Course Preview: Smooth Sailing - Albstadt World Cup XC 2019

May 17, 2019
by Matthew DeLorme  

Albstadt looms in the background.
Course Preview
Albstadt - Smooth Sailing?
UCI XC MTB World Cup Presented by Mercedes Benz
Photography by Matthew DeLorme

The first round of the UCI XC MTB World Cup starts this weekend in Albstadt, Germany, and as you may have heard, there's already been a bit of controversy. If you've been poking around on social media, you may have noticed a few riders who aren't typically very vocal expressing displeasure about this year's course. The reason for the displeasure - a smoothing out, or dumbing down if you will, of some of the more technical aspects of the course. The reason for the smoothing out so much of the track is said to be for safety concerns after a few nasty crashes at last year's race, but to many this is just setting the sport back two steps, not progressing it.

Mountain biking comes with risk, every time you throw a leg over the top tube you know that there is a chance of injury, especially if one is headed out to race. Some of the measures surely make for a safer course, but others seem like they will allow for more speed, and if it's wet they could lead to the very injuries they were trying to prevent. Another concern is that this course isn't World Championship caliber, and Albstadt is slated for Worlds next year. Luckily, there is time between now and then, and we have the upcoming weekend of racing to see how things pan out. For now, let's take a peek at what is in store.

The start finish is the same as it ever was.
The start / finish is the same as it ever was.

Wide and flowy. It s hard not to think that the character has been diluted a bit.
Wide and flowy. It's hard not to think that the character has been diluted a bit.

Where once there where roots......
Where once there were roots......

The open field wall rides remain mostly unchanged. They may have moved a few feet. Maybe new sponsors
The open field wall rides remain mostly unchanged. They may have moved a few feet. Maybe new sponsors?

The out and back between the two course halves is still open grass.
The out and back between the two course halves is still open grass.

Fly over bridges that link the two sections of track.
Fly over bridges that link the two sections of track.

There is much gravel double track this year. It should drain well when the rain starts.
There is much gravel double track this year. It should drain well when the rain starts.

There are still a few stones here on the back hald of the course to keep things interesting.
There are still a few stones here on the back half of the course to keep things interesting.

There s an almost spastic feel to the transition of flow sections to rough.
There's a choppy feel to the transition of flow sections to rough.

Roots. Roughness. It s nice to see the back section is left in some of it s raw form.
Roots. Roughness. It's nice to see the back section is left in some of its raw form.

This section has been tamed down more and more over the past five years. There used to be more aggressive step downs.
This section has been tamed down more and more over the past five years. There used to be more aggressive step downs.

More of this for World Champs please.
More of this for World Champs, please.

Yank yank hard.
Yank, yank hard.

Lots more substrate formed into rollers.
Lots more substrate formed into rollers.

More ruts please.
More ruts please.

There are still hints of MTB out there.
There are still hints of MTB out there.

This bit caught many a rider out last year but it shouldn t be a problem this time around.
This bit caught many a rider out last year, but it shouldn't be a problem this time around.

That drop exit will be a place to watch.
Last year's version.

Coming in hot. Conditions were lethal in the elite women s race.
Sure, it was slick out there last year, but it made for some exciting racing.

There is some loose stuff near the bottom that could prove tricky though.
There is some loose stuff near the bottom that could prove tricky though.

photo
We are hoping that the racing will still be exciting.

A closer look at the ball bearings.
A closer look at the ball bearings.

Under the planking was some technical goodness. How much the rains destroyed is hard to tell.
Under the planking was some technical goodness. How much the rains destroyed it is hard to tell.

No longer will we see riders have to use skill to get around the Devil s Corner.
No longer will we see riders have to use skill to get around the Devil's Corner.

Much of what was buried under that gravel looked like this. It is a shame it s gone. It made the racing interesting.
Much of what was is buried under gravel that looked like this. It is a shame it's gone. It made the racing interesting.

Bits we are glad they left in.
Bits we are glad they left in.

