[UPDATED] Elite Finals Results & Overall Standings from the Loudenvielle DH World Cup 2023

Sep 3, 2023 at 4:03
by Ed Spratt  
The results are in from Elite finals in Loudenvielle after semi-finals earlier in the day.

Vali Höll completes a perfect weekend in France as she goes fastest in qualifying, semi-finals and finals. Conditions remained loose and greasy for finals with light rain threatening through the race. Vali Höll lost a second in the 2nd split but she gained time from then on to secure the win by 2.84 seconds. Nina Hoffmann couldn't match the speed of the World Champ as she ended the day with 2nd place. Marine Cabirou completed the top three as she went five seconds off the pace on home soil.

Loic Bruni secured his first win in 2023 as he sought redemption after his disappointment in Andorra. As the track continued to dry through the men's racing it was Loic Bruni who bested the conditions that took out many of the top riders. Dakotah Norton secured his best World Cup result as he stormed into 2nd place, only 0.777 back. Laurie Greenland wrapped the top three riders and was the only other rider within a second of Loic Bruni.

Check out the results below.


Results:

Elite Women

1st. Vali Höll: 4:00.593
2nd. Nina Hoffmann: 4:03.433
3rd. Marine Cabirou: 4:05.945
4th. Phoebe Gale: 4:09.066
5th. Lisa Baumann: 4:09.757
Elite Men

1st. Loic Bruni: 3:31.785
2nd. Dakotah Norton: 3:32.562
3rd. Laurie Greenland: 3:32.664
4th. Jackson Goldstone: 3:33.141
5th. Remi Thirion: 3:34.363




The Elite Women's Race as it Happened

4:01 PDT: Gracey Hemstreet Starts the Elite Women's Finals
After 10th in semi-finals Gracey Hemstreet is the first rider on course in finals.

4:05 PDT: Gracey Hemstreet Sets a time of 4:19.664
Rain is starting to fall at the top of the course as Gracey Hemstreet completes the first run in finals.

4:09 PDT: Mille Johnset Goes Off the Course
Mille Johnset makes a big mistake and goes off course at the bottom. Mille goes from leading by 7 seconds to 1.4 seconds off the pace.

4:13 PDT: Lisa Baumann Takes the Hot Seat by 9.9 Seconds
Despite a small mistake Lisa Baumann has gone into the lead by almost ten seconds.

4:17 PDT: Jenna Hastings Finishes in 4th So Far
Jenna Hastings has a tough run with a few big mistakes and loses 17 seconds to the current race leader.

4:21 PDT: Phoebe Gale Leads by 0.691
Although she had a mid-run tripod moment Phoebe Gale still manages to set the fastest time so far with a gap of 0.691 seconds to Lisa Baumann.

4:25 PDT: Marine Cabirou Flies into the Hot Seat by 3.1 Seconds
Marine Cabirou performs well on home soil as she goes into the lead with four riders left. Marine's time would have been good enough for 2nd in semi-finals.

4:29 PDT: Monika Hrastnik Crosses the Line 4th
Monika Hrastnik struggles in the lower splits and drops to fourth place. Three riders remain at the top to challenge the time of Marine Cabirou.

4:31 PDT: Tahnee Seagrave Crashes
Tahnee Seagrave crashes at the start of split three after being 1.7 seconds up at the second split. Tahnee is back up and on her bike but she will have lost of lot of time.

4:33 PDT: Tahnee Seagrave Takes 5th So Far
After her crash Tahnee Seagrave goes into the finish area 11.7 seconds back in fifth.

4:33 PDT: Tahnee Seagrave Takes 5th So Far
After her crash Tahnee Seagrave goes into the finish area 11.7 seconds back in fifth.

4:37 PDT: Nina Hoffmann Goes into the Hot Seat
Nina Hoffmann goes fastest by 2.5 seconds. A mistake sending her off the main line will have cost her some time and with her run already over a second back from Vali Höll's semi-finals run she may not have done enough for the win.

4:40 PDT: Vali Höll Wins in Loudenvielle
Vali Höll gets loose in her finals run as she speeds to the top spot by 2.84 seconds.




