We
reported yesterday on Mathieu van der Poel's Olympic crash after the 'training ramp' was removed from the Sakura rock drop on the Olympic mountain bike course in Japan and the same feature has made the headlines again today but for completely opposite reasons.
An overnight storm left the track slippery so the ramp was put back into the course today, allowing riders to roll the drop again. Longtime rivals Jolanda Neff and Pauline Ferrand-Prevot led the race in the first lap and the pair approached the ramp at high speed, Neff following closely behind Ferrand-Prevot. Just as both were committed to the ramp, Ferrand-Prevot braked before rolling it, while Neff was forced to drop off the side at low speed.
Jolanda was unhappy with the maneuver and criticized Ferrand Prevot in her post-race press conference:
| She was in front of me and we were going at a good decent speed and then she pulled her brakes super hard and I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t brake and I ended up jumping with no speed at all. I was super lucky that I didn’t crash. It was such a stupid move of hers because it’s really dangerous for the people behind.
I don’t know if she knew I was right there behind, but after that, I just thought, ‘I have to get away from her.’ It’s scary because you never know what she’s going to do.
It’s not the first time she does something like that, I’m just glad I wasn’t near her anymore, I was glad I was riding on my own and safe.—Jolanda Neff |
Ferrand Prevot then had her own scare 20 seconds later when Neff passed her to the left on the uphill rock garden. She ended up tumbling into the race tape and lost about 30 seconds trying to get her bike back, and while she battled back up to third at one point, she eventually finished 10th.
| Jolanda Neff went left, I went right. We were going at the same speed and we arrived at the same time, I said to myself, ‘If she doesn't brake or if I don't brake, we'll hit each other,’ so I braked. There were rocks, it was slippery, and I slid off. The title was decided there. Afterwards, I don't know if I would have beaten her, but in any case, the medal was decided there.—Pauline Ferrand-Prevot |
After Ferrand-Prevot's crash,
Neff was left on her own to pedal to victory, eventually taking Switzerland's first women's Olympic gold by more than a minute and leading the first-ever sweep of the Olympic XC podium by a single country alongside fellow Swiss riders Sina Frei and Linda Indergand.
For Jolanda Neff, the race is the culmination of a long recovery from a
crash in 2019 in which she ruptured her spleen and collapsed a lung. And just six weeks ago, she
broke her hand at the World Cup in Leogang. Still, like
Tom Pidcock in the men's Olympic field, she was able to overcome the setback to claim the title.
...conclusion, I don't think either rider was intentionally forcing the other into a crash (drop or climb) though Neff was definitely the more technically skilled of the two riders for the riding considerations
But in fairness to her, even Neff's recount doesn't match on the boards. Looks like she planned to pump the tranny too, even if brake checked, but misjudged the edge of the boards and went too wide on it.
But who cares about either reality because in both cases she boss moved the HECK out of the drop & the boost up the bank.
This comes from a washed up old geezer who moved to gravity racing after nearly dying just barely finishing the only XC race attempted..
Felt like years of karma from her racing like an entitled douche all came back in this one event, and I couldn’t have enjoyed that any more. A rider like Neff winning makes it that much better.
I too am happy that Neff won. She deserved it more than anyone out there.
"...Neff has been spending winters hucking big bikes and motos around in the mountains of NC with Luca Shaw."
Spleen sacrificed in noble pursuit of schralping corners; grit and skills derived bring Olympic gold.
Karma.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg8VSZT4VJQ
Crash
Neff ( fractured elband and collar bone)
comforts PFP
PFP taken off on stretcher to hospital
PFP no serious injuries
It was quite the 'hit' for both, but a hell of a lot more for Neff, but, bloody hell, PFPs crying and lying there, if she wasn't really hurt, was worthy of the crap we see from Soccer players.
As to the Olympics, it looked like a brake check, or a demonstration of a rider with skill limits, but Neffs save was just phenomenal - so close to just spearing headfirst into the ground, with a near vertical impact. The young lady has skills and Strength.
PFP whining about here prang on the rocks - Neff was well away from her, had Nothing to do with her crashing, it was just another example of being a lesser skilled rider.
Its sad to see PB drumming up this pointless drama. This kind of article belongs in a tabloid rag, not PB.
But he is Canadian, so hating on the French is a national sport for him and those south of the border.
