Results: Men's DH World Championship

Sep 1, 2013
by Matt Wragg  
Greg Minnaar is the 2013 DH World Champion, throwing down a scorching run to defend his title on home soil, with Mick Hannah following .3 seconds behind to take second. Jared Graves piloted his enduro race bike to third place, 3.33 seconds back. Not all of the race favorites made it onto the podium, though, including Sam Hill, who had a ground-shaking crash, washing out towards the bottom of the course, and Steve Smith, who bobbled a corner high up on the track, squashing his chances of taking the win.



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Member since Oct 29, 2006
753 articles

506 Comments
  • 339 22
 26er wins the day!
  • 51 246
flag adam3800 (Sep 1, 2013 at 7:29) (Below Threshold)
 still early days for bigger wheels!
  • 55 2
 With a puncture to boot!
  • 86 9
 Does bigger wheels make you faster or more angry?
  • 51 33
 em all 29" and 27,5" and 28" and 36" rubbish take it up their arse Big Grin . is all witchcraft. take a bike and ride it. props to greg
  • 42 1
 you the man! GREG MINNAAR the best!
  • 200 5
 Please lets not start calling them "26ers".
  • 44 33
 Where are all the WAGON wheel fans (trolls) now? 29" didn't make it round the first corner (where is the superior rolling you are all talking about?).
no 27.5 on the podium. 29 is way back , better luck next year!.
  • 126 4
 Comming to DH race near you......


www.pinkbike.com/photo/10039725
  • 10 2
 I dont buy into all the bigger wheel hype they don't seem to give tha gains that all the manufacturers talk about . I would have liked to see Stevie and Mitch get down though as how its been left now we have still yet to see a rider capable of winning a wc race the new size. Would have been great to see a 26" wheel dh bike beat the other sizes fair and square with no crashes .
  • 13 4
 36" is the next best thing. "the future"
  • 11 5
 It might be big wheels flex litle bit more so stivie and mitch went out the line easier Pushing hard on that first blown out turn ? Anyway check out Beer s higher speed...
  • 23 17
 Hey Mitch, 29er is the bitch, isn't it? Wink

I was very happy to see Jared on hot seat for so long!
This shows 26er is [still] the weapon of choice even with Enduro setup Smile

Long live Greg Minnaar!!!
  • 95 5
 ^ human nature at it's finest... find something no matter how trivial and stupid to cling onto, in this case wheel size, and defend it like your mom's honor... sad that people will pay more attention to that than PEATY GETTIN A TOP 15 FINISH!!!
  • 48 7
 instead of "26er", why not call em "normal mountainbike wheels"
  • 20 0
 Scott - People pay more attention to it because its all the mountain bike media go on about, the whole race build up had been about people running enduro bikes or prototypes with bigger wheels . Peaty is a legend but to expect everyone not to talk about the wheel size debate when pb and other sites have been ramming it down everyone's throats for so long is daft !
  • 10 0
 Forget the wheel size, made up for Greg!!! Awesome ride. Props to Jared too, I doubt many of the main DH riders could have reproduced his run on an enduro rig.
  • 13 1
 If you look the results from the back, you get another fine podium:/
  • 24 12
 You people are absurd... wheel size has nothing to do with crashing/bad luck. I understand the marketing BS that is being crammed down are throats but honestly wheel size shouldn't matter, its personal preference! The real issue should be why does one race determine an entire season and preseasons worth of work. This should be a perfect example of why the overall points leader should be the REAL champion...
  • 16 52
flag WAKIdesigns (Sep 1, 2013 at 8:14) (Below Threshold)
 I think that is a best good bye that 26" wheels could have. I hope Graves will finish EWS second so also there 26ers will have their last good word. Next year there will be pretty much only 650b and 29ers in all disciplines. Only DH bikes, and not all of them, will come with 26". We can only hope that smaller companies like Yeti or Banshee will keep it real and preserve the genetic code.

Awesome champs!
  • 32 9
 I think a lot of people are forgetting that Beer hammered out a 6th place run on a 27.5" bike. If Beer could do that, who knows what Smith could have done? The wheel debate might be very different if Stevie hasn't crashed in the first corner.
  • 6 1
 Jonnyhill- showing that humans who have to take sides no matter how frivolous something might be, also cannot think for themselves and can only talk about what the media tells them to talk about. Wink

I mean I'm on this site almost everyday and I don't see many articles about wheel sizes... yeah it's a topic of discussion but it doesn't seem to be a big deal at all.
  • 26 4
 blenki finished fourth on 650b too
  • 24 8
 Anybody remember that amazing racer, something like Gwinn? What the hell happened to him?
  • 17 0
 So stoked for Minnaar, gutted for Hannah though! Great ride by Matt Simmonds too Big Grin
  • 25 12
 I am getting sick and tired of this whole 26, 29, and 27.5 bullshit. there is no silver bullet bike. it is about what the rider wants. i like 29ers most of the time, but i realize that there are times when another bike can do the job much better. just because you sit behind a computer on your ass and make wisecracks about wheel sizes,, its not going to change the sport. so get the hell on your bike (whatever the wheel size is) ride it, and let other people do the same.
  • 4 1
 Scott - that's life though take any other major sport and you will find its the same take f1 for example where talk of diffusers or other innovations can easily overshadow the results. I'm dissapointed I didn't get to see a 26/27.5/29er straight shoot out due to some riders being unluckyin theiir runs . We will have to disagree on the last point though as I feel this year there has been multiple posts on pb or other websites about weel size and a lot of debate on those articles and articles of the release of certain new bikes.
  • 17 1
 so sick of this. pick a wheel size, ride it, keep it to yourself.
  • 6 2
 Not sure why you all think its a big wheel disaster. How many places do you get to try all this variety out in the real world.
Didnt a 29er do well at sea otter too?
  • 15 1
 What is all this bullshit about the wheelsize?! The fastest man down the hill wins. Maybe Minaar was so dominant that he outpaced the disadvantages of the smaller wheels. Maybe not. Maybe Graves would have won on bigger wheels, maybe not. Who cares?

Congrats Greg and Rachel. Amazing! Congrats Johannes Fischbach for ending up 9th!
  • 4 2
 mitch ropelato -> 29er -> Crash in first corner...
but let's leave this wheel size discussion behind, why not talk about the winners`? minaar had an absolute epic run today and deserves the win on home soil!
  • 84 5
 Mitch Ropelato - 29": crash in the first corner.
Steve Smith - 27.5": crash in the first corner.
Loic Bruni - 26": crash in the first corner.

That is all.
  • 7 5
 So there you have it, home advantage beats wheel size. There is nothing like knowing the track inside out. Though it is worthy to notice that wheel size propelled Blenkinsop and Beer more than 5 places above their overall standing.
  • 7 4
 Exactly. Stevie would have won on a 650b and this place would be losing its mind "oh noes!!"

And the guy who claimed Stevie and Mitch crashed because of big wheel flex.....what about Hill? Wink
  • 13 7
 Steve Smith posted a top speed 2 1/2 mph FASTER than the winner and was the only other rider than Nick Beer to have cracked past 50mph. Perhaps he was just carrying too much speed in the first corner? Love how all you armchair experts KNOW that its only because he didn't pick 26ers that he crashed and nevermind the fact all the top qualifiers crashed out on course and ended up way down the race results.
  • 13 4
 As soon as I saw Ropelato crash I thought, "oh no here comes the 29er hate!"
  • 8 0
 Minnaar won it last year, with no home advantage. Oh...and in 2003 too.
  • 8 0
 I was so stocked to see Graves giving such an amazing ride on TRIAL bike. This guy is killing it for sure. Then I was so stoked to see Mick taking the lead. And finally I was so stoked to see Greg taking the win losing with 0.8s on the last checkpoint before the finish, winning on 0.4s and basically getting a 1.2s lead in the last section with a FLAT tire. Greg won that race in the last section last year and he did it again today to defend his world title. What a great hero he is. This year World Championships was so epic!
  • 7 2
 Big wheel , small wheel blah blah blah,. Your all full of it keyboard warriors. I for one am happy to try all things new and then make my mind up. One race tells us nothing other than there were some very unlucky riders.
  • 4 0
 I kind of see why manufacturers have to phase out 26. If they offer to much choice they run the risk of incredible wastage/losses.
My worry is that the after market stuff just isn't there in any quantity, rims,tyres, mud gaurds. Then look at the generally poor starting spec of a 29er, fork upgrades are very expensive, an a must for anything under 1k.
That for me makes it feel a bit rushed by the industry
  • 4 0
 Let's say bigger wheels do prove themselves and they become a big hit, I doubt very much we'll see a day in our lifetime that the 26" wheel is phased out!
  • 4 2
 650 and 29 can`t score on an endurotrack? Something wrong here...

Hopefully next year they will have a real dh-track again.
  • 4 2
 Do you really get tables that big on an enduro track?
  • 12 2
 There would be no wheel debate if the industry wasn't filling everyones head with lies and killing the 26 option. I'm all for riding big wheels if that's your preference. Just don't lie to me or tell half truths in an attempt to seperate me from my hard earned money. It's the industry crap machine that I'm exhausted with.
@deelight, The data that the industry conveniently forgets to proclaim in their rolling and momentum testing data is braking distance and gyroscopic forces. So speed is all blah, blah, blah until you have to turn and then accelerate.
  • 3 6
 This is all too hilarious. People crash, that's racing. The guy who goes fastest, and gets to the finish line wins. Its simple. If you go too fast, then you crash. If you are too cautious, then you don't win. With the number of people crashing in the first corner, I suspect something changed between practice and the race, a rock or a root moved and the line no longer worked.