The Devil s Corner above may be planked over but the natural section below is intact.
The Devil's Corner above may be planked over, but the natural section below is intact.

Stephane Tempier had a mega ride today. the muck wasn t slowing him down. He rode to second.
Stephane Tempier on the more technical course of last year. Devil's Corner took some skill.

There is a lot of chicken wire out there.
There is a lot of chicken wire out there.

High speed steps into a fast right hander huck to rock ledge.
High-speed steps into a fast right-hander huck to rock ledge.

The sheer amount of gravel brought in to build up the trails is mind boggling.
The sheer amount of gravel brought in to build up the trails is mind-boggling.

One bit of fluorescent paint. Things that make you go hmmmm.
One bit of fluorescent paint. Things that make you go hmmmm...

New is the B line on the right of this little roll in. Possibly to alleviate traffic problems.
New is the B-line on the right of this little roll in. Possibly to alleviate traffic problems.

There is still some single track kicking about.
There is still some singletrack kicking about.

Huck to flat to flat.
Huck to flat to flat.

That mud has teeth.
That mud last year was definitely treacherous, but surely a happy medium may have been reached?

More common than not today. Kits showed where mistakes were made.
Sure, there were crashes last year. That's mountain biking. Let's hope it's not become entirely tamed down this year.


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160 Comments
  • 96 1
 That was very depressing reading...especially about them hosting the Worlds next year. I hope the UCI sort it out before then.
  • 86 0
 But will they have enough time to pave the whole course by next year??? Seems to be the direction they are going in.
  • 32 0
 @vjunior21: DON'T GIVE THEM IDEAS!
  • 10 0
 if they light fire to all those boards, it would probably fire up the racing too.
  • 46 2
 Ill bet this is Annika Langvad's dream track...
  • 3 0
 @H3RESQ: Yup....
  • 3 2
 Maybe they'll all be riding ebikes. Surprise!
  • 13 0
 Probably doable on a gravel bike
  • 2 13
flag thustlewhumber FL (May 17, 2019 at 5:51) (Below Threshold)
 I think its ironic that everyone's been complaining about the XC tracks becoming more difficult, (with half the field walking obstacles instead of riding them) --> and now that they fix the track to a typical XC trail, everyone complains that its not gnarly enough.
  • 9 0
 Basically, Albstadt should never have been awarded a World Championship. It is illegal to mountainbike on trails narrower than 2 meters here in this State of Germany. This means that you cannot ride on most of this track. Outside of this "Event" and the money it brings, mountainbikers are not very welcome here.
  • 8 0
 @Thustlewhumber: no one has been complaining about them becoming more difficult... half the field are not walking the obstacles...
  • 1 0
 @vjunior21: A S P H A L T ! ! !
  • 61 0
 Who the f*ck tought it would be a good ideia to pave the track????
Absolutely unworthy track for a World Cup.
Hope the riders get very vocal about how shitty the course is, and maybe we won't see anymore of this crap in the future.
  • 5 0
 There's been a lot a respectful trash talk on the gram.
  • 20 0
 Would be nice to see some of them ride that track on a hardtail in protest.....oh wait.
  • 7 0
 @Dent: and those 2 gravel bumps... nxt lvl track design
  • 5 1
 This is supposed to be XC, not CX
  • 3 0
 @pyromaniac: full rigid. or even cx bike would do
  • 63 0
 Man they turned it into that local trail you don't ride anymore because it's too boring. Nicely done
  • 43 5
 while paved sections and wooden features are dissapointing... Albstadt is still pretty hectic - Steep climbs and freaking fast slippery descents are not easy to ride on a Hardtail at max heart rate.

With 152 riders in the mens field this weekend there is a real need to maximise the flow of riders. i have started on the back few rows here at Albstadt many times and it involves walking and standing at bottle necks (which RedBullTV do not show).
  • 27 8
 I'm not at sure why you are getting neg propped. Your opinion is valid.