The Elite Men's Race as it Happened

5:00 PDT: Simon Chapelet is on track for the Elite Men's Finals
Simon Chapelet is the first rider on course for the Elite men's finals.

5:04 PDT: Simon Chapelet Crosses the Line with a 3:39.601
Simon Chapelet's run would have been good enough for a top-10 in semi-finals.

5:06 PDT: Antoine Pierron Goes Fastest by 4 Seconds
The top semi-finals time has already fallen as Antoine Pierron goes into the hot seat.

5:08 PDT: Greg Minnaar Takes 2nd
Greg Minnaar crosses the line and is 2nd by 0.957 seconds.

5:10 PDT: Antoine Vidal Goes Off the Track
Antoine Vidal got a little too wild during his run and slides straight off the course.

5:16 PDT: Ethan Craik Secures the Hot Seat by 0.5 Seconds
Ethan Craik has dethroned Antoine Pierron from the top spot so far as he crosses the line 0.582 seconds up.

5:21 PDT: Remi Thirion Nows Leads
Remi Thirion has taken the top time so far by 0.621 seconds.

5:23 PDT: Dylan Maples Slots into 8th
It's great to see Dylan Maples going into 8th as the only rider without a listed team in finals.

5:26 PDT: Big Crash for Ronan Dunne
Ronan Dunne loses grip through a roots section and goes over the front. It's good to see Ronan back up after what looked to be a big crash.

5:29 PDT: A Crash for Matt Walker
Matt Walker is another rider going down as he has a crash in the second split.

5:33 PDT: Oliver Davis Goes Over the Line 3rd
Oliver Davis puts together a great run to go only one second back from Remi Thirion.

5:36 PDT: Davide Palazzari is 0.496 Back in 2nd
The race is really heating up now as Davide Palazzari flies into 2nd place.

5:39 PDT: Bernard Kerr Crashes Out
Bernard Kerr was on a wild run before a crash pushes him down to seventh so far.

5:42 PDT: Dakotah Norton Goes Flat Out to Take the Hot Seat
Dakotah Norton is looking rapid on course in France and he manages to find 1.8 seconds on Remi Thirion to go fastest.

5:45 PDT: Charlie Hatton Goes Down
Charlie Hatton gets thrown off the bike as his back wheel jumps out of the top of a turn.

5:57 PDT: Andreas Kolb Struggles with a 10th Place
Andreas Kolb has a few difficulties on course and ends his run with a 10th place so far, 4.2 seconds back.

6:01 PDT: With 10 Riders Left the Top 5 Are:
1st. Dakotah Norton: 3:32.562
2nd. Remi Thirion: 3:34.363
3rd. Davide Palazzari: 3:34.859
4th. Ethan Craik: 3:34.984
5th. Oliver Davis: 3:35.379

6:06 PDT: Luca Shaw Leaves the Course
Luca Shaw was doing great but after leaving the course poles he loses a lot of time walking back up to enter where he left.

6:10 PDT: Finn Iles Also Leaves the Course
Finn Iles went over the line in 8th but after leaving the course poles and not reentering he has been disqualified. Finn will now lose a lot of points in the overall title race.

6:13 PDT: Oisin O Callaghan Crashes
Oisin O Callaghan crashes in the same spot where Charlie Hatton went down and ends his run in 18th.

6:16 PDT: Danny Hart Crashes Out
Danny Hart is taken out by the same corner as Bernard Kerr after looking really strong through the first three splits.

6:20 PDT: Dylan Levesque Takes 3rd
Dylan Levesque has a great run to go across the line 2.126 back.

6:20 PDT: With 5 Riders Left the Top 5 Are:
1st. Dakotah Norton: 3:32.562
2nd. Remi Thirion: 3:34.363
3rd. Dylan Levesque: 3:34.688
4th. Davide Palazzari: 3:34.859
5th. Ethan Craik: 3:34.984

6:25 PDT: Jackson Goldstone Falls 0.579 Seconds Back
Jackson Goldstone just misses the hot seat as he makes up a lot of time in the final split. Dakotah Norton is still leading with four left to go.

6:29 PDT: Loic Bruni Goes Fastest
Loic Bruni is hungry for the win after last weekend's wet weather disappointment and has managed to take the hot seat with just three riders left. Only Laurie Greenland will be able to stop a French win on home soil.