@Bigbossman: frames do go bad. Aluminum has a fatigue life of less than 1 year under a pro, and 5 years for the average rider. After that, fatigue sets in and it becomes more prone to cracking.
  • 3 6
 @randy: Highspeed tables with an easy landing zone are great - just not really part of a challenging track and that makes it an enduro track. Tracks that we ride, you need every inch of travel. 6 does not work, 8 or more better - that makes DH. So yes - not happy with the championship track.
  • 2 0
 "Highspeed tables with an easy landing zone are great - just not really part of a challenging track and that makes it an enduro track."

Have you ever seen an enduro track?
  • 3 0
 One thing about racing and especially DH theyre is NO WHAT ifs! You crash or fail for many reasons, pressure unfamairity with equipment in battle, practice is one thing war in the trenches is another, theyre is no try theyre is only do. Greg Minnaar did, hes a champ a true champ, congrats GM congrats South Africa, well deserved!!!!!! still a shit track though sorry.
  • 3 0
 @ Wakaba Think your missing the point, that us mere mortals wouldn't ride a track of that type on shorter travel bikes. What's good about this event wherever it's held is a great opertunity to try out new ideas and prototypes in a real world extreme environment. Invaluable for development and only possible with the help of the worlds very best riders
  • 1 2
 Based on your last argument, one could say that wheel size is a reason why Stevie ended up so far back from his overall standing. Its just how things work out sometimes.
  • 7 0
 let's be open minded!! This track doesn't bother me at all, yes it is not as challenging as others but they shred it at mach 10!!! And I really like to see variety on DH tracks, which make a world cup circuit more exciting!
  • 3 1
 It really confuses me as to how the cycling community can question and knock the worlds best and most professional riders for trying and testing marginally bigger wheels; especially when the majority of people commenting have probably never tried a 650B specific downhill bike.
  • 1 0
 Or even a standard dh rig I would bet
  • 3 1
 Because it is a freak of nature!!!! Lol, personnally i think that there is more marketing than real improvement behind the size of the wheels, because so many aspects have to be on the equation( Height, type of riding, terrain ridden, ...) it's not just 650b are great buy them and erase old 26ers, because in facts, it's not.
  • 1 0
 I don't understand you guys, you can't compare yourself with the top of the top, hundreds of people said the truth,that is that they would win on almost anything, I think that those wheel sizes can give u a small advantage, it's your choice to accept it and embrace it as a gift, or ride 26 wheels till you die. I personally don't think 26 is ever going to die, worst case scenario they are going to live as a hipster wheel size.
  • 4 0
 Had an interesting conversation with the uk giant product manager, chatting on a ride. He was telling us that giant are really pushing the 27.5 size as the thing to ride, their 2014 line up pretty much backs this up. But ironically only a month or so before launch he is riding the only one in the country which he struggled to get and has to have experience of in order to sell the range. Rushed anyone????
  • 3 0
 So here is how it really is:
You may win or loose on a 26 bike and you may win or loose on any other wheelsize. It's all about the track, the rider, luck and any othergiven circumstance. So it won'tchange anything anyways so we can aswell stick to riding 26''
  • 4 2
 I think hipster fits. Hipsters are all about how things look, and the hipster 26ers think bigger wheels look funny!
  • 8 0
 Forget all this wheel size nonsense... hover-bikes are the future!
  • 1 0
 ill go for hover. as long it doesnt kill the 26"
  • 11 1
 20 years ago I had the chance to visit Pietermaritzburg and you can feel the good vibes around all over town,magic place, then 10 years ago Gregg came to race twice in my town and by that time my wife was pregnant, he signed a small t shirt for my baby to be born. Today he was the proudest kid riding his bike around with his world champion signature dedicated to him. Congratulations and thanks again Gregg!!!!!
  • 2 1
 @wakaba i'm still confused as to how you think it was an enduro track...
  • 7 7
 Anyone else notice it's the 26" crowd who are the ones insulting people, lashing out at them, and throwing a fit. I don't have a 29er or a 650b bike, I only ride 26". Lucky me I'm secure enough I don't have to put someone down for what wheel size they ride. On top of that, the pros ride different wheel sizes for different things. Do you think the all of the professionals who race in the various disciplines in this sport act like this? No. Worst MTB community on the internet.
  • 3 1
 A solid 67th place for the Gwinner!
  • 1 1
 Smiths bike wasn't a full on DH bike was it? I thought I read it was more if a hybrid trail bike type thing. I'm wondering if that hurt both he and Mitch. The other guys on big wheels were still on full travel DH bikes. Maybe the juice of race day just made them push a little to hard through the tough stuff up top and those non DH bike couldn't handle it. Once the adrenaline if a race run kicks in a guy like Smith's instincts probably kick and and he's 100% balls out like he would be in the full DH rig.
  • 4 4
 But, but.. Niner bikes have prove that 29" wheeled bike is 12% faster than 650b, say nothing about 26". I have seen charts and graphs.
  • 4 1
 Yes but Niner's bikes suck in other ways... they make up for the 12% speed gain by breaking...often...
  • 1 1
 go blenki you ripper!! oh and, not bad greg
  • 2 1
 I wish we could have charts and graphs on here to separate the % of bull shit from fact, heresay and rumour. Also a pie chart for the quantity of beer/redbull/mountain dew consumed whilst writing some of these crazy posts.
29" pie chart anyone?
  • 3 2
 A 29er pie is a really really big pie! Does it roll faster into your mouth?
  • 9 2
 Charts and graphs wouldn't do you any good. For a couple reasons:

1. Being able to replicate results exactly over and over and over again is just impossible in our sport. The environment is anything but steril and is constantly changing. Not only is the track changing but the riders line choice differs on every run by a few inches here or there which is more than enough to make a difference in every single run. One wrong bump and you just lost a second in one section.

2. The results wouldn't matter because each rider is different. As is each of the three wheel sizes we're currently offered. I've ridden niners and 26" bikes quite a lot to be honest (650b not so much) On some trails I'm faster on a niner, on some I'm definitely not. You can have a chart that shows you overall results and the averages and whatnot, but that won't matter to you. What will matter is how you feel on the bike. How you ride, what you like. That's all that matters.

3. Bike geo and suspension design are also a big part. One niner may be more suited than another. One 26" bike may be more suited than another.

The bottom line is there are just too many variables.

I truly wish people would just get over this whole wheel size debate faster than they are. I've seen these same reactions over other aspects and changes to the sport for god knows how long. I'm 30 for christs sake, I've seen mostly all of it change and the rage people would get into over silly things.
  • 7 1
 Remember the experimental niner dh rigs? Notice how they aren't around anymore? Notice how niners are pretty much set into a category where they can possibly provide benefits? No one is going to take you 26" DH bikes away. It just doesn't work and they found that out. In some settings it does work. Throwing tantrums (not you randy, just some people) over a wheel size, or calling someone gay for riding a different wheel size, is just beyond ridiculous.

This sport is still so damn young and there is still so much progress to be made that to cling to one idea, one type of wheel size, one type of bike, one type of drive train, one type of bar width, etc... is just asinine. Pardon my french, but it's f*cking stupid.

I rode a 2005 hardrock with wide ass bars and a short stem with a rock shox dart 2 for YEARS and rode faster than anyone I knew on it and did a damn sight better in many races (even some DH races) than people with full suspension rigs, or full blown DH sleds. Does that mean that a hardtail with 100mm of travel is the best bike? HELL NO. And I'm not stupid enough to think that and I would hope that the rest of you lot would be smart enough to realize that one type of bike is never going to be the answer for any discipline no matter the tantrums.

Just step back for a second and look at the entire sport, all disciplines, all the varying trail types, all the conditions, all the different sized riders, all the riding styles, EVERYTHING. Take it all in, absorb that. People throw tantrums and say "Oh it's a scam, it's marketing" etc... It's not. The industry, while more mature and advanced, is still in it's adolescent stages and is still figuring itself out. It's still growing up. And hopefully it'll never grow up and keep advancing.
  • 7 1
 If I ever met someone on the trail who wanted to put down someone for what they choose to ride I'd tell them to straight up f*ck off and then leave them in the dust. Judging people for what they ride and insulting them is no better than racism, homophobia, and things of that ilk. It's a truckload of prejudice filled with insecurity. Does a different wheel size really make you feel so insecure that you have to put others down? If so then you've got a lot of growing up to do.

Does anyone here actually think Ropelato or Stevie give a flying shit if you don't like their wheel sizes? No, they don't. Want to know why? They just like to ride bikes.

Bikes of all suspension designs, all wheel sizes, all stem lengths, all drive train arrangements, all disciplines. Somehow this community got lost and took on (more notably the 26" dedicated crowd) a view of "us vs them". That's just straight up bullshit. It's a bike. Bikes come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Bikes are fun. All bikes are fun. And for some reason, most of the people here forgot that at some point in their life. I haven't forgotten that. I love bikes. I love riding bikes.

I think almost everyone here should take a page from the book of Matt Hunter. "If you enjoy mountain biking, you can see the fun in every single one of the different ways of doing it." One of the best ambassadors of our sport, one of the best riders our sports seen, and one of the nicest people in the world gets it. I think perhaps the rest of us should get on board with his ideology. Because if Matt Hunter is wrong, then f*ck it, I'm okay with being wrong too.
  • 4 2
 @lalodh That is a great story, greg minnar is the story of the year in DH, not wheesize, and I doubt your son cares what wheel size he won on, he is just stoked his hero won and that's all that masters, thanks.
  • 4 1
 @cyrix, think you summed it all up there, well said, but has your keyboard melted or is it still ok?
  • 2 1
 Cyrix, that was good indeed. I am also around your age, 32, and I nerd biking world since 10 years. I haven't been through disc brakes and move from steel to aluminium, yet, I have not seen anything such negative attitude towards a new trend, and sustained for such a long time. nothing ever came close. Off course we are talking about people who have some good idea about riding a bike. Whether someone likes it or not, people on forums know much more than an average specimen of buying force.