Additionally, anyone's who's even *started* a UCI XC race at this level is going to be quite a bit better at biking then the keyboard-fapping cubicle-dwelling look-at-how-great-I-am-behind-this-monitor person behind the typical Pinkbike ID
  • 14 0
 I can see your point, standing on bottlenecks is the worst in racing. So some graveldoubletrack especially at the start is good, but navigating your bike in hard conditions with maxheartrate is a big part of mtb, if you take it away you might as well race on the street. In my time most xc racers were allergic to roots, i thought this changed. Hopefully its just some local course designers who went a (large) bit too far.
  • 10 1
 @leelau: having * started* an UCI WC DH race i do not feel personally addressed by your statement, having said that i dont understand your point. Is it that everyone who is not as good as a worldcupracer has no valid opinion ? -strange. (or maybe i do feel addressed nevertheless -i named my keyboard after my first love , Judy)
  • 1 1
 More like 86% of Max Hr, but still pretty high.
  • 6 1
 nobody forces the riders to use hardtails - there a plenty of very efficient XC full-suspension bikes out there which rock on the downhill. Add a dropper post to increase safety and bike handling... Both together likely prevent crashing, which safes you much more seconds than the few grams you safe with a hardtail
  • 6 0
 @andreas2634: and if everything else fails you could even mount tires with knobs and soft rubber.
  • 4 0
 I kind of have to agree on this one. I think while the sport in fact progressing, maybe we should question if this is what XC should be. Or maybe, there should be more trail/all mnt races that are not xc, not enduro. Where riders are timed on a loop or longish loop of natural gnarly terrain. Many of the world cup cx courses had sections that were tougher than some DH courses, I´m not sure this makes sense either. And yeah, if 152 riders start, you have to give them a shot at being able to pass each other almost anywhere! Otherwise change the format. That said, watching gnarly xc is f*cking sweet haha
  • 1 0
 @optimumnotmaximum: what I meant is that I disagree with @Russn because I feel a course has to have a balance of tech and passing sections.

However I respect her/his point of view as I have only ever watched a WC level field race and was left in awe of the speed , power and aggression
  • 3 0
 @andreas2634: 2+ lbs is hardly a few grams. On smooth single track there is a pretty significant advantage to riding a hardtail.
  • 35 0
 Course looks terrible - hoping the racing isn't...
  • 18 0
 I think after every world cup event, riders (u23 and elite) women and men should have anonymous survey about how they see the next year course.. more technical or not. They know wheres the limit between a fun and excited course and dangerous course.
  • 5 0
 @AdamOdh: empirically sourced qualitative feedback? ha!
  • 28 0
 Whoa! Hey @SCOTT-Sports , better tell Nino and Kate to take the Ransoms for this one!
  • 23 3
 Expect a leisurely roll out. Maybe a couple breakaways, but inevitably the peleton will real them in and we'll see jockeying for a sprint finish.

Who is the strongest sprinter in each of womens and mens XC anyway? Who has the team to get their man (or woman) in position for that sprint to the line. There are so many things to consider in this first cross country mountain bike race of the season..
  • 2 6
flag nick1957 (May 17, 2019 at 2:33) (Below Threshold)
 Xc doesn't work that way .No 30% Advantage in in a group
  • 7 1
 @nick1957: whooooooosh
  • 18 0
 Jesus... That's pretty pathetic for WC XC course. Makes my local XC trails look super gnarly by comparison. I normally like watching XC, this feels like it's going to be watching a gravel race or something.
  • 13 0
 Just for the record, Jesus isn't in charge of XC world cup course design...but if He was it would be way more gnarly than this bikepath.
  • 27 1
 @dazzhotchkin: Lord, forgive them, for the gnar not what they do...
  • 1 0
 - they
  • 19 0
 Bring back the big 46 t front ring and those Ritchey semislick tires that I loved so much
  • 18 0
 Chicken wire!!! Anyone seen pics of someone wiping out on chicken wire? Do they live?

