements either, you are barking up the wrong tree.

 @paulmurphy1989: Still, Rachel had won every race at this point late in the season. Just mentioning that they're siblings AT ALL would seem somewhat appropriate - at least for the casual viewer. It seemed like a strange omission to me. I was kind of on board with your original point until this happened.

 @mattbrown9: f*ck yeah @mattbrown9!!!!!! Well said!

 She's still in the running for BT Action Woman of the year (don't think votes have closed yet anyway). Everyone should get voting sport.bt.com/action-woman-2016-poll-01364108169407

 @el-nombre: Go vote PB users! 1 click on the link and one click on Rachel and done! 3 sec.

 @fracasnoxteam: shes won this now hasn't she? twitter did well, was a great night helping along the votes from my twitter accounts haha.

 lolz, @megatryn

 I want a new category next year, "pinkbike comment thread of the year"

 @daweil: goes to almost every single one under ARBR... this bike fell from the ugly mountain and cased each jump on the way down... fkng gold...

 @yerbikesux: HE SAID WELL DESERVED AND GOOD TO SEE . SHE DESERVES THE TITLE WORKED HER SOCKS OFF

 @fracasnoxteam: AAAAH! YOU TO SWEET HEART!

 @WAKIdesigns: TAKE AN OTHER SLICE OF THIS BRITISH PIE

 SLAAAYEEEEEEEERRRRGH!!!!!!

 THE BEST PUT SIMPLY

 Hooray for this comment.

 What about Matt Damon?

 Then you weightlifted wrong bud.

 Look up ACC and get some wisdom

 Battling through an injury as well . . . . . .

 So lets weigh this out. Richie breaking some imaginary 'curse', or Rachel dominating 15 wins in a row? Yeah, that's a toughie...

 Don't confuse Athlete of the Year with Personality of the Year. Rachel earned PB Athlete of the Year and earned it well. But her way of handling Claudio's comments was appalling. Her poor behaviour put more people off her than her results garnered I suspect and is the only reason I won't for her for SPOTY.

 @Deuce-DeuceAndAHalf: Oh I totally agree, she has more than deserved this award as athlete of the year. It takes absolute dedication, obsession and raw talent to have a season like she did this year. You said it pretty well the way she handled those comments was anything but professional, however everything else she did this year was absolutely world class.

 In your dreams half my mates kick her ass we only having fun ski x

 cheers buddy x