If we are talking dinnovation and development in wheels department, all that takes to make Average Joe ride faster with more confidence is making wider rims, like ZTR or Syntace does. And Syntace did a wuality research on that. This isn't happening, Mavic presents new Enduro wheels for 2014 with precambrian widths good to properly support a tyre up to 2.00. Other major players are increasing widths at snails pace. Why only Schwalbe experiments so much with tyre patterns and sidewalls? Why only Maxxis and Schwalbe provides tyres that are easy to seal as Tubeless Ready. There's a whole of a lot of sht to do with wheels alone, and they just redesigned everything, to gain nearly nothing.

So instead of actual improvements we are given blurry bullcrap. And now we have no choice either. So people are pissed off. Get it! They will be, because they have reasons for it.
  • 1 1
 @Cyrix, Amen after all. Sometimes i made jokes about Wheelsizes, but be sure that i don't give a single F@ck of what people are actually riding. On a trail, you don't even notice the differences between bikes... But PLEASE Cyrix, Could you come here in France and Become our President, for god's sake??? Smile
  • 2 1
 How good would it be to get all the big forum commenters on a ride Smile
  • 2 1
 Nice rant, Cyrix. I'm with you, bro.
  • 3 1
 Randy: Troll champs - that would be something. Im heading to Hafjell next week so anyone wanting have great riding, world cup watching, and smack my face, get your arses up there.
  • 1 1
 Hahaha
  • 1 1
 Gwin 67th place ?? did i miss something?
  • 2 1
 Yeah, you missed his crash.
  • 1 1
 Not likely to get anywhere this year Frown
I do like to try and get to winterberg for the dirt masters though. As go a place as any to meet fellow pbers.
Problem with the uk is the big cost of actually getting off the island. Once in proper Europe travel is a whole lot easier
  • 1 0
 @cyrix: Your point #1 is called statistics. Of course you can not replicate each and every run. But if you do a lot of runs, and if a lot of riders do a lot of runs, you can test for statistical significance of any difference if it exists. Pretty trivial math, if one is willing to acquire a large enough sample.
Of course determining existence of a difference will not necessarily tell you the cause of that difference. Takes proper experiment design to factor out any systematic errors and effects.

The problem is, nobody is interested in doing that on a proper scale. They are only interested is selling bikes. Fair enough.
  • 4 1
 Yes and KHS (and other teams) began such testing a year ago, which is why they had riders on 650B bikes for the entire 2013 season if not longer. Logan Binggeli was saying LAST YEAR around the time of the redbull rampage that he wouldn't race on 26" wheels again, his times were that much better, and he was already the 2012 US Nationals Pro Gravity tour series champion at the time. He's at 284 pts in this year's series, which is 54pts ahead of second place Neko Mulally who would have to WIN this weekend's Kamikaze games and Logan has to finish to 13th or worse not to repeat as the series champion, and doing so on 650B wheels.

People are going on and on about Stevie Smith's crashing out and how 26ers dominated yet again, while ignoring all the big names who raced on 650Bs and 29ers other than Steve and Mitch Ropelato, not to mention what Greg Minaar himself uses for Enduro racing (Santa Cruz Bronson which is a 650B bike).

enduro-mtb.com/en/enduro-world-series-this-is-what-the-pros-race-on-today
  • 4 4
 Big names get paid to ride what marketing tells them to. Their focus is to sell you bikes and they rigg the game, they dont want you to be happy with what you have - they want you to buy new gear. That is why the marketplace is full of crap riggs that are justifiably horrid. That is why they hover eternally around 68 degree HA, small bearings, cartwheels, airdampers, airforks. This stuff certifiably sucks. And still people like you are buying that stuff by the boatload only to chuck it and buy next years version of yesteryears horrid bike.

Now look at the dh-bikes. There are a few gems. 62-63 static HA, proper axle sizes, strong wheels, great dampers, great forks and great and safe riding qualities. 26 won the championship because a great rider used unarguably great and well developed bike that has been on the market for 4 years. This happened on a track which was setup for 650 and 29 scoring a win. Which they incindentally did not because 29 and 650 plain suck - not enought travel, manouverability and acceleration. Put those cartwheel bikes on a real life dh-track and it is no contest at all.

What you are talking about is marketeering and n o t progress. One is defending marketshare, the other is making something obsolete because the next generation of bike is plain better than the previous one.

So no - I will not buy something that resets the huge fun I have doing what I like best: Going fast over real terrain, leaning into corners like crazy and run over tables like they dont exist, getting my heartbeat up and generally feel good for days after I did what I did.
  • 3 1
 @wakaba
Thing is, no one is actually making you buy a new bike.
The stuff for your 26" is going to be around for a very long time. But, and its a very bike but, when you go to buy your next full brand new bike there is a chance depending on who's bike you choose it may not be available in 26". That the time when you choose what to do.
  • 2 1
 @wakaba...get it together man. make some sense, please, for the sake of the people who are taking the time to read what you're saying. seriously, get your life together.
  • 2 1
 Yeah pro's get paid to ride stuff, they also more importantly are paid to WIN... and they're only gonna put up with mediocure bikes for so long before they demand changes. The Athertons put up with the old GT Furies when they signed to GT last year because that's all that was available. This year GT designed all new bikes for the team and for everyone else who buys GTs, they're going to benefit from the input the athertons had on their development.
  • 2 2
 @randy: It wont. Frames with 26 will be shortsupply very soon and that will mean a step backwards from great handling 26 to 650 with less suspension, steep headangles, big and unwieldy wheels.

@jit: My life is fine. What is not fine is the industry trying to push an arguably inferior design on everybody. It was a comitee decision of cretins - and that is/was never good for consumers. Lighten up.

@dee:GT only ever made inferior bikes. Look at the GT Fury - this thing sucks big time. Putting the BB and rear triangle together still is not working - after 20 years. Atherton win despite the bikes because they put a huge amount of dedication, training and talent into their career and a fair amount of Armstrongism. But then again Santa Cruz won with a four year old design and the field is practically devoid of riders riding GT.
  • 3 2
 Deeeight was quite off this site during Enduro world series. Winning wheels didn't match. As wakaba says, and many more are correctly noticing, this sport is so much about the rider that they can win on any of top products. It is a bullshit buffer. Carbon was so undeniably awesome until Gee won few times on his alu GT with "bad suspension". I honestly hope he's going to take the series. Same with carbon rims, bla bla bla until teo seasoned racers start to talk grip. Fabien prefers alu rims than any carbon made right now and Nico loosens spoke tension because wheels are too stiff. So now 650b will have their carbon bubble. I really don't get how can one be so stupid to think that one piece of equipment is much better than similar of the other kind... Have you seen how many different tyre choices were made? I thought majority of them are experienced, reasonable professionals able to tell which tyre is absolutely the best, so it should be quite consistent, aye? And what makes more difference on times than tyre choice?

Some people should start a MTB discipline called Lab-biking
  • 1 1
 I suppose whatever we end up riding in the future biking will still be fun.
On the plus side as humans we do adapt quite well and who knows we may find new advantages from slightly bigger wheels??? Stranger things have happened.
  • 1 2
 Yes my body will adapt to bigger wheels, my genitals will shrink to get more clearance when hanging off the rear on steep descents.
  • 3 1
 Just commenting so that your dash lights up and says, "your comment has had 10,000 replies". You're welcome!
  • 1 1
 wakaba you're delusional.
  • 2 3
 Nope, far from delusional. Tired of marketing driven "innovation". Want real rider-engineers directed by experienced company owner making frames and components in the same building, selling them direct. Right now its just halfassed pretty-designs by China Inc. for halfassed marketing drones in the US, Europe and Japan taking all the wrong turns and GT is a prime example of what is wrong. There are a couple of corps that do it right - and I buy theirs.

Let me give you an example: I just found an unused italian handmade columbus roadracing frame with complete Campy - down to the rims - from the early eighties. Guess what - that thing is way better than anything churned out today - including my top carbon roadracer. Its fast, extremely silent, comfortable and the gear change smooth instead of click, pling, crash.
  • 2 1
 See you in 3 three years wakaba!!!! Big Grin at least I hope!!! youhouuuuu
  • 1 1
 oh got it. your one example proves everything you said. so yes, clearly 26 inch wheels are dead and we won't be able to find any soon. clearly 29 inch and 650b wheels have no use for anyone, ever. oh and back to your original comment, clearly this was actually an enduro track, because the only options are apparently real-dh and enduro.
  • 2 0
 I think this thread may have gone on too long
  • 1 0
 Nehh..
  • 1 2
 Let's throw in some more troll meat: screw UCI, Kona sucks, Session is flexy and 29ers are g... giggly gorgeous!
  • 4 0
 Norbs was robbed.
  • 132 4
 poor sam hill!
  • 99 6
 was gutted for smith.
  • 16 2
 they both would have done well!
  • 99 10
 The great big-wheel disappointment of 2013.
  • 19 0
 It wasn't Sam Hill's track type anyway and he looks alright so at least it isn't a repeat of 2008 Val Di Sole or Soderstrom at Joyride
  • 32 5
 180 travel 26 wheel nearly one the dh wc think i will keep my bike. No need to move to 650b
  • 9 1
 So many different emotions throughout that race, so happy for Minnaar but unlucky for Mick, Sam Hill and Steve Smith so gutted for them. Amazing race all round
  • 45 0
 Cant believe after all these years im still watching and cheering on Steve Peat. 15th at the worlds this year. Top guy and amazing rider, hopefully still cheering him on next year to.
  • 13 0
 Gutted for hill, smith AND carpenter. All three were due some serious results. Sad times for them! Still, that was one seriously good race, and as much as I wanted GB to take the mens and womens, it was really cool to see minaar take it on home soil! That crowd sounded pretty happy too!
  • 1 0
 What happened to them?
  • 3 1
 Smith crashed right at the top, Hill had a bit of a nasty crash near the bottom and carpenter somewhere up top but wasn't shown on the broadcast. Smiths was pretty much straight out the gate though which sucked, same place as where mitch crashed
  • 5 2
 What happened to the ever disappointing Gwin? I'm assuming he crashed as well - I know that specialized isn't making him THAT slow.
  • 3 15
flag Protour (Sep 1, 2013 at 13:53) (Below Threshold)
 I.don't know why Gwin crashed , maybe he needs even longer chainstays. Sam Hill's crash looked to me like it was caused by wearing a neckbrace. He couldn't shrug his shoulders up to get behind his bike because of the way the neck brace limits your shoulder movement so he went over the bars. Weird crash, the neck brace is the only cause I see when I watched the replay.
  • 8 0
 Protour....Definitely NOT the reason he crashed.
  • 2 0
 Looked like his weight went forward and he just couldn't pull it back, bet it seemed like slow mo for him in that moment of realisation that we all know so well.
  • 1 0
 i think he was just on agony... You know that feeling when it seems that your muscles don't respond anymore. For me that was maybe what cause his crash, he gave everything but lost his concentration and at this speed, that don't forgive...
  • 1 0
 @protty just pass it bro
  • 2 0
 Too bad Smith slid out in the first corner, that new Devinci took 1-2 in the speed trap..
  • 1 0
 Hey Protour. If Hill was back on his Demo he would have got through that wobble with the extra reach it has. He just couldn't get the Nuke back under his body... but neckbrace? Haha, now I've heard them all.
  • 2 0
 He clipped a pedal...Pause on the slow mo and you can see it. Confirmed by another pro rider at the race. So lucky he had a clear crash zone!
  • 2 3
 He may have clipped a pedal but it still looked to me like the neck brace kept him from being able to get low and get behind his bike.

