Mathias Flueckiger to Skip Snowshoe & Mont-Sainte-Anne World Cup Races
Mathias Flueckiger shared in an update on his website that he will miss the Snowshoe, USA, and Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada World Cup rounds.
He explained that after his midrace crash with Nino Schurter in Lenzerheide, he's been the target of an overwhelming amount of internet hate that has felt shocking and hurtful to him. Luckily, he wrote, his team and training environment helped him to focus on the task at hand and he was able to win the short track race in Vallnord before becoming ill and testing positive for Covid.
Although he is feeling better, he wrote, he has decided to skip the two North American rounds of the World Cup to reset and recover before the end of the season.
 | What hurt me particularly (besides the missed victory) was that I was accused of intention, frustration, bad character and much more. Anyone who has ever raced or can put themselves in the situation of a biker knows: you have to make decisions in fractions of a second, intuitively. And intuition is based on experience. I would never cause a fall on purpose or out of frustration. But what happened next got me thinking. I was shocked by how many people online are fueling frustration, aggression, anger and hatred - and all this just because of a fall of two mountain bikers. For the first time I have personally experienced how anger, frustration or even hatred is expressed online. This to a person you don't even know personally and because of something that really doesn't matter all that much in this world. Perhaps the comparison is a bit off, but this behavior was also observed during the corona pandemic. You can do or say whatever you want. Certain people have an insatiable urge to take someone down. An elephant is made from a mosquito and this is done without any decency. This statement bothers and worries me to this day. Because it is something that affects all of us, yes, our entire society. Thanks to my environment, I was ultimately able to concentrate on my job in the following week. Winning the short track in Vallnord (Andorra) meant a lot to me. It showed me that I am stronger than ever. It showed me that my joy as a professional biker is undiminished and that I continue to go my own way together with my team and those around me. That includes winning, but it also includes losing. I was reminded of this just two days later. I had to forego a start in the cross-country race. Already on Saturday I didn't feel so good. Unfortunately, the situation didn't improve during the night on Sunday and so we decided together to focus on the rest of the season and not to start. Unfortunately, the severe cold symptoms were subsequently confirmed by test results as a Covid-19 infection. I'm feeling better now. However, I have decided to skip the two overseas World Cups in Snowshoe and Mount-Sainte-Anne. |
We hope to see Flueckiger back on his bike at full strength soon.
Read the full update here.
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Loana Lecomte just announced she will also extend her break and skip Snowshoe/Mont Sainte Anne.
Until the UCI figures out a way to either benefit participants or penalize those who don't, this trend of skipping races is only going to continue to get worse as training methodology evolves.
Just because someone else received even more backlash then Fluckiger, doesnt mean he has to 'man up' and take it.
In many cases society has decided that murderers don't deserve capital punishment. Surely...surely...we can decide that a mountain bike racer doesn't need hate and threats lobbed at him from across the globe.
It seems to me that dust-up was between Nino and MF and Nino had his say after the race. UCI applied some "rules". Case should be closed.
I don't think we should being bashing him too harshly, but like a good dad "We are disappointed in you Mathias!"
Well, now I want to see with my eyes. Do you have a video of what happened?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2PHvWdUIHg
Switzerland: "That's not a mountain, that's still a molehill"
I'm sure there is a "gotcha" thread about mountains somewhere on the roadie forums . Perhaps you could comment there. Bonus: They might even talk in meters!
Be the apex predator of an athlete that you are and just tell your side of the story of that crash with Nino.
she is still racing...
Well heres mine.
I have no idea about the crash but a case of ‘man up’ needs to occur. Top flight sport is brutal more so multi participant events. Thats life. No body gets to that level without stepping on quite a few toes.
Whatever the sport, step on all the toes you like. All those toes are on the field and track. MF did nothing to us, and Nino and the UCI had their say. @Notmeatall is definitely on the right track. You sound like the same generation my dad was from...let me tell you he could have used a hand understanding himself and working on his mental health.
We will always see things differently but social media is just one of lifes trivial nonsenses. If you put yourself on it, expect opposing comments. As is the case here.
Glad to hear you don't suffer from depression or other mental health problems. But don't expect other to do the same just because your experience was different.
If we create a good enviroment that people won't be judgemental about mental health issues, we will have less Chester Charles Bennington or Kurt Cobain cases.
By
1) What "support" were you giving him? If this is all it takes to withdraw your "support" I'm glad I'm not a friend of yours.
2) Don't watch his races then.
3) He doesn't need to admit anything to you. He didn't do anything to you. If anything, he only needs to discuss it with Schurter, and how they sort it out, or don't, is their business.
4) As with #3, he doesn't need to apologize to the masses. He only needs to discuss it with Schurter. If he does or doesn't apologize that's their business. UCI made their "rulings". Funny how Schurter gets a pass on his "violence" though.
Unless you were actually in that race and lost finishing places, I'm curious as to your full tilt emotional investment in one crash in one race.
Ill use numbers like you so I seem as educated as you.
1. I send him a tenner each week so he can buy some sweets on his rest day.
2. Okay Ill stop watching because I am now not a fan of Mathias.
3. Yes I sorry. I didnt realise fans of the sport didnt mean anything to the atheletes. He doesnt need to address fans at all. He is above that, like you seem to be.
4. I apologise sincerely to you for referring to the slap in a comical manner.
I wont be emotionally involced in this sport from now on.
Thank you Stewart Little
"Oh, you think you've got it bad?! Well, Bob down the street has it twice at bad and it's all your fault and your problems don't matter!"
All I'm saying is that if you choose to be in the public eye you're gonna catch some flak. Just go ask a mainstream athlete from the NBA or NFL. As far as jobs go. His doesn't suck so I guess. Yes. My opinion is that he should get a little thicker skinned especially when it seems to be a scenario where he robbed the hometown hero from setting the record for the most WCXC wins ever. He didn't exactly own his mistake so I get why people were upset.
It's between Nino and MF and however they resolve, or don't resolve, it is their business. As for the rest of us, not trying to be better or being okay with "this is the internet" and not trying to be nicer to some people is a fail on us. @waldo-jpg is correct...MF reached his tolerance line. Even if he didn't have Covid it doesn't mean he's weak for taking a break. It's highly likely more people than you think are suffering because they won't take that break, and it's also pretty likely more people than you know are taking that break. They just don't want to tell you because "we" still give them "flak" about needing a break. As I mentioned elsewhere, we'll all come to that time and place and I hope the "internet" is nicer for you in the future than it is now.