Good Month / Bad Month: Exciting Racing, Payouts for Privateers, Injuries, Accidents, and Drug Testing - June 2019
Jared Graves
Cancer Free After 10 Months of Treatment
Cancer Free After 10 Months of Treatment
The last 10 months were tough ones for Jared Graves, to say the least. Last September, after he suffered a seizure in Whistler and then another back home in Australia, a tumor was discovered in Graves' brain, one that was dangerously close to an area that can cause paralysis of the left side of the body. Thankfully that didn't happen, and surgery was performed to remove the tumor, followed by multiple rounds of chemotherapy.
The survival rate statistics for brain tumors are rather bleak, but Graves has never been one to back down from a challenge – all of his BMX, 4X, DH, and enduro victories are a testament to that.
On June 29th he announced, “Results in from yesterday’s MRI. Officially cancer free! Now it’s just fully getting over the side effects of chemo which linger a little bit. But energy levels get better every day. So glad to be past this chapter in my life. It truly puts things in perspective and makes the little things that sometimes stress you out seem so insignificant.”
The survival rate statistics for brain tumors are rather bleak, but Graves has never been one to back down from a challenge – all of his BMX, 4X, DH, and enduro victories are a testament to that.
On June 29th he announced, “Results in from yesterday’s MRI. Officially cancer free! Now it’s just fully getting over the side effects of chemo which linger a little bit. But energy levels get better every day. So glad to be past this chapter in my life. It truly puts things in perspective and makes the little things that sometimes stress you out seem so insignificant.”
Racing Fans
Action Packed World Cup, EWS & Crankworx Events
Action Packed World Cup, EWS & Crankworx Events
There was no shortage of exciting racing action during the month of June. DH fans were treated to back-to-back World Cup weekends, starting with Fort William, where Amaury Pierron took the win after performing one of the most impressive huck to nosedive maneuvers ever. Leogang was up next, with Loic Bruni and Tracey Hannah emerging victorious.
Prefer your mountain bike competition with a few more flips, whips, and spins? Crankworx Innsbruck took place in June as well, and Brett Rheeder snagged another slopestyle victory, narrowly beating Emil Johannson.
Prefer your mountain bike competition with a few more flips, whips, and spins? Crankworx Innsbruck took place in June as well, and Brett Rheeder snagged another slopestyle victory, narrowly beating Emil Johannson.
The month ended with the fourth round of the Enduro World Series, a hot and dusty event that saw Richie Rude storming back onto the scene to take the top spot. Isabeau Courdurier continued her winning streak, this time aboard a 29” wheeled Intense.
Privateer DH and Enduro Racers
Wyn Masters' Fundraiser Yields Impressive Results
Wyn Masters' Fundraiser Yields Impressive Results
It's not easy being a privateer. Race entry fees, travel costs, food, lodging; those all add up, and can make it a lot more difficult to show up at the starting line ready to race compared to riders who have made it onto a fully-supported factory team.
To help out those underdogs, Wyn Masters started a fundraiser to help out the fastest privateer of the weekend during World Cup DH and select DH events. The fund currently sits at €15,111, and Nina Hoffman, Johannes Von Klebelsberg, and Louis Jeandel have all taken home a €1,000 prize to help them fund their racing endeavors.
To help out those underdogs, Wyn Masters started a fundraiser to help out the fastest privateer of the weekend during World Cup DH and select DH events. The fund currently sits at €15,111, and Nina Hoffman, Johannes Von Klebelsberg, and Louis Jeandel have all taken home a €1,000 prize to help them fund their racing endeavors.
Nina Hoffman was the first recipient of Wyn's Privateer of the Week award.
Martin Maes
Receives 90 Day Ban After Failing Anti-Doping Tests
Receives 90 Day Ban After Failing Anti-Doping Tests
Martin Maes' season was off to a spectacular start, but it all fell apart after tests performed at Rotorua and Tasmania returned with adverse analytical findings for Probenecid, a masking agent prohibited by WADA. Martin had been prescribed Probenecid to help treat a nasty cut, and subsequent infection, that occurred during the NZ Enduro. Due to a series of unfortunate circumstances, including a lack of cell service to check the WADA list, Martin and his team manager weren't aware that Probenecid was prohibited.