Clipping the pedal might have caused the incident, but it looked to me like the neck brace caused the crash. Watch the video and notice how he is stuck on the front center of his bike and cannot get behind it, clearly because of the neck brace.


www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2KcU8zIg1Y&feature=youtube_gdata_player

And why does it seem that lately all the worst over-the-bars crashes are guys wearing toilet lids on their shoulders that keep then from riding low & safe?
  • 4 1
 @protour, This has to be a troll attempt. The neck brace has absolutely no impact on normal riding, it doesn't even touch your helmet until you put your head fully down/back.

Maybe you should try a toilet lid over your head. With a toilet attached.
  • 3 0
 @protour. you're clearly right, neck braces keep people from riding safe. i assume you're with me when i say that helmets are unsafe too, because they cause your head to move around with extra weight, causing whiplash.
  • 1 3
 That's what looked like happened to me, but it's inconclusive so I might be wrong. I think the braces work better for motocross than DH, it would be naive to pretend they never interfere with you in DH riding considering how much you are standing and moving your shoulders.
  • 2 0
 The neck brace does't interfere with your helmet until your head is fully extended back, or forward. So it has absolutely no effect.
  • 94 2
 Props to Graves for going out on a limb with that bike and smashing in a top run!
  • 15 16
 I think that other guy on 29er could do well too.
  • 5 2
 Yeah though we'll never know now Frown
  • 15 1
 If you say "I guess I gonna put a 180mm fork to my sb-66" in forums they gonna laugh at you so hard and they will think you are a noob. Different history in real life though.
  • 1 1
 He rode what he's been riding all year, he new he could ride what he new well nothing beats that and its the first rule come race time, ya dont fook with the force or the force will fook with you! Awesome JG..
  • 11 0
 Immense props to Graves! This is the guy that, earlier this year competed in the xc nationals in Canberra - finished 7th on a 5 inch dual suspension with a broken rear dérailleur... AND later that day finished 2nd in DH on a full DH rig. Then he continues to smash it in the enduro series and world champs. Incredible!
  • 2 1
 WOOaww i never thought i was going to say that one day, but damn Maverick I speak english better than you man!!
  • 3 0
 @ Aksel, no you write better English than me, which means I cant use an ipad properly, not here to fook spiders or do English lessions! Def need an ipad that can keep up with my fingers though, "my fingers are faster than you"
  • 1 0
 haha, the Ipad is a terror!! Smile
  • 46 0
 "he's like the Chuck Norris of MTB".....lol....Rod Warmer on Mik Hannah
  • 32 1
 sick mick made those tabletops his bitches
  • 13 0
 Mik is gutted. But losing to Minnaar by less than a hair on his home soil is probably not so bad.
  • 7 31
flag almightybenners (Sep 1, 2013 at 7:41) (Below Threshold)
 lol ROD WARMER. you mean rob warmer bro?
  • 17 3
 I think he means Rob Warner
  • 2 5
 *Warner
  • 6 0
 Sik "Chuck Norris" Mik? hahahaha.. Soon to see Mik on the top spot
  • 3 0
 Great to see Minnaar take the win but Sik Mik looked so pissed off haha, he was so close! I suppose he'll be fairly happy with silver but would have been fantastic to see him on the top step!
  • 14 0
 Rod Warmer was Rob's alias on one of hie 'Rob's Dirty Business' videos. Lord Warner FTW! Cmon guys...thought you would catch that reference. Must watch those vids!
  • 37 2
 NO STEVIE!!!! BUT FUCKIGN STOKED FOR MINNAR
  • 8 0
 Couldn't decide who to cheer harder for, Greg or Steve. Sucked to see Steve go down, but so pumped for Greg!
  • 3 1
 Would have been interesting to see what Steve could have done but maybe next year. Minnars speed through the tabletop jumps was unreal, he didn't even need to pedal and barely came out of his tuck and still overcleared them. I couldn't believe he was still down after that but then he did the same thing as last year and killed the last section to comeback and win. This win definitely puts Minnar in the company of Sam Hill as one of the 3 greatest DH racers of all time. Then Barel and maybe Gwin but Nico is still tops on my list.
  • 31 0
 At least Steve Smith got some good Rampage practice in
  • 5 9
flag Apostt (Sep 1, 2013 at 7:46) (Below Threshold)
 He only needs a proper Wilson with a 26" wheels and not less travel from 200mm.
  • 4 1
 Uhhh...no. Bingelli got third on 650b last year
  • 31 0
 Minnaar HAD A PUNCTURE WTF
  • 2 1
 Yeah but only on the very last section, true though i couldn't believe that when i heard it!
  • 5 0
 He wasnt winning when he started the last section, so pulled about a second back on Mik with a puncture, lol
  • 4 3
 Sick Mick was hanging off at the bottom that's why he lost time to Greg.
  • 1 0
 And finished .4 ahead at the end - a 1.2 second gain in the last section. Unreal.
  • 31 1
 Year of the hometown favorites
  • 26 0
 how did he claw back the time... on a 26" wheeled DH bike
  • 11 8
 He didn't. He's at the right wheel size, there's sayin' of if it ain't broken, ...
  • 4 0
 dbox123... it's because he has pistons for legs
  • 3 67
flag Apostt (Sep 1, 2013 at 7:40) (Below Threshold)
 I don't respect that much to the riders who won on their hometown tracks.
  • 6 0
 He was .8 down at the last split and won by .3 Thats over a second he clawed back, regardless of wheel size.
  • 3 0
 Exactly, he won from fitness and pure skill. And now he's world champion for another year! lol
  • 11 1
 @Apostt - how can you show home riders less respect for winning....a win is a win....how do you propose we change that, only race in countries where no one has a UCI race licence!?!?
  • 10 1
 @Apostt, no one respects what you have to say.
  • 7 16
flag Apostt (Sep 1, 2013 at 7:53) (Below Threshold)
 @danhooper5 It is not that less. I mean hes has an advantage for sure, he knows the every single detail in track and more than that, he has experience. It will make a 1 sec difference maybe and that time counts on a race day.

I am so happy with Minnaar's win, he was one of my favorites but having know that he is in his hometown takes some of the feel out somewhere.
  • 6 7
 @Apostt - but all the other riders have the same advantage, in that they have raced there four times....most, if not all the top ten have been there for each of those four!!! and experience!?!? they all have experience, they're ALL top riders you goon....kinda goes with the territory of riding at that level...I think you need to better plan your comments and maybe learn a bit more about the sport and the riders!!
  • 4 9
flag Apostt (Sep 1, 2013 at 8:05) (Below Threshold)
 @danhooper5 That was mean. I believe there is a difference. Since this is a World Champ event and there is a single race, than maybe these kind of details are more crucial than you might think. It is not about learning about the sport, it is about Probability and Statistics. There will always be a difference, no mater how small.
  • 4 4
 @Apostt - agreed, the crowd might shout a little louder, but I don't think you can label that as unfair advantage or anything!! Racing is racing and I for one don't care where the race is or who is from wherever, as long as the riding continues to grow and gets quicker and quicker
  • 6 7
 @danhooper5 When did I say such a thing? You are not trying to understand me brother. Thank you for your beloved comments. Peace.
  • 4 2
 @Apostt - your right, I dont get you!!! I assumed you meant "unfair advantage" - otherwise your argument had no substance - which it certainly DOES NOT!!!

