Fabien Barel In The Penalty Box: Five Minutes For Shuttling
Official Word from Chris Ball, Director, Enduro World Series
“Following a number of requests for information surrounding the five minute penalty issued to Fabien Barel in Crankworx Whistler we would like to clarify the situation. To avoid riders gaining an unfair advantage and to maintain the spirit of the race on the long liaison stages in the Whistler valley, Crankworx created a rule that outlined no outside assistance (including using a vehicle to assist) would be allowed during the event. This rule was further explained and clarified in a mandatory athlete’s breakfast scheduled on Friday morning and hosted by the Crankworx Whistler organisers. Rider’s who chose not to attend this briefing missed crucial information regarding course changes, details of shuttling and race specific information. We are not responsible for educating riders who choose to miss planned briefings. Following the submission of evidence by a number of sources and a discussion with Fabien where he cooperated fully, admitted to a lack of knowledge of the rule due to team communications and an admission of his use of a vehicle, the organisation chose to apply a five minute penalty to his race time, removing any advantage that may have been gained from his use of the vehicle. We are all now looking forward to an incredible race here tomorrow.”
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Everyone makes mistakes and the best way of dealing with them is apology.
I agree this is serious stuff, but let's laugh a little as well.
in the fisrt race in Punta Ala shuttling has been a major problem, It clearly shows the WRONG idea of enduro, the one that have made me leave competitions .
By this point of wiew 'till discriminate (also if an example) a perferct PRO like Fabien, the way is too long and unacceptable .
I am totally agree to avoid any kind of shuttle in enduro. but rules must be unificated,:
of course this is the first EWS edition, but this basic problem sholuld have been resolved before starting the game, and it was well known from everyone that opinions were too different from place to place
On top of that, there was a "test event" that a lot of people went too. Are you not aware of this?
I have nothing against Fabian (he's awesome), but this is a different conversation and has nothing to do the recent penalty.
BTW his name is spelled Fabien.
"(...)all drivers in the world are looking at you in the TV, because they think, stupidly, that you are an example... it is a big mistake, but they think that(...)"
Lopes, Greg have a full right to troll on the internet on anything and anyone. EWS organizers tried their best to make Enduro a relaxed, friendly event, they constantly speak of "the spirit of Enduro" - noble but utopian. Videos from DH World Cups show how fun it is, everyone hangs out with each other, all are friends. For me this is some fairy tale and for good reasons, but it's a denial of human nature in situation of competition. Those friendships are there because sport hasn't grown big enough yet. But big money are on the move in. It all fell down for me in interview with Sam Hill in F1rst when he said, "they don't care if they win, which place they take, as long as the beat me".
I think we should watch those things purely as a source of entertainment, and show of what is possible on bike, but not as a source of moral values, the gentlemen' sport. There's lots of people who want to see that "spirit" in gravity disciplines to feel better than roadies and XCers, isn't it? I too find it great in DH how relaxed it is around the finish compared to a road. DH racers have a beer and can chat to anyone, not disappear into their team-buses.
Another great quote from F1 world: "you don't have to be socially maladjusted towards your opponents, but in certain situations it might give you an edge over them"
I think we should all hope for the best, and keep that "spirit" up but shouldn't delude ourselves that we can run away from the "spirit of competition" where people will always push the boundaries of their bodies and their bikes, then human relations and rules
If you don't like how he handled the situation, say that and only that. But don't intimate that Greg is somehow cheating when it's clear he is not.
This stuff has been going on since Punta Ala and Greg and Lopes aren't the only ones to say something.
Please don't put quotes around things I didn't actually say.
Notice I said, "But don't intimate that Greg is somehow cheating when it's clear he is not"? The key word there being "intimate". One of it's definitions that you are clearly unaware of is "To make known subtly and indirectly; hint."
I "KNOW" what you wrote and my exact words are evidence to that fact. In short, you were hinting at it (better use a 50 cent word in this case).
Now if you weren't hinting, then why say "Hahaha... Minnaar goes to Andorra weeks ahead of time and gets to practice/race the brand new track ahead of all the other top guys"?
That said, if you think they are being less then professional, cool. But leave it at that instead of muddying the water with hints that would play on peoples ignorance.
When I first heard of this i was shocked of the accusation. All the headlines made it "sound" like he got "caught" doing something wrong. But now that I saw this interview, I'm glad Barel was able to speak his peace. I have always respected Barel for being a class act all the way, and this video proves that in my mind. Sucks about how this all played out, but I have no doubt Barel will shake this off and come back even harder to prove he's the best.
Fabien, don't sweat this, keep strong, and keep destroying these stages!!
