Best Performance Nominees
2020 was a year when every single performance counted. There were so few chances for athletes to rescue some positives from a barren year that they all went hell-for-leather at any opportunity. More than ever, they were battling nerves, pressure, fatigue and inclement conditions alongside the usual fearsome competition from their peers. For us spectators, it was enthralling stuff. The victors were generally unexpected but no less worthy as they adapted to the unusual circumstances and rose to the top in entertaining style. We've looked back at the tantalizingly short season and picked out some of our favourite performances of the year.
Why he's nominated
You can't keep a good G.O.A.T down. While it would be silly to ever write off Greg Minnaar, we don't imagine many people would have predicted him earning a win as we rolled into Lousa in October. This was the same Minnaar we watch week in, week out - cool, composed and deadly fast. On Lousa's techy, unfamiliar track, it was his languid style that translated into winning race pace and he delivered the most popular World Cup result in a long time. Minnaar also extended his own records for being the oldest World Cup winner and win number 22 took him two further ahead of Gwin in the all-time wins list.
Why she's nominated
With races being 15 minutes long and taken nearly at an all-out sprint, one mistake in short track cross country will almost certainly cost you the race. Unless you're Evie Richards that is. Richards had never ridden short track before this year, but she quickly established herself as the woman to beat in this discipline in Nove Mesto. Race 1 was a comparatively run-of-the-mill affair with Richards beating out Pauline Ferrand Prevot in a sprint finish, but it's the second race for which Richards is nominated this year.
Richards was near the front for the whole race and started to push on in the penultimate lap so she was in a perfect position at the front as the final lap started. However, the tarmac start/finish straight led right into a hairpin and Richards slid out. Within seconds, she was back on her bike but also back in ninth spot with some of the world's fastest racers to overtake to win. That didn't phase her and a frantic battle back to the front saw her clean sweep the series in a sprint with Pauline Ferrand Prevot.
Why he's nominated
Just how good can Johansson get? At the age of 21, he has rocketed to the top of the slopestyle ladder and is only getting better seemingly every time he steps on a bike. That was no more clear than at the first Crankworx Slopestyle of the year in Rotorua. In the heat of competition, Johansson was laying down World Firsts such as triple oppo-whips and finished with a huge 360 windshield wiper. Johansson completed the Double Crown in Innsbruck to cap off an unbeaten year. The scary thing is, he's only going to get better.
Why he's nominated
When lockdowns hit, plenty of riders set themselves personal challenges to keep them occupied. For a lot of them, it was Everesting, climbing the height of Everest (8,848 metres) in one ride. Well, Tiago Ferreira didn't stop there. Not only did he do Everest once, he did it twice and then kept going. In the end, he ascended 17,753m [58,244ft] in 24 hours. The amazing feat that has now been certified by the Official World Record Association as the most climbing done off-road in 24 hours on a bicycle.
Why he's nominated
Caveats have followed Reece Wilson around his career for years. When he first podiumed in Fort William, it was because he was a local rider, while in Leogang there were claims he only won because he was used to riding in the mud. We're here to tell you that there's far more to this rider than the place he was born. Despite only riding downhill for 7 years, he has already risen to the top of the sport through natural talent and a lot of hard work. Plenty of other riders from wet climates took to the Austrian mountainside that day but none came close to Wilson's battling time. Simply put, Wilson was the best rider on the day in one of the toughest downhill races in recent memory. His run in qualifying in Maribor was the icing on the cake to prove he had pace to burn this year too.
Must Read This Week
73 Comments
Emil: Best run of ALL TIME
The everesting thing sounds pretty good, but I wonder how many people could do similar if they wanted to. I think it's fair to say that to win a men's world cup downhill race you have to be pretty special. That would be the decider for me. Is that guy who did the everesting thing actually an elite athlete, or just the only person crazy enough to try it? Would he hold the world record if there was a stacked elite field of riders all trying to win the event on the same day on the same course - or is it akin to the word record for the highest number of peas picked out of an inverted 18" dustbin lid while riding a donkey blindfolded in 120 seconds? I mean, I've seen some pretty pointless Guinness world records where someone has set a world record so obscure as to make it pointless.
It's got to be Minnaar for me. It's hard enough to win one race, let alone 20-odd. The more races you do, the older you get, the probability of winning again gets lower and lower. To win so many races and to keep winning at such a grandpa age (relatively speaking) is an amazing feat. Especially considering the strength of the field and the perfect weather conditions.
That said, my opinion is my own only and am fine with others' opinions differing.
But maybe the mystique makes it even better.
Now, if there were a Missed opportunity of the year award...
(and before I get the comments about the flag, I'm a Brit not Swiss!)
"Video unavailable
The uploader has not made this video available in your country."
Stupid Geoblock
But did it faze her?
Post a Comment