The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series has returned to the iconic track at Nové Město na Moravě! Before the racing gets underway...take a trackside look at some of the riders getting to grips with the circuit during Thursday practice!— WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series
I know I’ll get beat up for this question but does Lycra really offer an advantage in XC MTB? I race XC and enduro - obviously nowhere near this level as I completely suck at bikes but modern riding gear is just as light and comfortable in my opinion. Seeing some of the technical sections of these courses reminds me of regular Enduro courses that will shred you if you fall. I don’t hate on folks that wear Lycra but sometimes I wonder if more people would get into XC it if Lycra wasn’t such a big part of it.
I guess it's comfortable and also is something from the pass... when mtb just where separating of road biking. Personally I think it would be more according with the spirit of mtb (if such thing exist) if the racers wear baggy short... some years ago an italian cross country racer wear that way, Marco Aurelio Fontana is his name (I have to google it).
I would agree without context. But it makes it more interesting when you realize these riders are completely in O2 deprivation when they tackle these features...literally in tunnel vision.