And I guess the old saying is true...with a "friend" like that, who needs enemies
And let's be honest here, these enduro riders are mostly B-level or retired DH'ers or XC'ers milking some sponsorship money out of a booming segment and they should chill out. Good on them for finding their niche, but they are not the fittest or the fastest riders out there (though maybe they are the fittest AND fastest). I say this as a Ski Mountaineering racer, aka one who is not fit enough to race cross country, or ballsy enough to race DH/SG/Slalom.
If I had to ride from home to my local forest to race its 30kms one way Bullshit!
Shuttling is being transported uphill from trail base to a trail head period!
This was a stupid rule put together by muppets imo to deliberately mislead the foreign riders, yes they're have been murmurs of skullduggery at previous EWS rounds and this should be put to the sword!
I wonder if Fabian was also a target for this as well, if you have rules you must dish out punishment consistently and clearly to all, not one, this is what has destroyed road cycling and sport in general at professional level, lack of proper leadership, snipers with they're own hidden agenda's and imo they are the ones who have brought this to a head, shame on them.
Let's do a witch hunt, who was the mysterious backstabber! Let's do a PB poll "who do you think told on Fabien?"
Lopes, Schley, Gee Atherton, Norbs
Think we can rule out Gee because he was busy at MSA. If Dan was racing, he'd have something to gain.
My money's on Lopes, he's been bitching at Fab on twitter all week. Even before the 'shuttling'
www.pinkbike.com/photo/9960715
"We in here and we're talking about practice man?"
How awesome that everything related to bikes has just become sensationalist journalism about cheating. That's not to say this isn't cheating (I don't think it is, but rules are rules) but how typical to publish the controversy and let the facts come later. Way to go pinkbike.
That reminds me of typical behaviour of a parent that misinterpreted a behaviour of his kid, punished him, then saw his mistake but cowardly decided to stand by his decision, because he thought that by doing so he keeps his respect. No you moron, kid already saw that you are not right you just make a douche out of yourself.
On the other hand, if riders understand that important info. is passed along at these meetings, they should be the professionals they are and show up.
Sounds like the event could be better organized, and riders could be a bit more responsible.
the lack of "written rules" wakes me think of a constitution...hahaha !!
There should be rules, but they must be clearly outlined, and certainly not at a "breakfast briefing", that you can opt to miss.
It is the 3rd time hes broken the rules, so I think thats why theyve come down hard on him
If hed attended the rider briefing hed have known
Also there was loads of shuttling at rd 1- the course was open a week b4hand! and I think they are trying to make an example, well I suspect its worked
It seems that the cool kids at elite level dont like him, does it all go back to him riding DH for Kona when he broke the riders agreement not to go peakless just b4 his race run or blatantly wore a skinsuit when they were banned?
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The guys who dished out the 5 minute penalty need to take a look at themselves, shuttling is getting someone to drive you to the top of a very big hill that would otherwise leave you knackered if you had to ride up it, to those saying he gained an advantage as he could get more practice in.....really? It was a 1.5km section of flat road, you could ride that in about 2 minute's or less, he hardly gained an advantage, It seems a pretty pedantic judgement by the officials to slap 5 minutes on him.
Too me it seems as though this was too hastily judged, like anything that explodes on social media, everyone is too quick to judge before seeing all sides of the argument, the EWS has taken a step back this weekend, hopefully they learn from this as previously everything was looking extremely positive about the whole series.
If you as a respected top line sportsperson have a rule infringement complaint, make it through the proper channels not over social media, especially for trivial things like wearing a helmet on your forehead on a granny ring climb!(even this shuttling incident is well, stupid) #ProsbeingPathetic!
Perhaps the only good thing to take from this is that for 2014 EWS in Canada clear understanding of the rules among all participants will be top priority.
My other question is why did he not know that it was illegal? It says that it was mentioned in the riders meeting that morning that the Whistler/Crankworx event honchos decided to make this rule of no shuttling at this race, if it is part of the EWS shouldn't all of the races locations and stages have the same rules, and should not the rule be published and made available before the season even starts. You could be in the meeting and miss it because someone next to you is chatting with their friends and the orator just breezed over it or I have been a numerous races where they have a racers meeting in a location that nowhere near everyone can hear what is being said. People just wanna race, and rules like this that are not uniform throughout the whole series just leave a sour taste in everyone's mouth.
Greg Minnaar @GregMinnaar 14m
I love the sob story on @pinkbike. 3 of the 5 Enduro rounds you are accused of cheating.... Never smoke without fire!
At the end of the day, i do think he should have received a penalty since he did break a rule. 5 minutes seams like an extreme though, something closer to 1 minute would have been more appropriate. It gives him a disadvantage but doesn't make a podium or even a win impossible
1) dont get caught
2) deny everything
3) if you get busted own up to it and move on
Fabian is breaking the rules of the race AND the rules of cheating. Cant win many fans that way.