I can see both views on this, but I have my preference and can try to filter it out in the future. Maybe a "racing drama" tag on these articles?
Lots of sports media try to gin up controversy. This was a real one, and one of the main stories of the race. It was the conflict that almost ended Jolanda's race, and led to the move that brought her gold.
Being a sore loser is one very common thing and rather understable, being a sore winner is pathetic
I can certainly understand them getting emotional in their comments though, I’m sure both of them will have more mature thoughts about all this when dust has settled.
PFP explains how she lost it : pb commenters "Whiny French no tech skills cheater absalon wife"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqMqCc1Qy7E&ab_channel=oinkydave
Huge grueling climbs all day, and barely any descending? By all means, slam the stem and get all that weight over the front axle.
Average climbs and 1.5m drops? Maybe let's balance it out a bit.
But noooooooo, they still wanna kiss the front tire and save weight with the rigid seatpost.
„It was a dangerous move from PFP - not sure why she did that“.
She did not call PFP or the braking stupid or blamed her to have done it on purpose.
BTW, look at Neff arms position, elbows up. She absorbs hit like a boss. PFP has chicken wings and no weight on the front wheel that's why she lose her line on this climb..
I hope XC is going to continue to evolve into more technical riding..
People not interested in skills can still ride gravel!!
That Frenchie is bad vibes and a consistent sore loser, she had a go at Evie Richards after she beat her in a sprint last year too. Letting down a great cycling nation one salty moment at a time.
Neff has to know that you can't take that bridge at middle speed, you either have to slow roll it to keep contact or you send it. When racing, you go hard into features and scub off your speed just before. My question is if she scrubbed off more than was necessary and basically brake checked Neff off the side or she just went hard to the feature and scrubbed her speed. Neff also has to know that that you don't ride 2" off someone's wheel when riding into a tech feature. I give that issue 50/50 on who was at fault.
On the PFP crash.... WTF is she complaining about. Neff had all the speed, took the inside line and sprung out of the corner and held her line while giving PFP PLENTY of room on the right. PFP crashed because she thought that Neff was just going to barrel strait into her for some reason.
PFP saying that the race was basically decided right there... GTFO. She finished like 4 minutes back, had several other slips. Also, maybe don't sit there after the crash and have a pity party... get on your bike and catch up. Odds are you aren't getting too hurt when you crash going up hill.
Why does she think there are other riders on course if not to race her? Are they supposed to wait for her to hit each feature and let her go? I mean FFS way to make mtb look weak how is this even "news"
This is mountain biking and not football.
Different riders have different comfort levels on different features, this drop seems to have the men's and women's racers talking.
Maybe riders who can descend better than the out and out climbers shouldnt get hold up the climbers on the climbs by descending so well! Its a mass start race, not a TT, let the skill difference and some tactics be part of the race.
He had people closely behind him too, and probably came in faster than PFP.
Did she really have to brake there?
I'd guess that if both riders were honest with themselves, they'd admit that they were locked into conflict even before Neff hail-mary'ed off the drop, and both made stupid decisions because of that.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=x71jXaPtJ-o
Start about 2:20 into the video.
PFP had tons of room.
She panicked.
Like in " She ended pulling a Neff out "
A Llama?
A great big Llama!?!
A DRAMA LLAMA?!?!
For the record, what I was trying to say is that when parenting both of my daughters who ride, I would not, in this particular instance, point to Neff as example of how to win with grace and class or PFP and MVDP as examples of how to lose with grace and class. Hadn't watched an XC race in a long time. Course and riding skills were impressive, but how some of the riders handled themselves after the race was much less so. Same reason I've gradually stopped turning on road racing.
Jolanda has been the epitome of grace her whole career, win or lose - and in the last couple of years more on the losing end than not. Never complains, never sulks and keeps positive attitude and a smile, while accepting what sure was not a result that she would have hoped for.
This is the first time that I've seen her bring up/criticize another rider. Given how out of character it was for her, she must have had a good reason. And given that the other rider happens to be Pauline, with documented history of questionable moves on the course, I think most are willing to give Jolanda the benefit of the doubt.
If you ride full gas behind someone into the sketchiest, wet drop off that claimed the most skilled rider (MVP) in cycling the day previous you're taking chances, end of story.
To complain about it openly is a joke, be in front next time or take your chances in 2nd.