6:35 PDT: Thibaut Daprela is Thrown Off the Bike
Thibaut Daprela loses control of his bike through a compression and is bucked off the course. Thibaut has been able to get up and slowly finish his run.

6:38 PDT: Laurie Greenland Crosses the Line 3rd
Laurie Greenland ends his weekend with a 3rd place so far. Only Benoit Coulanges can stop Loic Bruni.

6:42 PDT: Loic Bruni Wins in Loudenvielle
After Benoit Coulanges slides out it is Loic Bruni who wins this weekend.


Full Results:

Elite Women

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Elite Men

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Overall Standings:

Elite Women

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Elite Men

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Author Info:
edspratt avatar

Member since Mar 16, 2017
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265 Comments
  • 389 2
 Gotta say, thoroughly enjoyed Gwin being on commentary duties during the semis. He's a natural. Added a good dynamic with Ric & Cedric too.
  • 113 0
 Totally agree. He is giving far more insight into the back story of a lot more of the riders... a pleasure to have in the booth. Keep him in there!
  • 175 2
 Gwin literally saving the commentary, sees all the small stuff, knows what's up with everyone...
  • 95 2
 This was the best overall coverage broadcast of the season so far, by a long way! The commentary was great, helped a lot by Gwin being fantastic. What a race too!
  • 29 0
 It was very interesting to hear his live opinions as current top rider.
  • 50 0
 Agreed. Total legend. And what a great race for him to be there with Dak taking 2nd.
  • 34 3
 Cedric G is to commentary what Richard Hammond is to Top Gear - Captain Fu£&in Obvious

Rick was like a metronome in the way he used the same metronome analogy for Bruni on repeat.

I never fully appreciated how important the commentary was until this season. Gwin was a good addition though.
  • 83 0
 Honestly, Gwins commentary was the best I’ve heard so far. And that includes RB times. He gave so many great insights, spotted all the little details, all while remaining perfectly calm. Chapeau to the man. And then seeing Dak finally putting a top run together put the cherry on the cake.
  • 21 2
 @stefkrger: I've never understood the hatred some (admittedly a loud minority) have for him. He's a legend and seems like a very nice guy.
  • 12 1
 Gwin was great. Amaury is such a sweet guy too. Glad to have him before and after the races.
  • 21 0
 For real. I want to hear analysis, not clowning and obvious comments like "so smooth".
  • 1 0
 @Diarmuidbikes: Can confirm, having met him in the flesh after a shocking Les Gets 2021. Total dude.
  • 7 4
 This is the first DH I've watched this year (semis) an after all I've read about the bad commentary this year I've gotta say. It WASN'T bad..... still not the same without Rob tho an I don't think it ever will be......
  • 18 1
 Cedric REALLY needs to learn 3rd person conjugation...
  • 6 0
 Loved Gwin in the booth too. I do want the names of who made the call to pipe in the vuvuzelas throughout the general audio mix. Aural violence of the first degree.
  • 39 2
 Gwin was great showed what a nicely spoken pro rider brings to the table.The commentary would be even better if Ric didn't cut him off couple of times mid sentence which was rude.
  • 12 0
 @Archimonde: I thought it was rude too. But I think there’s a balance to be struck between providing deep context on something and leaving room for the primary crew to commentate on important aspects of the current run. To take it to the extreme, you can’t tell a 5-min story during a 4-min race run.