Peace!!
  • 3 0
 Apostt, how can you explain that only 2 true legends of the sport have won on their home soil in the whole history of DH during championships??Huh?? Don't you think that the emotional factor can balance the performance?
  • 2 0
 He lives 100 metres from the track so he probably knows it better than any other rider, still, a win is a win and he is an amazing athlete.
  • 2 0
 @Apostt Do you even race ?
  • 4 1
 If Apostt is saying that a rider riding a track that is literally his backyard, and that he has ridden say 1000 times, versus others that have ridden it say 30 times (?) is an advantage - then I agree; it's a massive advantage. It's a bit suspicious when Minnaar is also a UCI Mountain Bike commissionaire, but hey, "Everything is politics" - Thomas Mann
www.uci.ch/templates/UCI/UCI1/layout.asp?MenuId=MTI2OTc&LangId=1
If anything it means extra kudos to Sik Mik for being able to be only 0.3 seconds back to such a home turf advantage. Still, it was Minnaar's to lose and he certainly stepped up to the plate with a totally flawless and amazing run.
  • 29 0
 Amazing run by Matt Simmonds.
  • 20 0
 I do believe in that OneLife video, Greg said if he win's this World Champs, that it would be a perfect time for him to retire, I sure hope not, he embodies what a downhill rider is about, consistency through and through. What a fucking ledge.
  • 2 0
 i caught that as well,im hoping not though,but he did mention in one separate interview that he's not going to retire just yet since he has two more year with the syndicate,and he plans to honor that contract...but anyway,that was one hell of a run!
  • 2 2
 He is probably in the best shape of his life and is riding faster than at any point in his career. Wouldn't make much sense for him to retire consider all his experience.
  • 19 1
 What a race!!! Really sorry for Smith, Hill, Gwin and Hart but Minnaar is just an animal! Btw, Graves wtf? Amazing success with that bike for sure!
  • 20 1
 Crazy to see Mitch and Stevie go down in the same spot... Nothing is worse than losing the race in the first corner.
  • 23 10
 Funny thing is they both have bigger wheels. Maybe 26" is just the perfect size for MTB.
  • 5 6
 I'm not sure... Both riders looked like they hooked either a hole or some sort of rock. You would think 26" wheels would fall deeper into the hole. Must have been a buried rock or root in the dust?
  • 10 3
 i almost cried
  • 3 2
 since they smoked everyone in timed training, it proves that they are fast. their race run proves that the rider counts for more in the end
  • 13 2
 Those crashes had nothing to do with the wheels. It was down to conditions. Pushing in hot with that much dust is always a gamble!
  • 4 2
 maybe they bottom out !
  • 4 5
 Actually BDKR, it does have to do with the wheels and geometry, wheather is a flat track, or not, DH bikes have the wheel and the geometry to take on those hidden brake holes and stuff you might find in the track.....Graves, he is used to this bike, hence the advantage of him using that bike, you can't expect to adapt to a very different geometry of the bike in few weeks...
  • 6 0
 I bet its worse going down on the last corner or right before the line… at least Stevie had the man balls to enjoy his run and style up for the crowd. Smile
  • 6 2
 @Sata2007- actually, Stevie's Smiths WC bike has the same geometry as his Wilson when it sits in its sag. Plus, his timed training run proves that he can adapt to it
  • 7 2
 Maybe the bigger wheels failed to get into the bumps and holes to bite for grip. Better rollover advantage ironically causing their downfall? (punn intended)
  • 1 1
 @Sata2007: 650b and 29'ers don't have an advantage on dust covered rocks and hard pack. Nothing does! That's a level playing field right there.

Mitch went over the bars and to the right after pushing the front. Steve had both wheels let go on him and couldn't arrest the slide.

I do agree however that the geo could make a huge difference in whether or not the rider can recover. In the case of the Specialized, it wasn't looking good. LOL
  • 2 1
 @ka-brap: Agreed! Smiths bike has a great geo. Far better the Mitch's 29'er.
  • 1 0
 That's what T-Mo was saying not too long ago about how her 29er Remedy can struggle with 26" wheel braking bumps.
  • 1 1
 Who's to say they see where the industry is going with bigger wheels and they didn't throw the race? Just like x files, the truth is out there..... haha
  • 1 0
 I was thinking maybe it had more to do with Steve and Mitch's bikes more so than the wheel size. The others even though on 650s were still riding full DH bikes. Mitch and Smith were on shorter travel bikes. Smiths was said to be more if a long travel trail bike prototype. Maybe the adrenaline of race day got to them and they just pushed those smaller travel bikes a little to hard the the rough stuff.
  • 17 1
 BREAKING NEWS: ITS CALF SIZE AND NOT WHEEL SIZE THAT WINS DH RACING!!!! Congratulations Greg!! He was already winning in the world stage early on with Haro Bikes. He is turning out to be a rider with likes of Peat and Voullious.
  • 1 0
 Hahaha true kabayan! Strong calf like a horse!
  • 21 1
 GRAVES FOR PRESIDENT!
  • 18 0
 Stoked for Blenkinsop !! big things bout to happen for him i think. way to go minnaar well deserved win !!
  • 3 19
flag stacykohut (Sep 1, 2013 at 7:45) (Below Threshold)
 get him on a different brand of bike and he will be top 5 all the time. santa cruz, giant, devinci,commencal, anything but the p.o.s. hes on now.
  • 4 0
 happy for blenki wicked rider ....
  • 1 0
 LOOOOOOOL stacykohut, you probably never ever ride a Lapierre then....
  • 20 2
 Graves result!!! Wow.........................
  • 17 0
 Wonder what happened to Gee? He looked cautious and slow
  • 14 1
 diahea.... Big Grin
  • 9 0
 I thought the same - that was not himself
  • 5 0
 ya, he looked off
  • 8 3
 I think Gee doesn't feel it was worth it to push and risk hurting himself when he is very much in the hunt for winning the series this year. I wouldn't!
  • 4 16
flag hamncheez (Sep 1, 2013 at 7:47) (Below Threshold)
 What are you talking about? No one else had crashed on this course
  • 7 1
 Hamncheeze - Hill, Hart, Gwin, - up top - Rope and Smith.
  • 3 26
flag hamncheez (Sep 1, 2013 at 7:58) (Below Threshold)
 I would like to introduce you to the modern definition of trolling
  • 11 1
 Gee doesn't ride fast without a bird of prey in his rearview mirror.... ornithophobia that's the ticket
  • 8 0
 How is that trolling? Those guys did crash.
  • 3 0
 Yeah that was kinda weird to be honest...I mean the whole season he was allout, but since few races where he managed(sometimes luckily) to get a podium, he wasn't quite GEE. Mistakes, of the pace, and here on a course where he could've controlled, but damn, he could put it safely together on the flat section!!! I mean keeping it safe, i can understand, but even in the pedalling section he wasn't clearly at 100%
  • 2 2
 Perhaps he's got something wrong with him physically.....he better watch out, because Stevie's coming for him!
  • 2 1
 Maybe his balls are still suffering from hitting that tree a couple weeks ago...It takes balls to win these races.
  • 1 0
 They don't show the whole race. Maybe he had some small bobble up top that we didn't see and knew at that point it was over, and just didn't push it.
  • 1 0
 He had a stomach bug throughout the week and wasn't 110%...more or less.
  • 13 1
 Way too many of the big names went down. Though out of all of them I'm most bummed for Mitch Ropelato. I really wanted to know how he would do with a clean run. Now we'll never know. Frown
  • 6 5
 you have to finish to win, regardless of wheelsize.
  • 10 23
flag Brugles (Sep 1, 2013 at 7:47) (Below Threshold)
 The track was appalling, just a big dusty mess. We need steep tracks with bags and bags of gnar. The kind of tracks that mere mortals look at and say, "How the f*ck do you get down there?!?". I have been looking forward to the World Champs for a year and that was total sh*t, one of the most disappointing races in recent time.
  • 10 4
 Couldn't disagree with you more Brugles. With so many top riders going down, how can you question the level of difficulty of this track? Steep or flat, riders are pushing to the limit, that in itself makes it excellent to watch. With times being so tight, I thought this was a great race to watch.
  • 7 18
flag Brugles (Sep 1, 2013 at 7:57) (Below Threshold)
 Neg prop me all you want, compare that race to any of the World Champs at Champery and tell me that was entertaining?
  • 6 1
 the competition was awesome, but the track was so boring to watch. Worlds will be awesome because it is Worlds
  • 5 5
 good idea brugles, EVERY world champs should be at champery from now on!
If the track was so easy why did so many pro's choke and crash in their race run?...
A true world champ will win on any track! a.k.a Minnaar, Vouilloz etc.
  • 7 4
 the problem is not lack of steepness, track was difficult in places due to speed, the problem is the flat part where riders have pedalled their lungs out, this shouldnt be dh.
  • 8 4
 steep track, flat track.who cares ?everyone thats racing has to ride the same track.
put these guys in a parking lot for a race and it would be entertaining.
  • 6 1
 for sure the competition is entertaining, but I think it would have been MORE enjoyable to watch on a more technical track
  • 4 3
 Ugh could we please find something new to bitch and complain about other than how his track sucks.
  • 5 2
 @mattDH18, you're misunderstanding my point. Of course it was more entertaining than watching the Tour de France or some other boring sh*t, amd of course these guys raced their hardest and the fastest guy won, etc etc, etc. My point is that this is supposed to be the World Championships of Downhill racing where spectators want to see something REALLY special. They want to see the best riders in the world pushed to the absolute limits of their skill on a track which put that skill to the test. For me this was a kind of crossbreed Enduro/DH race. Not what I wanted to see anyway.
  • 5 1
 As Sik Mik said - at the speeds that this track puts up - it gets very technical. Not many can carry a bike at those speeds - that's what makes it interesting, who has balls to let go the brakes and fly.
  • 2 1
 Exactly! Speed makes everything more difficult.
  • 17 2
 thumbs up for JOHANNES FISCHBACH !!
  • 13 2
 "DRAMA! DRAMA! here in Pietermaritzberg!"
Says Rob Warner. True enough...
1. 26ers dominates..
2. Minaar defends title with a Mandela helmet after a punture..
3. 29er crashed..
4. Sik Mik must be really sick being 2nd yet again at .03 of a sec...
5. Stevie looses it on the 1st turn, and finishes the course in style for the fun of it..
6. Sam Hill goes down... HARD...
and the list goes on the "DRAMA" in Pietermaritzberg!
  • 5 0
 His Mandela helmet - extremely cool. Good synopsis.
  • 14 1
 Epic race, couldn't belive Sam and Steve going down. Props to Graves, 3rd on a trail bike. 2am on monday morning and so worth it.
  • 12 0
 Well done Blenki nobody would have predicted a run from you on a track that didn't use to suit you as much as a year ago, you've done the hard yards and you did it in style!!!!
  • 6 0
 I was like whaaaaaaat are you doing at every whip he throwed down, such a nice run!
  • 14 0
 steve peat forty years young still trucking
  • 13 0
 "That run was so sweet,my teeth hurt" gotta love Warner!
  • 18 4
 26" for life
  • 11 0
 I was rooting for Maximilian Bender, he deserves some good fortune after being given a name like that.
  • 10 0
 Instead of fighting for wheel size, let's send a lots of props to peaty, 39 years old dude doing a top 15...
  • 8 1
 I'm loving how yesterday all of the people here who make it a point to hate on the big wheels were pretty quiet with one sitting in 2nd. Today, regardless of how many big names went down yesterday, for Mitch and Steve it's because of their wheel size.