The GT team applied for a Therapeutic Use Exemption once the results arrived, but that request was denied. As a result, Maes' wins at Rotorua and Tasmania were both stricken from the record books, and he received a 90-day suspension that will see him out of action until after the Whistler EWS round.
The GT team applied for a Therapeutic Use Exemption once the results arrived, but that request was denied. As a result, Maes' wins at Rotorua and Tasmania were both stricken from the record books, and he received a 90-day suspension that will see him out of action until after the Whistler EWS round.
The only potential bright side, if you can even call it that, is that this situation will give Martin even more motivation to go all-out at the DH World Championships in Mont-Saint-Anne later this year. After watching from the sidelines for 90 days, there's no doubt that Maes is going to be a man on a mission.
Carlin Dunne's Family, Friends, and Fans
Motorcycle Racer and Former Freerider Dies During Pike's Peak Hill Climb
Motorcycle Racer and Former Freerider Dies During Pike's Peak Hill Climb
Carlin Dunne was known for going huge during the heyday of the New World Disorder films, but in more recent years his focus had been on speed, specifically the kind delivered by motorcycles. With four Pikes Peak International Hill Climb wins to his name, he was defending his title when he crashed less than a quarter mile from the finish line, and died from the resulting injuries.
Jason Chinnock, the CEO of Ducati North America said, “There are no words to describe our shock and sadness. Carlin was part of our family and one of the most genuine and kind men we have ever known. His spirit for this event and love of motorcycling will be remembered forever as his passing leaves a hole in our hearts.”
Jason Chinnock, the CEO of Ducati North America said, “There are no words to describe our shock and sadness. Carlin was part of our family and one of the most genuine and kind men we have ever known. His spirit for this event and love of motorcycling will be remembered forever as his passing leaves a hole in our hearts.”
Bones and Ligaments
More Riding and Racing Means More Injuries
More Riding and Racing Means More Injuries
Injuries can happen any time of the year, but June seemed to be a particularly rough month for some of the sport's fastest athletes. Vali Höll hurt her shoulder during dual slalom practice at Crankworx Innsbruck, although there's a good chance she'll be recovered in time for the Andorra World Cup. Unfortunately, Yoann Barelli's recovery isn't going to be as quick – an awkward get-off while climbing resulted in an ACL injury that'll keep him from riding the gnar for the next 6 months.
Jesse Melamed's season has been derailed as well due to a crash that left him with a broken leg, dislocated finger and fractured 5th metacarpal. Those ailments would put most people out of commission for a couple of months, but Melamed's not most people (he rode down the rest of the stage after the crash), and he seems to bounce back from injury with surprising rapidity – hopefully we'll see him back between the tape in time for the Zermatt EWS.
Jesse Melamed's season has been derailed as well due to a crash that left him with a broken leg, dislocated finger and fractured 5th metacarpal. Those ailments would put most people out of commission for a couple of months, but Melamed's not most people (he rode down the rest of the stage after the crash), and he seems to bounce back from injury with surprising rapidity – hopefully we'll see him back between the tape in time for the Zermatt EWS.
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The publication of press releases is not journalism. Its lazy content creation for clicks.
If i were a clean athlete competing in DH or the EWS series i would be very concerned about the culture surrounding the gravity aspects of MTB. The excuses given by Graves, Rude and Maes echo those given by Hamilton, Landis, and Armstrong (saddle sores and TUEs anyone?). No athlete in the history of cycling has ever said "its a fair cop" when caught with banned substances in their system. None. Everyone had an excuse (Contador and clenbuterol in his beef?).