What's with all those wire fences too?
  • 10 0
 Down here we call it hog wire, but it's terrible, just the same. They dumbed down the course but made it very plausible that a rider or two will catch a cleat in the wire and destroy a knee ligament. This, coming from one who has done so.
  • 21 0
 I did it once, back in '09. 55 stitches to my face!

*graphic*
www.pinkbike.com/photo/17219856
  • 5 0
 @chrish: Thanks for posting that, it makes me feel better about my fear of chicken wire. I find wood + chickenwire scary and boring. Still, it can be useful element for traversing streams.

Hope the face healed up fast.
  • 4 0
 Not much scarier than locking up the front descending a steep wood/wire bit in the wet.
  • 17 1
 Many cyclocross courses are more technically demanding than this year's Albstadt track...this is lame. More tech please, both riders and spectators prefer it!
  • 2 0
 Funnily enough - I was going to say the same; of World Cup CX courses, Namur is probably more technical than this.
  • 1 0
 @Starch-Anton: same with Koksjide!
  • 13 0
 Why is this photo article fixated on the spectator access paths?

Please can you take some photos of the course for this weekend? It would be greatly appreciated.

...mutter mutter just seems weird on a mountain bike site the articles they post are of spectator access paths mutter mutter...
  • 16 1
 This shouldn't be allowed to be called a mtb course. Much of this is a strider bike course. Embarrassing.
  • 17 0
 Plus side I bet my life insurance premiums will be reduced if I show them these pics and say that is what mountain biking is.......
  • 4 1
 @onemind123: LOL win tup I'm gonna use that idea if you don't mind, I tip my hat to you sir
  • 16 1
 Paris Roubaix is more technical.
  • 2 0
 @jzPV: so true, getting beat up by massive holes over 100+ km on your roadbike is no joke
  • 1 0
 @onemind123: Most people in my area think that MTB is all about riding in the mud, so I won't even be showing this course to the insurance company Smile
  • 12 0
 Seriously though, these sculpted, smoothed, ruffled, rumpled, and super fabricated Olympic style courses are more dangerous (nobody wants to race on chicken wire even if the terrain is pave like) for the athletes than a more natural cut track. I don’t get how safety justifies this golf course design mentality. If you want safety design ultra rough, natural cut tracks that are relatively wide to encourage aggressive passing but where the average speed is somewhat lower. That way even the spectacular crashes are far less likely to crush bone. These high speed, crushed gravel and boulder man-made tracks will increase the occurrence of serious injury.

This is really about beating Courtney
  • 14 0
 Das ist unglaublich! The course has been paved for ebike KOMs!
  • 10 0
 Buried in Cooper's instagram post:
@mathieuvanderpoel ...with cx bike?
mathieuvanderpoel ... even roadbike seems possible