Bigger wheels may or may not have their day in DH racing. Why people get on "team 26" or "team 29" is beyond me. I'm on "team holy-sh!t-that-guy-is-fast", and don't really care what size wheel they're on except for the intrigue of a few riders who make different choices.

This sport is awesome.
  • 1 0
 i'm on that team too. i'm also on team ride whatever bike you want, just love it.
  • 11 2
 Can't believe Stevie went down right away. You'll get em next year! Congrats to Minnaar!
  • 17 3
 27.5
  • 12 6
 That's what bigger wheels do to you. Crash on first turn like just what happened to Ropelatto. haha.
  • 10 2
 or proven to go faster in timed training if the RIDER doesn't make a mistake
  • 16 8
 Omg 29 r so fast and 27.5 r faster but now we r going t c maybe marketing bull c should develop new 26.75 wheel size . Congrats to Greg and thanks
  • 5 1
 26" wheels actually measure out to ~26.7 w/ downhill tires, while 650b maesure 27.2" So what?
  • 2 0
 My 26" trail bike with continental trail king 2.4" tires measures about 27.25".
  • 2 1
 @hllclmbr - How the hell a 27.5" wheel will measure out to 27.2" with tires on it?
  • 1 0
 27.5 isn't the true size, it's more of a marketing thing
  • 1 0
 It's true. The wheel sizes aren't exact. Logic would say that a 27.5 is halfway between a 26 and a 29 right? But that not the case. The 27.5 is much user in size to a 26 than a 29.
  • 1 0
 my 29 inch wheelset measured to 29.1. i was soooo pissed.
  • 7 0
 Gwin should have stayed with Trek World Racing! After a full season on his Demo, and with his new crew; he still hasn't found his old form.
  • 4 2
 since early 2000s, no one dominates for more than 2 years in a row. it's simply too hard to do- look at Gee, Minnaar, Hill, etc they are on top for a bit, fall off, then come back. I'm sure Gwin will do the same
  • 4 4
 goes to show that the bike does make a difference to some people
  • 4 1
 but he was crashing out and having bad luck with Trek last year too, I think it goes a bit deeper than the bike
  • 4 0
 Bad luck? He won the overall and took home 5 wins! The only thing that seemed to change was the bike. Not saying the demo is a bad bike, but some bikes just don't suit certain riding styles.
  • 1 0
 Mechanical (bad luck) at Leogang, qualifying crashes at Val d'isere and Hafjell. He hadn't had a "good" result since before then.
  • 7 1
 Gwin has showed he still got it. I think he will make the best of this upcoming off season and show up next year. I also think that we might be in for some golden years of racing and we don't contribute the other riders as much we should. Bulldog, Blenki, Greg and Hill is just some of the riders that could win at any race if they get a good run and Gee and S.Smith being really solid. The competition is fierce and not just Gwin doing worse.
  • 1 0
 I don't think crashes can really be considered bad luck. mechanicals yes, but staying on the bike is part of the game. I can ride just as fast as these guys if eating shit wasn't a concern.
  • 7 0
 Yeeeehaaaaaaaaa GM shows his class and adaptability Its all about the rider not the frikkin wheel size Congrats to Greg and again YEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
  • 8 1
 Minnar is the greatest ever and still humble. Big props for the Mandela helmet as well. he's just pure class.
  • 3 1
 Yea, real humble on twitter two weeks ago.. But for sure one of the greatest DH racers of all time!
  • 6 2
 So it seems like the "flat" track all the girls are complaining about had nothing too much to do with the winner. Rather it was at the top technical part of the track where the race was decided and where the big guns came up short!
  • 1 0
 Perhaps not with Greg himself, but it seems pretty clear that big gains can be had by risking a smaller/lighter setup on the top of this track. Graves was 24th at split 1 and ended up with a bronze medal. Simmonds splits from 13th to 4th on his semi-slicks. And Despite Mitch's first corner crash, he still put in a very fast time in seeding on XC rims/tires.
  • 9 0
 SB66 domination
  • 2 1
 Wish I could buy stock in yeti right about now. And short sell Spesh hahaha
  • 7 0
 Gutted for Mic Hannah always so close thought he had it. That dude deserves a rainbow jersey.
  • 2 0
 He's the new "People's Champion" ever since Peaty won the stripes in '09.
  • 7 0
 Great to see a german rider in the Top 10. Congrats to Johannes Fischbach. Hell yeah
  • 1 0
 Yeh he looked really good. Nice run to watch.
  • 7 0
 Greg won with a puncture!!
  • 8 0
 Sick Mick you ROCK !!!!!
  • 2 0
 Cairns 2014 will be the year
  • 7 0
 Geez, a lot of people beat gee! Sik Mik always seems to get second.
  • 6 0
 All those practice runs paid off for Greg today. Congrats on your back-to-back world champs.
  • 6 1
 10inch bike, but the fastest one! Great job Santa Cruz! Great job Greg! Great job for Jared Graves!
  • 2 0
 It was in 8.5" mode.
  • 1 2
 its always in 8.5 mode... also is the shock on the wrong link on a v10 for peddling a bike?
  • 3 1
 In the end of the day, bike wheel sizes are just marketing... a way to try us to burry our hard earned money into new bikes!!!

Amazing run by Minaar, the drop after "cloud 9" was something not from this world...
And also thumbs up for Jared Graves, showing just how efficient bikes are turning!
  • 2 0
 So the world champs was another rollercoaster ride. They tempted us with a 27.5/29er win, which would have caused a melt down on PB, but alas we will have to wait another year!
The old guard came good on his home turf, big congrats to Minnaar.
So gutted for Stevie and Canada, though I don't think it will be too long till the country that has brought so much to the world of biking has a World Cup/Champ!
No show for the GB men's team but big congrats to the Girls a clean sweep!
  • 1 0
 Isn't Matt Simmonds from the UK?
  • 3 0
 If I never came on pinkbike I wouldn't even know there is a wheel size debate happening which says something I think... Stoked for minaar and especially mik and gravesy doing in for AUS
  • 6 0
 Gutted for Stevie, but at the same time glad Minnaar took it!
  • 6 0
 Wow! Minaar!! That guy is a machine.
  • 1 0
 Serious...down by .8 at the last split and win by .4? And the person you reversed the gap on is Mick Hannah?!?
  • 5 0
 Damn man that race was DRAMA DRAMAAA !!! Awesome! Poor Stevie !!
  • 1 0
 Jared Graves!!! Once A Champion, Always A Champion!!! No matter what Clementz did in EWS, if Graves wore the rainbow jersey, he would have smoked him!!! Not that with 3rd he did any less, but this would make hime the first to wear the jersey in both DH & 4X!!!
  • 1 0
 Wheel size.... For those who needed a break from I phone - android zzzzzz bored of it. BUT ! Single crown fork in the top 3 !!! Shouldn't that send a bigger message for the privateer racer looking to save cash or even the buddy who thinks you can't go to a bike park on only a single crown?
  • 1 0
 Technology and component changes are part of progression, especially in a relatively new and growing sport. However like other man and machine race competitions the machine determines the class, to really compare and determine the best or the fastest the equipment must be the same. 27.5 inch wheels will likely mean faster downhill bikes but all riders should be on the same size wheels along with other rules like min/max weight and min/max travel. I quite enjoyed the "open" class style of this years wold champ downhill event, all of the riders slayed it, big power, big hits, big technical terrain, especially the top 5 or 10 runs we're awesome to watch. But moving forward I would like to see apples to apples and really feel like all things near equal the best run won each race. Wheel size among other things separates class of race, nothing else.
  • 4 0
 Props to all the podium guys! My fav is still mick hannah in this track, so close again this year... 1st next time buddy!
  • 4 0
 watch out for 2014 WC in Cairns
  • 2 1
 I just don't think the big wheels roll as nice over alot of obstacles. I had a 29er and i think it caused me to have to work harder and sometime get tippy when trying to crawl over some rocks ect. 26 inch wheels all the way!!!!
  • 1 0
 That makes no sense at all. The one thing bigger wheels do is roll over better
  • 1 0
 After reading so many comments on wheel size and it being an enduro track and bearing in mind Peatys win in Canberra, I've come to the conclusion that SC V10s are simply the dog's b@llocks and the Syndicate riders could win an xc race on one if they tried...