The welcoming back of Richie Rude as the victim or the "bad month" for Martyn Maes in this article demonstrates just how incapable the MTB media are of being anything like impartial or challenging. The victims of a reliance of ad revenue and positive brand relationships. It doesn't do much for credibility of PinkBike's "bike reviews", and reflects that PinkBike is essentially a hub for brand press releases and social media round ups.
Regardless of the excuses given, its ridiculous to think that UCI governed athletes performing in the elite category of their events dont even know what they are allowed to ingest to remain compliant with the sport's laws. At best its amateur hour, at worst its a cynical attempt at doping. What message do back dates bans and 90 day suspensions send to those considering or currently doping?
I'd like to see a much more serious tone taken with regard to doping, those failing drug tests should be treated harshly, because tolerating it simply diminishes the sport and punish those trying to compete clean. Cycling has been through this before, MTB needs to learn those lessons and not follow the well trodden path of omerta and denial.
Chris Ball has said very little on the subject, drawing parallels to the stance taken by various UCI presidents and CEOs of ASO (Owners of the TdF). Its vital that this subject is talked about, challenged, a culture of tolerance and acceptance cannot exist. Athletes coming into the sport in the future should not have to face a choice to go home, or dope to be competitive.
But in reality, the consequences would be catastrophic, sports wouldn't exist as a commercial entity like that for long, sponsors and media outlets wouldn't associate with sanctioned drug use. From an athlete's point of view, the health risks would be insane, it would become a battle of which athlete gave the least f**ks about living past 40.
The point being is that you cannot allow a culture of workarounds for positive tests. It allows dishonesty to prevail. Martyn Maes seems like a nice guy, his explanation maybe true, but it's entirely correct a ban be enforced. The cynic in me can't quite believe he and his team didn't have a local copy of the UCI's banned substance list. It's UCI sanctioned athlete 101.
Pinkbike do see this and therefore have to tread a fine line between what the industry wants and what the riding public see and they generally seem impartial (with leanings towards the industry who pays them understandably).
Frankly, it was only a matter of time before performance-enhancing drugs entered into the world of mountain biking. It's popularity and competitive nature means some will push the boundaries of what is legal. That is just the reality of humankind.
It's good some high-profile names have been banned for infringements as it wakes the industry up and all the riders up.
PB has always been this way, as far back as I can remember.. It's a content pig. whatever from where ever. And it subservience to the advertiser. MBA was the same back in the day.. reviews were paid for, so PB is just continuing this tradition. If you don't like it? go elsewhere. Vital is a great source BTW.
Gravity culture is a weird one to figure out. On one hand it has a 'balls to the wall' carefree image it wants to present, but on the other is as conservative as I've seen. Go figure.
The doping thing is indeed case in hand. EVERY road athlete has to know the rules. Yes it is a culture that has a lot of doping, but you ask any roadie what legal and illegal, they know . The officials and organizers too. Saying "I didn't know" is well amateur hour, and most of the riders come from the World Cup circuit and are knowlegable about doping. "Better to ask forgiveness than permission" is no way to run EWS if it wants respect from the UCI , IOC and federal bodies (cycling sports getting into Olympics going forward take note). Chris Ball indeed, where are you. You came from the UCI and know the rules. Hanging the riders out to dry is not a way to run an organization. AND it was bound to happen. The event organizers should have stepped up and made sure the rider was looked after in all ways.. not just provide a doctor who didn't know his way around the UCI list of prohibited substances.
So EWS needs to get out in front of this going forward, that is if it wants to be considered more than a place retired DHers go to when they are not longer competitive on the World Cup circuit.
m.pinkbike.com/news/motorcycle-racer-and-freeride-pioneer-carlin-dunne-has-died-in-motorcycle-accident-2019.html
Cheers!
There goes my summer too. Has anyone done the labrum scope surgery?
For a world class rider and team competing at the level of EWS, this was a huge mistake and Maes has admitted as such. Yes it was unfortunate, but given the circumstances, perfectly acceptable.
The bright side is that it was hopefully a wake up call to all EWS riders and teams. Get your shit together, you're racing in a world class professional race series... act like it.