Pinkbike Award Winner: Comeback of the Year
Perhaps the popular choice for Pinkbike's Comeback of the Year award would be Sam Hill - especially for the large number of riders who emulate the way he attacks the courses and for his espoused devotion to flat pedals. Aaron Gwin has his share of devotees and no other rider has dominated the World Cup Series more convincingly. Truth be told, Hill's and Aaron's comebacks in 2014 marked returns from somewhere around tenth to first place. Granted, nine spots off the box may seem like a lifelong goal for sixty or so hopefuls on the World Cup DH Tour, but to those who have stood on the highest step of just one World Cup race, tenth place represents a big disappointment. For the handful of men and women who have won the entire series and those who wear the rainbow stripes, tenth place is no less than a fall from grace. So it was for Sam Hill and Aaron Gwin, two popular heroes who both made much heralded returns to glory last year. There was, however, a more compelling story that earned the win for 2014.
Fabien Barel
Fabien Barel earned Pinkbike's Comeback of the Year award for 2014 for his triumphant return to enduro racing after suffering a serious spinal injury in a terrible crash in the first stage of the first EWS race in Nevados de Chillan. Barel applied himself to a steady and demanding rehabilitation regimen that was originally intended to allow the former DH champion to simply ride his bicycle once more without pain or an acute risk of a re-injury. Those who know Fabien would have bet on seeing him back on the trail, but nobody, even the man himself, would have predicted that Fabien would roll up to the start box of the last EWS race of that same year and crush the field for the win. When Fabien took the top step at Finale Ligure, Italy, it marked an astonishing comeback - especially when one considers how much of a hotly contested series that the 2014 EWS season was.
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 Jeremie Reuiller photo |
There was a second reason we chose Barel that reveals a facet of the man which deserves to be noted. Fabien doesn't have to win any kind of races to maintain his sponsorships. He has proven to be invaluable as an ambassador and a product developer for the various bike companies he has worked with. He needs no fame, as he is a multiple World Cup and World Championship winner. Barel could have walked away after his rehab and lived a happy life as a highly lauded cycling celeb. The only remaining motivation to return to enduro racing at the highest level with such drive and determination is that Fabien must love the sport enough to devote every fiber in his body to making it happen. That's an honor paid forward to those who worked hard to make the EWS a reality. Welcome back Fabien.
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| Does this look like a man who was forbidden by his doctors to ride a mountain bike four weeks earlier? Barel storms his way to victory at Finale Ligure, Italy. |
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Fabien has mastered the comeback(DH fans will remember he's done it a couple times and made impressive comebacks before), no doubting that and much respect for Fabien for having so much drive/passion. Just thought Sam deserved it more, I think he proved everybody wrong who thought he didn't have it anymore. I don't think Fabien had anything to prove, he's already proven he can comeback with a vengeance.
Still riding though,and hopefully still progressing:-)
Very happy to see Barel get this,for me it was no contest (but then again I am biased).
But Barel still deserves it, just sayin'
I'm not american, and i'm too proud to ignore these french bikers (i 'm french after all i could be anti-american ... but absolutely not because Americans have been able to resurrect the bike when this great invention was diing in Europe during the 70-80').
thanks
Modern oval chainrings (such as absoluteBlack) put the larger radius at the horizontal part of the pedal stroke. So if you think about it this way, it makes more sense: As your leg starts approaching the horizontal crank position, the torque you produce actually increases. So as the radius increases, it counteracts your increasing torque, and makes the pedal stroke smoother. Its kind of hard to explain without having some basic knowledge in physics.
(P.S. for all you physics nerds, I know the correct term/phrase is 'Moment about an axis', but 'torque' is more generally accepted)
read my profile you may get a better idea of what type of rider. What are you going to do with the info now that you have a response to the question?
@xyphota, thanks for the response it does make sense. I am actually interested on one now.
I support my LBS. That means I'll probably pay a little more for parts - and for that to work out, my LBS needs to provide value. That value can be great advice, or great service. They'll be there for me if I ever have to process a warranty claim (and perhaps help me out with a loaner so I don't have to stay off the trail while waiting for resolution or buy a spare to keep me going). I appreciate that my LBS gives back to the community. But I won't be guilted into supporting an LBS that doesn't provide value. In fact, I switched from one LBS to another because the former just didn't deliver on that front (the service was getting a bit indifferent, and the advice wasn't quite as spot-on keen as it should have been).
So does Canyon bikes actually invest in the sport, or do they just skim direct sales? Do they sponsor grassroots events? Do they sponsor trails? And do they support their customers in such a way that you can do without an LBS? If so, they earn their business, great. If not, they're freeloading. Regardless of which way they're going, Barel coming back like that from an injury that severe was truly impressive. That's a true competitor.
I spend much more than I save doing my own repairs with cheap online parts, because I rent a separate garage to do them in. So I save no money at their expense.