Also the forum nazis deleted my previous comment, but I don't care what anyone says, as tragic as it was, Ropelato's crash was poetic justice and quite comical cartwheeling on the first corner on a 29r enduro bike, so gutting to wipe out on the first corner!
  • 3 0
 Greg Minnaar...The most unsung hero in SA sport... keep our flag flying high bru! Showing the world just how much heart South Africans have!
  • 4 0
 thats a podium I wasnt expecting...
  • 4 0
 Minaar takes it @ home, nice work !...shit happens Mr. Smith, ride on !
  • 4 0
 Congrats to Minnar but Graves kicked ass...
  • 2 0
 S Africa wins on S African soil. I hope this spurs further development of mountain biking in Africa, since I'm moving to Ethiopia!
  • 1 0
 Ethiopia? Aint no DH there. U crazy?
  • 1 0
 There will be....one day...Big mountains everywhere. Unfortunately work is not bringing me to BC, Colorado, Korea or the Alps.
  • 1 0
 Elefant Polo? Long distance running?...Naah, just f with you. Had to google that and that is some big mountains. What kind of work brings you there thou?
  • 3 0
 Healing vibes to Sam Hill, Danny Hart and all those who had a bad crash today
  • 2 0
 I feel bad for sik mik- I thought no one will catch him...and all of you retards here on pinkbike arguing about the wheel sizes..26ers fo life.
  • 6 1
 26INCH MASTER RACE!
  • 4 0
 Blinky gave it his absolute all! Super stoked for every one tho!
  • 1 0
 His run was sick!
  • 2 0
 Oh yeah, so happy for Greg, he was really awesome, Sik Mik too ! The bad news, SC bikes won't be more affordable ahaha !! SYNDICATE FTW !
  • 3 0
 MR. SIDNEY SLOTEGRAFF...represents flatland Ontario with a 44th! Way to go Sid! RESPECT!
  • 5 0
 Stoked for FISCHBACH! Big Grin
  • 3 1
 Hey, where is my Comment???? Did I get someone upset about the 29ers and 27.5ers????
Well, I am going to say it one more time. "26ers are here to stay"!!!
  • 2 0
 So fucking stoked for Greg! What a sick podium too, Graves you beast! So close Mick, shame, Simmonds and Blenki podium! Rad!!!
  • 2 1
 My feelings:
For Minnar: rules. (although wanted gee on top)
For Gee: gutted.
For Smith(and the company): choose the right gadget for the right place mate.
For Hill: legend.
  • 2 0
 Smith's trade team-mate took 6th on the same bike. Smith admittedly set up too soon on that corner and that the sunlight was tricky there.
  • 1 0
 Who cares about wheel size! Did you see Jared rip up a DH track on an enduro!!!!!!
Held on to the third place, bloody excellent!
Well done Greg, squashing twenty metre tables and making it look easy.
Hope Sam is OK :/
  • 2 0
 Stevies no-hander off the jump near the bottom was my Highlight. Stevie always doing it for the fans. I hope Sam has nothing serious after that hard crash.
  • 1 0
 Japan every rider has the top gear, there are 600 plus ski resorts 1470 odd ski fields and ranking is last, I am so fucking sick of the pre madonna attitude of some of the Nations Pros when there results are shit.
  • 1 0
 Start now with the 3 year olds...then watch out world in 2033.
  • 1 0
 Interesting...looking at the speed-trap, only two riders broke 50kph. Nick Beer and Steve Smith - both on 27.5-ers. Beer finished 6th, but 2nd in 27.5 class to Blenki. Minnaarly!
  • 3 0
 As expected, Jared recovered a lot of time in the two last sectors.
  • 1 0
 Soooo pitted for Stevie Smith, but gotta hand it to Minaar - always huggin' the inside of corners more than anyone. But the pornstache still rules!!!!!
  • 3 0
 "Nuttier than a squirrel's turd" - we love you Warner
  • 1 0
 Glad someone else picked up on that.
  • 3 0
 Jared graves is the man!!
  • 1 1
 The track is still garbage and is no way suitable to hold a world champs! I mean an endure bike on the podium! I would love to see an endure bike podium on a track like MSA or Fort Bill
  • 3 1
 SO I WENT AND RODE MY BIKE TODAY, how about all of yous armchair bicycle riders, or do you guys only know how to argue bs?
  • 2 0
 it is not the wheels it is the rider #1# MINNAAR #1# for world president
l like his helmet, respect to mandela
  • 6 3
 26 goes for the Win and 29 goes down !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
  • 3 0
 Mad props to Sick Mick. Thought he had it after his run!
  • 2 0
 Kabayan! Short of luck I guess....? The reaction of sick mick after Minaar smashed his time... He must be getting sick of another close second place...
  • 4 1
 the balance of power is all jacked up...Gwin should have never left Trek
  • 4 1
 Nice- This should make the Spesh / Gwin fanboys heads explode hahaha
  • 4 0
 Gwin did not do well in the second half of last year when he was still with Trek though... there has been something amiss with him for a while now
  • 2 1
 True but at least he won some races with team trek
  • 2 0
 For sure. I'm not saying it's a Trek/Specialized thing, just noting that his troubles started before his move to Specialized
  • 1 2
 It seems that Ropelato's dream has slipped away.... And the 650b also, here we can see the gap in downhill between big wheels and the veterans 26"! The downhill will remain to the big suspensions and "small" wheels.... Besides, I'm so stocked for Minnaar!!!! The second Legend of the history of Downhill that catch the trophy on his home soil!! YOUUHHOUUUUU!!!! Big Grin
  • 4 2
 Its ONE race guys... that the 29er and 650B BEAT all comers in qualifying this morning, by WHOLE seconds, not the fractional seconds that spread the top 5 of the race, and have world cup wins (Smith at MSA a few weeks ago) proves that they work well in DH. You can negative prop me all you want, it just proves you're still in denial.
  • 1 0
 @deeeight- are you saying that Smith won MSA on a 650b?
  • 1 0
 Yes and the crankworx air dh race days later.
  • 4 0
 D8 That wasnt quali Just timed practice They started according to their wc positions Pay more attention in future Its the rider not the bike or wheel size That said Sixers rock na na na na naaaaaa
  • 3 0
 Its not like world cup Qauli, nobody needed to post fast times until race run except the big wheelers who wanted to show that the wheels could cut it.
Everyone was saying that the track would suit big wheels and that big wheels would be an advantage etc etc. Well the results prove that they arent a big advantage, in fact there is not really any difference at all. So why go to the expense of going 650 when you dont gain an advantage on a track that is supposed to suit them? I wouldnt say they are any worse, just not any better. so whats the point?
  • 1 0
 I'm not sayin' bigger wheels are bad, i'm just sayin' that they bring nothing more that the good old 26". Take a look on the top 10 and you'll see facts... + let's be honest(and there's no misrespect here), but do guys really think that Ropelato could've make it happen on his 29er?? Come on
  • 1 3
 minnaar is the first legent in dh
  • 1 0
 I don't believe you!
  • 1 0
 believe me , the only rider the last years in so high competition with those results ,in my opinion the only rider that can be so close to peat years ,hill years , gwin years.. no one athlete was in so high level for so many years, and in diferent tracks.. and in my opinion he got the moore skills than anybody else, his position in his bike is 100% correct all the time and a lot of other thinks. sorry for my english ...
  • 1 0
 Sure, ET is clearly overrated...
  • 2 0
 Before Sam Hill's fell, I thought there would have been 3 Aussies on the hot seats.
  • 1 0
 I love Jared Graves!!! I'm going to put an 180 on my 575 Yeti, and keeping the 26 wheels. just sayin; ) hahaha just kidding about the wheels
  • 1 0
 I run a van 36 in 160mm on my 575 and it's a beast that fork is so solid and makes the bike feel like you can hit anything... I run minions on mine and you can feel the weight of the rubber and wheelset on the climbs a bit but its not bad at all. And going down it rails corners and just hauls. I took it to a bike park but washed out off a wet bridge and busted my leg (total fluke). But yeah do it...
  • 1 0
 Ã€aaaaaaarrrrrrrrggggghhhhh!!!!! Stop talking about wheels size it has NOTHING to do with the rider.. minnar for the win.. congratz. Smile
  • 2 3
 Companies take such huge risks on racers. For example devinci gives Steve smith a completely custom bike only to watch home go down in the first corner. From what I've seen in pinkbike it looks like they put a lot if time and energy into that bike. Seems like a waste of time to me.
  • 6 0
 Nick Beer got 6th on it. Doesn't seem like a waste to me
  • 1 0
 Whose to say nick beer wouldn't have the same position on a 26? In which case the special bike was a waste of time.
Or are you saying that if you aren't a top 10 rider then running big wheels will get you into top 10?
At the end of the day the 'special pmb 27.5 bike' got beat by 'normal' 26 dh rigs
  • 1 0
 All I am saying is that Ryan noted that Devinci put a lot of time and effort into that bike, and thought it seemed like a waste of time. I was merely acknowledging that it was not a waste of time. It performed well and I'm sure the brand/team learned a good deal for future designs.
  • 1 0
 Fun to watch the DH race. Great win Minnaar. Too bad there is no coverage I can find of the trials world's. That would be fun to watch too.
  • 1 0
 When Minnaar went through finish line,I jumped on my bed so hard that I broke it Big Grin but congrats to Minnaar and to other guys,it was great race to watch !!!
  • 2 1
 Hey, what happened to the 29ers and the 27.5???? Hahahaha! I hope this proofs to all of you out there that 26 is here to stay!
  • 1 0
 So, why did minnar, with the #1 plate go third from last....usually the number one plate goes dead last! Did I miss something?
  • 2 0
 Last years Champ!
  • 1 0
 Yes, I know. The #1 place goes last...not third from last!
  • 1 0
 Truck you! UCI sucks Tyler's balls!
  • 1 0
 The start was based on world ranking. Minnaar is currently ranked 3rd. BUT the #1 plate always goes to the reigning world champ. That's how he started 3rd to last with the #1 plate.
  • 1 0
 So what the hell was with Steve Smith just stopping, he just washed out, lost a few seconds sure, but he didn't even try to get up.
  • 1 0
 Why? It's over at that point and he knows it. It's not a World Cup race with points at stake or anything. No reason for him to get up and push it.
  • 1 0
 Well, you never know... World champs have been win by big margins. And he was fastest in timed practice... I would've thought he'd scramble up and give it a crack. Pretty defeatist attitude
  • 1 0
 From where he went down, he would have also had tons of momentum that he needed to get into the top section. He wasn't going to get that from a dead-standstill. He realistically lost 10-15 seconds by the time he got back to proper speed for the course. He's still in the hunt for the WC overall title, so there really was no need to go checkers-or-wreckers.