Please, MVDP, do it for the kids.
  • 8 1
 I've raced in Albstadt previous years in both dry and wet conditions. Not that my results would count somehow (or my skills) but when it was wet it was kinda dangerous, because of the gravel put on the paths. It's a slippery limestone when it's wet. The devil's corner was something special: you could feel that you've done something if you passed it in wet without crashing.
But there were also a lot of crashes, a lot of broken bones.
So I understand both sides: riders and organizers.
I hope that they will find a solution for the next year Worlds to make it more challenging.
Cheers,
Vlad
  • 5 0
 Organizers just have to put in B lines. If riders aren't comfortable or worrying about crashing they're free to take them. In a mountain bike race your descending skills should count for something.
  • 8 0
 This is so freakin' lame. Take a cruiser bike or cyclocross and ride it. Why, oh why are they insisting on freakin' gravel paths. Leave it raw. So much more fun to ride.
  • 10 0
 Good on pinkbike for calling this trail grooming, dirt sidewalk bs out!
  • 4 0
 Flat tracks like this negate the extra little bit of courage and technical bike handling skills that some of the riders have above the others. It turns the race into purely a sprint endurance race. This is likely the kind of track we'll see in the Olympics too. It's not the type of track riders want, manufacturers want and not the kind of race viewers want to see. I'd rather see 3 or 5 of the absolute best pitting skills against each other than a group of 45 in a sprint for the line. The way the womens skills and speed have progressed is amazing, and these fire roads wipe all that away. Boo I say.
  • 3 1
 I'm not going to bitch about the track, but I've raced XC so I know that fast tracks=/= easy. racing is racing, and it's always hard. If the WC racers are upset though, that's another matter.
  • 9 2
 Kate Courtney has been putting in tons of miles on the road bike lately, look for her to crush it once again.
  • 12 0
 I was gonna say, are we almost back to where somebody shows up with a CX bike and wins the race?
  • 6 0
 99% of the field put in tons of time on their road bikes. She's a good technical bike handler and I would guess she'd have gained more advantage if the technical elements had been left alone.
  • 1 0
 @Injuredhippo: This is world cup.... I doubt any rider since the 90's has been an 'MTB only' kind of athlete.
  • 2 0
 @Randomacity: course designers should make them pay for their treason.
  • 2 0
 @number44: Heck yeah! I'd love to see MvdP show up with his World Championship painted Canyon Inflite CF SLX and take the win. He's a beast!
  • 5 1
 WOW. (that's not a good "wow"). At first I was supeeeerrrr depressed... then I saw a string of pics and cheered, before realizing those were the course pics from last year. Other than a few pics of the back part, I'm quite positive that I have just clicked on a cyclocross course preview.
  • 6 0
 This is super disappointing. I really enjoyed watching the XC WCs on Redbull last year, guess I will give the first round a skip.
  • 8 0
 OOF.
  • 3 0
 the ROAST
  • 2 0
 i love roast
  • 7 1
 Just when we thought World Cup XC was going Enduro... It went Road. #dontbesucharoadie
  • 5 1
 Those wooden features make absolutely no sense to me, I just got done pulling splinters out of my arm from falling on one of those at my local trail.
  • 7 0
 World Cup gravel grinder
  • 4 0
 The wooden stuff on the descent baffles me. Surely it would have been equal work installing some rock work and make it look natural!
  • 2 0
 They are not allowed to build permanent features. This all has to be taken down afterwards. It's actually illegal here in this part of Germany to ride stuff like this.
  • 1 0
 @mucklark69: interdasting
  • 4 1
 Dirt roadies. Might as well be a CX course. I think it would be cool to make a new discipline of MTB racing. Enduro but with timed climbs as well as descents. This would prove the best riders in the world.
  • 4 0
 That's Grinduro my friend. It's got a dumb name and is sponsored by Rapha so lots of cool kids and #influencers show up but looks crazy fun.
  • 2 0
 @SangamonTaylor: You, dear internet person, have nailed it. #influencers
  • 5 0
 @mdelorme There's been a slight typo.. this is the "Course Preview: ... Albstadt World Cup CX 2019"
  • 4 0
 Look man, whoever is responsible for these changes has no soul for mtb. This is just another manufactured and manicured Olympic caliber bike path.
  • 2 0