If Gwin spends more time in the booth with those guys, I’m sure they’ll get the rhythm down.
  • 15 0
 @naptime: This was the most Not Too Bad race commentary we've had so far. AG made it work and even CG dialed it back a little bit.
  • 4 4
 How do we injure him so he stays off the track and in the booth?
  • 3 1
 @Archimonde: yeah, noticed that myself, really irritating
  • 13 0
 I just had to add another +1 for gwins commentary. Guy knows his stuff, always cool calm and collected. Get him in the booth. Or as an alternative, at least always have who ever is injured in the booth. The guys on the ground know these inside things that rick and cedric will never know.
  • 7 2
 @Archimonde: yes. Gwin is giving really good insight and Ric cuts him off w some shite.
  • 4 0
 Some people tend to be more analytical rather than just being general with some things. I guess that’s a strength Gwin has. Hope he does commentary when he retires!
  • 4 1
 @wslee: be interesting to see what he does. I remember an interview w him ten years or so ago where he said he didn't intend to stay in DH very long. A big focus was his Christianity and how that led him in life, if I remember right. Seems he's stayed longer than he thought back then.
  • 3 1
 great race! here is the semi and final replay
tiz-cycling.io/video/mtb-dhi-world-cup-2023-5-loudenville-full-race
  • 24 0
 I think Gwin even made Cedric better - because he kinda gave him another pro rider to talk to, tell little stories etc and he ended up being a bit calmer and had more interesting stuff to say.
  • 4 0
 Can someone tell me what happens when you "lose an axle". It appears to be much the same as when a wheel washes out, but I dunno about this new hip lingo that the Irishman speaks...
  • 25 3
 I really, really wish Ric McLaughlin would stop saying words just to fill in space. Especially continually stating the name of the venue in fully qualified form. "Loudenvielle-Peyragudes" "Val di Sole Trentino" ad nauseam. It drives me crazy. Seems like he loves the sound of his own voice.
  • 5 2
 @Archimonde: Ric stincs.
  • 8 0
 Gwin was great. More of him please. However there's too many times particularly in the women's race that Ric and Cedric seem to forget there's a rider on track. Completely random commentary that has nothing to do with the action on track at the time.
  • 9 0
 @drfunsocks: In the rock climbing word cups, the pick someone (probably from a short list of candidates) who didn’t get through the semifinals. Since everyone on the circuit is pretty friendly, they add a lot of great color about what people have been working on, struggling with. I think Gein showed that something similar would be great for MTB world cups. (DH and XC too)
  • 4 1
 @boardinbob: I think they've been told to help educate what they hope are a new batch of ignorant viewers about the sport of DH MTB. What I think will happen is that the ignorant will fall off and the serious fans will mostly remain and feel somewhat alienated.
  • 5 1
 @nilswalk: Agreed Cedric was good yesterday, calmer which meant he could use his knowledge well
  • 7 1
 @drfunsocks: Cedric knows he just needs to realise that he doesn't my need to do crazy all the time, he was great yesterday
  • 4 0
 @ardee: If Cedric wouldn't interrupt so damn much it would be even better.
  • 1 0
 @Clemounet:

As a native english speaker i loved when he said ‘the womans’ it made me chuckle especially as I’m learning french and his english is actually generally very good
  • 1 2
 Gwinn was excellent but what is with the female commentator? She needs to just shut the hell up sometimes. Seemed disrespectful to talk chit chat nonsense over the podium. Guess she's just doing her job but bad call on production.
  • 6 0
 I am not a Gwin fan. He is a phenomenal rider but I never warmed up to him as a fan. That being said, he blew the commentary out of the park. His addition seemed to tone Cedric down to manageable personality in the booth as well giving great personal insights to a lot of the riders. Not only that, he was spot on with just about every one of his assessments of the riders coming into the splits. I know he has lots of racing left which I'm excited to follow but I'm also looking forward to how his career may evolve.
  • 3 5
 @Diarmuidbikes: folks don't like he's a Christian, plain and simple. sad
  • 1 0
 @lifeofloon: sure you're not a Gwin fan? If it talks like a Gwin fan...
  • 3 1
 @barrysbikes: It's not sad. Organized religion is the most evil business empire the world has even known.
  • 2 1
 @suspended-flesh: you read much history?
  • 1 0
 @Adamrideshisbike: Not as a hobby, no.
  • 1 0
 @BenPea: perhaps my tense was off. I have never been a Gwin fan but I became an instant fan of his broadcast personality.
  • 1 0
 @Bperd: Oh God , yes, please! Ad nauseam indeed.
And "UCI mountain bike world championships". Who talks like that? Why not just World Champs.? I guess you're right about him liking his own voice...
  • 1 0
 @suspended-flesh: Probably. It's just that they keep repeating the same obvious stuff every race. Come on...
  • 3 0
 @chmurka3rg: It's borderline insulting to real fans.
  • 1 0
 @suspended-flesh: Agreed.
  • 1 0
 @chmurka3rg: It's blatantly obvious that they are all contractually obligated to say "UCI" at every possible juncture and it's incredibly grating
  • 2 0
 @boardinbob: and the full name of the venue in virtually every comment!
  • 140 2
 DAKOTAH!
  • 16 1
 Yeah, well done Mister Norton!!!
  • 7 0
 Wild run! Happy for him.
  • 10 0
 Long time coming! such an insanely loose run.
  • 22 0
 Big Dak energy! Stoked for him, gotta love the guy after listening to B practice podcast
  • 10 0
 Dak's been putting in some serious work in the last few weeks. So stoked to see it pay off!
  • 1 2
 I'll catch DV for this, but did anyone catch Gwin's 'Oh' and pause when he saw Dak's time was .777 slower the Bruni's?
  • 2 0
 @suspended-flesh: The devil is 6 and God is 7?
  • 1 0
 @BenPea: That's what I gather. .777 and .666 of a second are in mortal combat for the souls of all humankind.
  • 1 0
 @suspended-flesh: I mean it's just basic science no?
  • 1 0
 @BenPea: Basic, real basic.
  • 1 0
 WynTV just went live www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXYDl1WGzN4
  • 107 1
 Gwin: Semi Finals sucks, it's exhausting and no one likes it.