FWIW, he was 2nd in the speed trap and the only other racer aside from Nick Beer (his team-mate) to break 50kpm there.
  • 1 0
 If that was supposed to be such an easy track, why so many big names went down? I think a lot of them lacked respect of the course!
  • 4 2
 Stevie will be back...but so bummed for him!
  • 2 1
 I think he would have won. I know - shoulda woulda coulda but the guy can slay any type of track and given his confidence and that he was on a good bike for this course.......
  • 1 0
 Hey, pinkbike people... where did you all see the pigs flying??? I saw a few landing in SA...
  • 2 0
 What happened to Gee ? It didn't even seem like he was trying ...
  • 3 0
 Strong result for Peaty!
  • 3 0
 Graves was Great!
  • 1 0
 All aboard the Gravey train woop woop! Bummed there wasn't more footage of his run.
  • 2 0
 It's the rider, not the bike. Bring back Palmer! He will eat your face!
  • 2 0
 so when are you live streaming boxxer worlds??

congrats to minaar..
  • 4 2
 Hoped Stevie wouldn't crash...would have made for an epic battle
  • 1 0
 Steve knew the big wheels were a bad idea so binned it in the first corner to avoid embarrassment for the ram and their 'special' OMB bike Wink
  • 2 0
 What is it they say? The harder they work the luckier they get...
  • 2 2
 Never hear that one before… 3 World Champ wins is not luck…
  • 2 0
 That's what I'm getting at, it's in reply to the people saying that Minnaar got lucky. He's not lucky, he works hard and he's bloody quick.
  • 2 0
 CANT SAY ENOUGH! I F ING LOVE WORLDCUP DH!
  • 1 0
 great result for minnaar and sick mick good to see peaty up there still at 15th
  • 2 0
 You be got to be a gentleman to win the world champs
  • 1 0
 IM gonna feel like a lost soul when worldcup is over!!!!!! I guess the next big thing is RAMPAGE! BRING IT!
  • 1 0
 shame about sam but he will bounce back stronger next race congrats to greg true world champ!
  • 1 0
 I think this kind of shuts up the whole 27.5 or 29 inch wheels are better than 26 inch wheels mallarchy !!!
  • 1 0
 he said, "mallarchy" lol...dude, I haven't heard that word in about 30 years!
  • 2 0
 Haha I couldn't think of another word to say hahaha , I've never said it before in my life , it's just the way I type .
  • 1 0
 Matt Simmonds. Great run. The Nukeproof team really keeping a presence in the top 10!
  • 1 0
 WC video coverage:
Show the start.
Show none of 95% of the track.
Show the finish.
  • 2 0
 How much did it cost you?
  • 2 0
 Free shit taste the best!
  • 2 0
 aaron gwin a minute back. lololololol
  • 1 0
 Just realized it is pretty reasonable if the final ranking is reversed from the last name of current ranking.
  • 1 1
 Stoked for Stevie!! Minnaar just too good today, unlucky for mik but. Cheerin for gravesy on the podium too
  • 2 1
 missed it what happened to Smith?
  • 9 0
 washed out at the first corner, and then just enjoyed his run for the rest of it…. Best style points for sure.
  • 5 1
 Went down in the first corner. Such a shitty thing to watch..
  • 4 0
 He coundn't belive it either, threw his hands up like "what the actual F**K just happened."
  • 4 0
 Hahaha, put some massive whips and a Huge No hander during his run!! Razz Watching him on the last section of the track was like watching a slopestyle run lol
  • 2 0
 congrats for SICK MICK
  • 1 0
 What happened to Danny Hart? I missed his run Frown
  • 1 0
 Went down...then cruised to the bottom.
  • 1 1
 congrat Greg Smile but wtf an enduro bike doing on downhill race. time to clear the rules
  • 1 0
 I'm really happy for Greg, a big dream for him that came true!
  • 2 0
 gutted! Sik Mik Frown
  • 2 0
 When I saw Minnaar was down .8 at the 2nd split, I was sure Hannah had it in the bag. It was obvious that neither one of them left anything in the tank for their runs - as it should be.
  • 1 0
 Nice to see New Zealand third on the national ranking
  • 3 1
 Stevie! Frown
  • 2 1
 Bummed for Stevie! What happened to Gwinn?
  • 33 1
 chainstays
  • 3 0
 he felt down on the upper section
  • 13 0
 @JoseBravo: So he was sad? Depressed perhaps? ;-)
  • 1 0
 He had the blues
  • 2 0
 haha sorry, english is not my first language, probably he wasnt very happy haha
  • 2 0
 What happened to Gwin
  • 24 2
 His chainstays were too long
  • 2 0
 crashed somewhere up top
  • 5 0
 no they were too short
  • 2 10
flag ka-brap (Sep 1, 2013 at 8:07) (Below Threshold)
 Gwin doesn't do well here- regardless of what brand of bike he rides
  • 7 4
 What? He got a 1st and 2nd here in SA before. Get your facts straight before you spews those lies!!!
  • 3 5
 bad sarcasm, sorry
  • 3 0
 It's quite sad for Gwin that this season will be haunted with memories of (relatively) poor results, bike frame swaps one day before WC race, chain stays messed with on the next, and still no wins, which is what all his top paying sponsors were expecting. It's not going to be an easy off season for him, at least not as easy as last off season seemed to be for him
  • 4 3
 Karma has had a grip on Gwin since his dubious departure from Trek! His head has not been right since that fiasco went down.
  • 3 3
 I feel for Stevie, but that was a choke job. Maybe next year big guy......Go Graves!!!!!
  • 1 2
 SOSO sorry for stevie! Congrats to minnar back to back worldchamps! AND Congrats to miss queen RACHEL ATHERTON 2013 WORLDCHAMP! YOU GO GIRL!
  • 3 1
 Epic race!
  • 1 2
 It may be big wheels flex litle bit more so stivie and mitch went out the line easier Pushing hard on that first turn ? Anyway Beer was the fastest in speed point...
  • 2 1
 Someone tell me what happened to Stevie
  • 3 2
 The Canadian Government had to deport him an hour before the race due to terrorist threats!
Sucks :'(
  • 1 0
 ahahah
  • 1 0
 Much like the water spins the other direction in the toilets of the southern hemisphere, ruts run in reverse as well on race day in the southern hemisphere. Same thing happened for Ropelato.
  • 1 0
 Damn! Gwin got 2nd...to last Frown
  • 1 0
 How many titles Greg Minnaar have won ?
  • 3 0
 Three world champ titles.

"Minnaar has won the UCI Downhill World Championship three times - in 2003, 2012 and 2013. He has finished second twice (2004 and 2006) and taken the bronze three times (2001, 2005 and 2010)."
  • 1 0
 Quite a resume!
  • 2 1
 If Jared Graves got 3rd, I wonder how jerome Clementz would have done!
  • 1 0
 What the crap happened to Gwin/Hart?!
  • 1 0
 Not sure about Hart, but I heard Gwin tapped a tree at speed.
  • 1 0
 What a disaster today and this entire year has been for Specialized
  • 1 0
 Not that bad really. 3 podiums. They're some teams that have had none.
  • 1 0
 Where I can watch the replay?
  • 1 0
 Massively stoked for Matt Simmonds!... And of course Greg Smile
  • 1 0
 Wooooooooh Greggg
  • 2 2
 Really wanted Smith to win
  • 1 1
 congrats for SICK MICK, your the real champion
  • 1 1
 steve smith??????????????????????????
  • 1 0
 ZIGA PANDUR yeaaahh
  • 1 0
 has gwin just given up?
  • 1 0
 Specialized bike??? Maybe not 100% comfortable yet with frame geometry even though they've been changing sizes and chainstay lengths...
  • 3 2
 He's comfortable.. It's been a year... Trek makes a better bike than Specialized, plain and simple.
  • 1 0
 Heard he tagged a tree at speed.
  • 2 1
 Yeah the trek session's results have been so good since he left. Wink Gwin is just in a rut. He'll work hard and get back up there with time
  • 1 0
 First man...
  • 1 0
 Minnaar!!! Santa Cruz!!!
  • 1 0
 Awesome race!
  • 1 2
 nothing against graves but if a medal can be won on a 6" bike then its not a world champs worthy track !!
  • 1 0
 Yeah sick Mick!!!!!
  • 2 4
 Where was Ropelato? Qual 2nd on 29er, didn't run on the final heats did he?
  • 8 0
 Lost his front wheel in the first corner.
  • 3 3
 WHAT r they going to ban 29er unicycles now .........
  • 3 8
flag PabloMoll (Sep 1, 2013 at 10:46) (Below Threshold)
 29" sucks! to hard to maneuver...
  • 1 0
 Timed-practice isn't qualis. The riders came down in order of current rankings...thus Gee being last man down.
  • 3 3
 sik mik Frown so shit
  • 2 4
 So I guess Matt Simmonds raced then. They barely mentioned him. Smirk. So much for impartial.
  • 1 0
 Well come on, it was two Brits commentating, one of which is Simmonds' team manager; they were always going to give any Brit a lot of love, particularly one on Page's own team.
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