 Well seeing that it is Illegal in this part of Germany to ride your bike on trails narrower than 2 meters, it's not really a surprise that they're trying to turn the whole course into an autobahn ! LOL ! Typical German is my opinion and a good reason to boycott this event every year.
  • 3 0
 My local XC loop is like a double black compared to this! What a joke for a WC level event. They missed a few roots, 1 drop, and there's still some elevation on course to get rid of... LoL
  • 5 0
 Utterly disappointed! Not the way forward for sure...
  • 2 0
 Gutted, was really looking forward to this, XC has been on the up and up. This is just going to make for mass pile ups instead of individual offs. It wont be safer, the field wont be thinned out which will make for carnage.
  • 1 0
 What have they done to that course!! I hope this was done by an over zealous local course designer..... Just hope this wasn't done by the teams asking for an easier or less crash happy course, surely pushing the riders to their limits is part and parcel of xc racing. I appreciate that every gram is an extra few watts of power needed by the rider to drag it around the course, but if so many of the riders were having issues last year, maybe the teams should be thinking more about there bike set-up?? Just because it's light doesn't means it's the fastest. My 2pence from a keyboard warrior ;-)
Off to ride my bike :-) :-)
  • 6 1
 I could ride that in a beach cruiser. Someone should be fired.
  • 7 2
 Looks strikingly similar to a UCI world cup DH course. Smile
  • 5 0
 Photo captions are appropriately sarcastic.
  • 4 3
 Mountain Bike Racing by definition requires 2 sets of skills, fitness and bike handling, only the first will be tested on this tame course. If this was a downhill track, overly groomed, the riders would boycott it and band together.... Sadly most XC riders aren't those kind of people and only politely mumble about the course on social media.
  • 2 3
 i fear that there are still too many semiroadies around, who basically do not care if they pedal their heart out on the road, gravel or a trail.
  • 3 0
 How many times over the last couple of years when people have been complaining about an "over groomed bike park track" in DH has there ever been a boycott? Complain all they like they are there to race-and win, so are unlikely to boycott just because they dont agree with it.. . Saaad but truuuuuahhh.
  • 1 0
 This is Germany, mountain biking still not accepted, moreover seen as an attack on nature, and the track is probably what is allowed within the law. A country that does not want to move forward....most likely no mobile coverage in the forrest either!!
  • 3 0
 I kept getting confused in the big pics between what was the service access dust roads and what was the course. smh
  • 5 1
 Slowly but surely the UCI will have everyone converted road bikes...
  • 2 0
 Ever competitor should run a rigid fork (no question every single one will be on a hard tail). It would say so much and be the most efficient choice.
  • 3 1
 I am sure they could have done a better job of keeping the gnar but just making it safer but I am still looking forward to this race!
  • 1 0
 *sarcasm* XC'ers will be happy about the flat course...now they have more excuses not to run a Dropper post.
This sport is just more Roadbiking than MTB if it goes that way...Big Grin
  • 2 0
 But I wonder... Why make the effort to carry all that material in a wooded area when you could build this circuit in the center of the city?
  • 3 3
 Wow you could push a baby stroller comfortably on that course. How lame. This isn’t MTB riding. This is why I don’t like the XC discipline. I secretly think it’s run by roadies who want to entertain the thought that they’re bad ass MTB riders. How can this course be lumped in with Val de sole under the general catch all phrase of mountain biking? Granted XC and DH are different disciplines. But this honestly looks no harder than a middle school level NICA course. I won’t be playing fantasy XC and I won’t be watching. I’ll actually be racing an EWS qualifier event on 26” wheels with my son and one of my best buds. Sorry for the rant but this really ticks me off. I know of no other professional sport that makes it “easy” for the people who are supposed to be among the world’s best. Lame lame lame.
  • 1 0
 sums my feelings up pretty well
  • 2 0
 I think the issue isn't XC as a discipline because there are some gnarly XC courses. I think it lies in UCI as a governing body. Check out the link to the Grand Junction Off-Road course preview I posted in the comments for some chunky XC action. The course actually goes down one segment of the Enduro race course we have here.
