The first round is full of coasts, heat, dust, forests and fire. As the season kicks off, we couldn’t have been treated to a more a spectacular start to 2016.
I'm curious. What percentage of teams go early and learn the trail network in the weeks prior to the race? Since Peaty's allegations against enduro I don't know what to think
Yeah that simply isn't true, of the top 10 only clementz and FBM were in Chile for the Andes pacifico and the trails in corral probably were not even built then. Most of the teams flew in last weekend. A lot of the top guys are on strava so you can see where they train.
There are issues with some places in Europe like finale is well known by many riders etc, but that's not exactly cheating...
It would be great if they ran a 'blind' category for those that are into it. Something that would be good at smaller races anyway, as of course guys at this level are going to have ridden everything already.
The EWS is quiet hard with penalty and disqualification for cheating, ie early training (at least compared to some smaller series in Europe). There were some cases last year. I think it's the right way if you want to establish the sport in a serious way! The Riders really look pinned as!!!
Here is my question in regards to "Peaty's" comments: Don't the DH WC racers run the a lot of the same course's at the same resorts / venues every years, and show up a week or more in advance? I understand that they change the course so often, but they don't change it every year...???
@GoldenH They do repeat courses for DH, but it's an entirely different race format- there is only one race course and athletes are given plenty of practice time. Everyone is expected to have every line, every corner, every rock garden memorized, that's just part of downhill.
Enduro, meanwhile, doesn't have as clear of a mission statement. There are so many stages that complete memorization would be impossible, but all the racers study video footage to try and learn it, anyway. Part of Peaty's dissatisfaction, I think, is that these questions of 'what is the best formatting' are still unanswered for Enduro.
I understand that that peaty interview wasn't an entire unedited interview, and who know's how serious peaty was actually being. But peaty says " for me enduro is a weird one, I don't think it's a good professional sport, theirs a lot of cheating that goes on, the guys live at the venues and stay their for weeks at a time ". I'm not saying I agree with it, but I'm not sure how that can be taken out of context
that shot of graves pushing his bike out of the corner without a chain, that is dedication right there! and to then hike back up the hill to get it again...!!
Sounds like he really had to push it through the transfer to make his start time. I can't imagine going into a late day EWS stage after putting down some serious watts to get there.
Peatys "quotes" in that interview were quite misleading and much of it taken out of context.
Enduro, meanwhile, doesn't have as clear of a mission statement. There are so many stages that complete memorization would be impossible, but all the racers study video footage to try and learn it, anyway. Part of Peaty's dissatisfaction, I think, is that these questions of 'what is the best formatting' are still unanswered for Enduro.
On another note Sam Hill seems to enjoy enduro and I hope to see him racing more ews rounds (on flat pedals!) when he retires from dh.