Rick: but but but but, it's good for some riders...
  • 15 0
 Gwin: semis suck
Dak: hold my beer
  • 103 1
 Gwin has completely changed the game for the commenting.
  • 71 1
 Best finals coverage of the season, credit where credits due. Thoroughly enjoyed that.
  • 31 0
 I would agree. Gwinn helped the commentary a lot by giving insight to so many things.
  • 12 2
 @t-rick: Gwin saved the day in the box,Cedric is like a hooligan in Magaluz hehehe.
  • 3 0
 It was a great race and great production
  • 7 0
 @homerjm: past few races Cedric has been obsessed with the prototype Specialized DH bikes. "They hit so hard and just reset so quickly!!!" and at least 6 or 8 other comments surrounding that bike
  • 9 5
 @homerjm: Someone needs to tell Cedric that there is only one speed trap, and on this course it was above the road crossing. The amount of runs (esp. in semis) where he would say "look at the speed - 45km/h" and a rider was on a switch back near the bottom of the course. The speed has been on the screen since about 1-minute into the run, but he thinks it pops up with 1 minute to go. He has no idea how to commentate, and Ric just puppets him. It was so good having Gwin, one for his insight, but, two, it shut Cedric up.
  • 4 0
 @handynzl: True there is only one "speedtrap" but there are multiple points during the run where speed is displayed as well as some riders (Loic) display heart rate.
  • 68 1
 Massive improvement on the coverage, drone shots are great and on frame, many different angles, and huge coverage of the whole track, well done, hope it sets the standard from now on.
  • 65 0
 Pretty funny to see Daprela going "where the hell did my bike go?" in pretty much the frenchest way possible.
  • 54 0
 So stocked for REMI THIRION what a great result
  • 46 2
 tiz-cycling-live.io/livestream.php

Not my stream, just sharing. If streams end because of copyright, switch to the 480p version and after a few minutes, refresh orignal stream. It should be back. Enjoy.
  • 2 0
 Blocked!!!
  • 1 1
 @cabramuerta: it doesn't work for me. I'm in Spain, it should work though... Mierda!
  • 1 0
 @cabramuerta: it's the third video down btw. Works for me (but I'm in the UK)
  • 1 0
 Blocked☹️
  • 2 1
 Thank you
  • 1 0
 Fuck! Blocked
  • 4 0
 When you get blocked, just open a new anonimous tab (Y)
  • 2 0
 @linguica: refresh Page back up again
  • 3 0
 legend. works in Australia !
  • 3 0
 I just opened it in a different browser and works fine. thanks for the link bro
  • 1 0
 @markcorrigan @cabramuerta en España se ve, estoy navegador Brave usando navegación en privado, sin VPN ni nada, seleccionando la de 480p
  • 15 5
 First time watching Discovery content this season. Idk if this is the first time Gwin has commtentated, but overall I'm very confused what people are complaining about besides the paywall. I've been pretty entertained b y all the commentators and the camera angles have been way better than Red Bull.
  • 20 0
 @mkul7r4: first race gwin has been commentating on and he made a big difference
  • 9 4
 @mkul7r4: It's all thanks to Gwin man. Camera angles were pretty dam good on this one too, and it's just a great track.
  • 6 11
flag RHSGuy (Sep 3, 2023 at 6:44) (Below Threshold)
 @mkul7r4: haters gone hate
  • 10 4
 @mkul7r4: this is the first race where we've actually seen alot of the course, the previous stream have been awful but this one was actually really decent to watch.
  • 7 2
 @mkul7r4: it’s improved a lot from the first couple races, Cedric getting a lot better on commentary better coverage now aswell I think
  • 14 0
 @mkul7r4: This was by far the best coverage of the season. Gwin took the pressure the other commentators. He was prepared, insightful, and knowledgeable.