  • 1 1
 Pathetic, I hear the comments about trying to make sure riders don't end up standing at bottlenecks but surely the track designers could have improved this and kept it as a mountain bike track. I did a friendly XC midweek race in a park in Bolton this week that makes Albstadt look tame!
  • 4 0
 What a joke!
  • 5 3
 Here's a course preview for a REAL mtb race this weekend:
www.pinkbike.com/video/501494
  • 1 0
 Thanks for sharing that, high on the tick list for this fall!
  • 1 1
 I would ride along any day... But gimme a break, 20 miles is good enough
  • 1 0
 @cikudh: Agreed. No point to stop enjoying/destroy yourself and having to grind home.... Much better course but definitely only 20 miles.
  • 2 0
 @cikudh: Isn't the point of XC to try to outlast the pain of your competitors? Personally, I wouldn't ride the 40 mile course. Those last couple of climbs are brutal but the 30 mile course is a spectacular ride and showcase of local single-track as well as the best descent in the Grand Valley.
  • 5 1
 looks boring as fuck.
  • 1 2
 Every competitor will undoubtedly be on a hard tail but every one should also run a rigid fork. It would say so much while also being the most efficient option. And WestSlopeAdam, that's still not much of a technical course. Long and hot, sure.
  • 2 0
 The joggers and their dogs are going to find that bike path quite entertaining...
  • 3 0
 I should have picked Chris Froome for fantasy league.
  • 1 0
 In uk trail centres that would be classed as black/free ride run and be covered with idiots on 160mm bikes with full face helmets and go pros.
  • 1 0
 There was a time when i actually considered watching xc worldcupraces. But if someone likes this he should get eff out of my sport.
  • 2 0
 Thank you for the excellent coverage! More XC please!
  • 1 0
 This is ridiculous! Someone should tarmac it because this is mtb XC game.. U remember? No mud is allowed
  • 2 0
 So much efficiency...so little gnar.
  • 1 1
 I am utterly disappointed by this course, but am going to watch anyway because of the inevitable explosion of watts that will occur.
  • 2 0
 My 10yr old reckons its okish.
  • 1 0
 Rumour has it that this course is also going to be a stage in the Deutschland Tour
  • 2 0
 Boardwalks and smooth gravel roads. Bring out the gravel bikes.
  • 3 1
 Well I wont be watching that then.
  • 2 0
 CX or XC course? Which is it?
  • 3 0
 Neither. CX would be tougher simply because of the mud.
  • 2 0
 @mountainguitars: It's confused. #AllCoursesMatter
  • 2 0
 Looks like there will be a lot of hardtails out there on this course.
  • 1 0
 very sad. so indicative of mental slavery. please bring back imagination and allow nature to be.
  • 2 0
 Will we see drop bars come out??
  • 2 0
 Better sell those down country bikes now, obsolete
  • 2 0
 This looks fucking awful. Who do I email to complain.
  • 2 0
 So...did they get the IMBA approval they were clearly seeking?
  • 1 0
 I have heard gravel grinding is the new big thing. I want to try that, is this course a suitable place to start?
  • 1 0
 I'd be upset to travel all the way over there just to ride my local trails.
  • 1 0
 Wow! Massive Destruction. That is what happens when german engineering creates a tsunami resistant mtb-track.
  • 1 0
 @Pinkbike: I want to see some bike profiles of some hardtails. I love the simplicity and light weight of an XC hardtail.
  • 1 0
 What's sad is this was actually one of the better courses a few seasons ago.
  • 1 0
 I seriously think a cx bike would win here!
  • 1 0
 MVDP probably gonna race his cross bike
  • 1 0
 this track looks like a NICA course lol
  • 2 0
 CX?
  • 1 0
 Is this so Van der Poel can bring the CX bike out and kill everyone?
  • 1 0
 That looks like a great course...for my kids
  • 1 0
 Cyclocross tracks are looking better and better !
  • 1 3
 Calm Down Everyone. There is an XTerra the following week and budget cuts forced them to have only one course for both events.
  • 1 0
 But I thought two of the XTerra legs were "mountain biking" and "trail running"
  • 1 1
 Simple. Make the XTerra people work more. Razz
  • 1 0
 Hah! Have you ever done an Xterra race? Didnt think so..
  • 1 0
 @DownhillDoozy: What's your point, besides the one you're missing from "Didn't"? Wink
  • 1 0
 FLOW Trail happens!
  • 1 0
 Man made vs mother earth
  • 1 3
 15min to load all the pictures







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