Video: The Heroic Finishes - Lenzerheide XC World Championships 2018

37 Comments

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bensmercer (Sep 9, 2018 at 13:32)

Kate's finish.... Awesome

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NormanPCN (Sep 9, 2018 at 14:14)

Annika gapped Kate on the road climb that last lap. Maybe Annika blew up pulling that gap. She looked gassed trying to pedal those roots. Kate's final lap time really ripped. Brap.

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RedRedRe (Sep 9, 2018 at 17:04) (Below Threshold)

What a lame rider, grabbing her team mate? In retrospect I understand why Emily Batty grabbed her bar - btw did anybody see the moto 2 guy pushing the brake of the other rider today?

brevard-bikewrench (Sep 9, 2018 at 15:36)

I don't know about the Northern european XC trails (Denmark Sweden Holland) but where Kate trains in California, she has High Altitude, technical trails, and lots of climbing. I not taking anything away from Annika but dang, Kate rocked it.

WAKIdesigns (Sep 9, 2018 at 15:42)

Danmark has no mountains. Barely a hill. Sweden has savage XC trails. How did you get Holland into the mix?

beanandcheeseburrito (Sep 9, 2018 at 15:43)

She lives @ nearly sea level (Marin County) and rides a lot near sea level. She does mix in high altitude training but look at the elevation for areas such as Santa Cruz and Marin County, CA.

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RedRedRe (Sep 9, 2018 at 17:01) (Below Threshold)

Where is high altitude in california? I mean places where you can ride and are over 2000 meters? I am wondering becuase I have only been to the usual spots.

I think ca has some of the best places to ride, but what is considered technical there, in CO or East Coast are called bike paths.

That said the tall woman did not make it up the roots because she was fried - i assume she may know well how ride on top of a 3 inches root

Airfreak (Sep 9, 2018 at 18:02)

Ugh, im pretty sure there is no high altitude in marin county. I know she spent some time in Tahoe this year, but most of her training is at sea level to probably 4k ft if that.

Didn't they say the course was roughly 1500 meters in elevation? That's not too high. Annika it seems just gassed herself when on the asphalt. When Kate saw Annika, its was like a wolf tasting blood. Plus Kate is a way better technical rider than Annika which is what really lost it for her. Great race anyways.

beanandcheeseburrito (Sep 9, 2018 at 18:55)

@RedRedRe: google the Sierra Nevada mountain range and the Eastern Sierra mountain range (Mammoth Mountain is there). You may find a fair amount of high elevation riding throughout those 2 regions. CA has plenty of high elevation riding even in the southern part.

tacklingdummy (Sep 9, 2018 at 18:58)

I live in her area and there is no high elevation and not a great trail system here, so it makes her win even bigger. She may go to the Sierras to train at high altitude. It is an amazing feat because it is extremely rare for a world class rider to come from the Bay Area. I'd figure Colorado, but not Bay Area.

RedRedRe (Sep 10, 2018 at 12:45)

@COnovicerider: Thanks, I will try to ride there in the future. I always been to marin, north and sc.

Airfreak (Sep 9, 2018 at 17:59)

The last two women races in La Bresse and this race were awesome to watch. I've never watched one before but watched on replay both of them. It really puts into perspective how I pansy out on climbing all the time. haha.

hollywood1963 (Sep 10, 2018 at 11:01)

What a great race! What an Awesome crowd too! I didnt think much of the course but it was enough to throw less technical riders off their game. Super stoked to see Courtney win. Congrats to the host country and crowd too - that must have been an amazing feeling riding through that crowd.

terreros (Sep 10, 2018 at 11:14)

a want to see one WC race in California

WAKIdesigns (Sep 9, 2018 at 13:45)

Super stoked for Kate, but I find I bizarre to see Annika struggle so badly in technical terrain, given she has one of Worlds best training grounds for technical XC riding, 3-4h drive from her home. #visitgothenburg #wheretrollslive

Euskafreez FL (Sep 9, 2018 at 13:54)

Maybe it's great or maybe it ain't that great as a training ground who knows

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alienator064 FL (Sep 9, 2018 at 14:03)

Well, I reckon she was a bit tired at that point

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jclnv (Sep 9, 2018 at 14:24)

She's technically useless. She was running the descents in La Bresse.

WAKIdesigns (Sep 9, 2018 at 14:38)

@jclnv: it’s not just descending. She rode a rough line using virtually zero body language to get herself through it. Easy gear, ass on the saddle, big roots, what do you expect. And somehow Kate finds a smooth line, WTF.

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beanandcheeseburrito (Sep 9, 2018 at 15:06)

@alienator064: exactly. They were all gassed. Batty talked about tasting blood and getting tunnel vision. I have mad respect for all of these riders.

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SCCC120 (Sep 9, 2018 at 15:08)

@WAKIdesigns: sometimes when your fatigued you take bad lines and it throws you off, we’ve all been there

beanandcheeseburrito (Sep 9, 2018 at 15:10)

@SCCC120: *you're but yes I totally agree.

clink83 (Sep 9, 2018 at 15:27)

@WAKIdesigns: so instead she should of been burning matches hammering out of the saddle so Katie could drop her in a sprint to the finish line?

fedfox (Sep 9, 2018 at 16:05)

@jclnv: I agree she is mediocre at best on technical sections which is astounding that she as been able to find success in XC, credit to her physical strength but it will only take her so far. Stoke for Kate, bright future ahead.

ldhbaker FL (Sep 9, 2018 at 16:08)

Annika’s greatest weakness is her technical riding. She was having real trouble during the last race as well, and to see her running things that all the other riders were riding was disappointing. It is called mountain biking after all though, and the better mountain biker won the world champs. I hope she can work on the mountain side of her riding and come back stronger next year.

jclnv (Sep 9, 2018 at 16:53) (Below Threshold)

The course was tame. Neither of them are on the same plant as Neff. She's the Nino of the women's field (if there is such a thing).

RedRedRe (Sep 9, 2018 at 17:05)

you guys are all wrong, it is the bike rear suspension not working properly. I wonder what shitty bike she is on.

Rhbailor (Sep 10, 2018 at 6:56)

The same as the gold medalist. @RedRedRe:

DOAFT (Sep 10, 2018 at 11:30)

"Danmark has no mountains. Barely a hill".. Not true. The island of Bornholm has just as techy trails as Gothenburg, and the same amount of elevation.

WAKIdesigns (Sep 10, 2018 at 11:31)

@DOAFT: it’s just that it faster for her to travel to Alps than to fkng Bornholm. Give it back BTW!

DOAFT (Sep 10, 2018 at 11:56)

@WAKIdesigns: Yep and Harzen and other southern places. Great trails in Gothenburg by the way. Nah, we´ll keep it..

RedRedRe (Sep 10, 2018 at 12:42)

@Rhbailor: I watched it again... her crappy tire did not hook up because the suspension failed to compress. Shitty bikes are called so because sometimes they work, sometimes they dont.

damientheo (Sep 13, 2018 at 8:31)

vid doesn't load for me- anyone else?

muddybeast (Sep 9, 2018 at 13:45)

Brap brap

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