I’m torn now because I want to see him return to form on the track, but he was amazing in the booth!
  • 20 1
 @sfarnum: Just standard Gwin things, turning up, being super professional and lifting everyone's game. Amaury is a bit of a dark horse on the mic too.
  • 3 1
 @mkul7r4: give it some time. Ric gets really annoying after a few listens. I got into the xc at the worlds but I gave up last weekend as it's just too much Ric.
  • 3 0
 @lochussie: Yeah but with Gwin there rick doesn't have to try be funny or say try to say "in the know" things constantly. He jus asks Aaron questions instead.
  • 1 2
 great race! here is the semi and final replay
tiz-cycling.io/video/mtb-dhi-world-cup-2023-5-loudenville-full-race
  • 41 0
 Wow, by far the BEST race of the season (and in a while) it had everything! I gotta say:
1. Loudenville should become a "regular" track
2. Gwin should become a "regular" in the booth
3. The camera work for this race should become the new gold standard
Woot happy for Bruni's first win and Dakotah's amazing result!!
  • 1 0
 Well said
  • 3 1
 Loudenville should only become a regular if a bit of rain the night before doesn't lead to it being cancelled.
  • 5 0
 @lochussie: they need to develop a B zone better so that medical and marshalls can get in and out in wet weather. It’d be a shame if we didn’t see this track again!
  • 44 6
 They need to get Gwin and Myriam back for the finals commentary cause it's bloody awful as it is now. There's no real excitement or sense of occasion.
  • 8 2
 I just watch the riders for the excitement and sense of occasion.
  • 37 0
 Gwin is right: Daprela's type of riding is completly the opposite of Bruni's... it sometimes pays off but too rarely because of the mistakes he makes for being so kamikaze.
  • 9 0
 We all have some friends that are like him,pure kamikaze banzai mode on 24x7 hehehehe
  • 10 1
 Yeah man you can't be riding into portals and expecting to win world cups.
  • 8 1
 still grace for the viewers... gotta thank him..
  • 2 3
 i think his bars snapped
  • 2 0
 Give it time. Remember Bruni was also overcooking his race runs before he eventually took an elite win (which happened to be a world championship run). I'm not 100% sure but I recall Bryceland was in the hot seat and Bruni was actually up on him, but entered a corner faster than everyone else and crashed. That was Bryceland's first elite win (again, not 100% sure) but it could have been Bruni's. Of course, we've seen Bruni mature and take many more wins and titles. Drapela could go there too at some point.
  • 37 0
 Jackson's triple was ludicrous
  • 5 9
flag Adamrideshisbike (Sep 3, 2023 at 9:38) (Below Threshold)
 So cool. He made up so much time. I'd say his raw speed could be tops, just needs to find consistent pace.
  • 24 0
 @Adamrideshisbike: sorry, the guy who in his first year hasn't placed lower than 6th (other than a mechanical) needs to find consistency?
  • 4 6
 @iridedj: He's got higher aspirations that just hanging out around the top 5! He's so fast that he's been able to get good results despite a lot of mistakes in race runs. He made some definite mistakes today. I know I'm not cutting him much slack Smile
  • 1 0
 so much to the left and by milimeters...
  • 5 0
 @Adamrideshisbike: He'll be leading the overall is a couple weeks. Mark my words.
  • 4 0
 Came here to talk about that gap!! Holy crap! The kid is on another level! Wow
  • 35 1
 Great to see Remi Thirion back on the podium! So happy for Dakotah Norton as well.
  • 33 3
 By far the best coverage this year. Gwin was great. Drone was mostly good. Still room for improvement in commentary:

Stop saying:
On the move
Making it work
Working things out
Earth turned back in its axis
It doesn't matter how much it's by as long as it's green. Clearly nonsense, see my point further down.

Listen to what your co commentators are saying, don't interrupt unless you've got something better to say. And don't just say the same thing again.
Somehow figure out how to give good insight. Clearly the later riders were all having some kind of issue but there was zero mention of it, gwin eventually mentioned hardpack (but was cut off by Ric), very late in day Ric mentioned news on spikes doing bad. Tbh I think this needs somebody who has raced recently and can also think and talk well. Such as gwin or Reece. I had my gripes w both Rob and Claudio, but they were both better on this front than ric and Cedric.
There's no mention of fastest time in qualis and semis and no estimation of what time might be needed for the win. Instead every early rider that goes fastest is treated as an amazing performance. The better riders then smoke them. This gives the commentators zero credibility.
In a similar way, splits are given no context. Eg if current rider is slightly up at first split but we know current leader had a crap first split, factor than in to what you're saying.
Stop mentioning the speed trap reading, unless it's really noteworthy. Tbh that's probably almost never.

I get that this is not an easy thing to do. You need deep and current expertise and the ability to think and talk well in an engaging manner. But given I'm paying now, I want better.
  • 3 0
 Couldn’t have said it better. Watch any other high level sport and that is how the commentary is done.
  • 4 3
 I was thinking about whether I'm being too harsh given this is a minority sport. But look at it like this. I want high insight, low annoyance, and high entertainment, in that order. Rob and Claudio were medium, low/medium, high. Ric and Cedric are low/medium, high, low. No surprise I'm not happy.
  • 1 0
 This.
And some English lessons for Cedric, just basics, like conjugation. I get that it's harder to speak in your second language, but it just needs a little work. I'd watch the feed again , with an English native speaker, and learn to correct my mistakes. Think of the things you wanted/might want to say during the feed, and translate them to English BEFORE the race, just make a list.
Make notes about the riders: their current status, how they've done so far in this and previous seasons, have they had injuries lately, have they done anything interesting lately (like sending something huge, or doing well in a race other than WC), have they had any issues during the race week, which may affect their performance (like an illneses, crashes, etc). You know, anything that may be interesting for a fan of the sport. You have entry lists for every race, just make the effort to prepare a little before the races. And then you can add things to your notes every race.
Make an effort to notice and comment on the split times AS THEY APPEAR, not a minute after. And to distinguish between red and green. No need for anything fancy, simple "up" or "down" will suffice.
Also, as someone said above: 'stop stating the name of the venue in fully qualified form. "Loudenvielle-Peyragudes" "Val di Sole Trentino" ad nauseam'.
  • 1 0
 @chmurka3rg: I agree w you mostly. Tbh I don't mind Cedric's imperfect English and it would take quite some effort to improve. As along as his English isnt blocking him giving good insight.
  • 39 5
 This track is sick.
  • 21 8
 Pfff, my disabled grand mother could do it blindfolded in her wheelchair.
  • 2 3
 @danstonQ: ask Jackson about that?
  • 9 14
flag pisgahgnar FL (Sep 3, 2023 at 5:32) (Below Threshold)
 Downvotes for a sentiment universally shared by the riders? Pinkbike is ridiculous.
  • 4 3
 @pisgahgnar: you're simply saying what's by now universally known and accepted. Might get downvoted for stating the obvious.
  • 8 2
 @pisgahgnar: aww, you're still seeking validation on the internet?
  • 2 2
 @danstonQ: to be fair, she likely could roll down it, and the die
  • 11 0
 @Mntneer: don't underestimate my GrandMa. With mud spikes she can rip.
  • 9 0
 @danstonQ: she running Kenda Gran Mudda's?
  • 2 0
 It looked like a fun track and different from the normal WC track. Like a pump track with elevation at top then super steep/ technical bottom section.
  • 1 2
 That’s why every other rider crashed?
  • 1 0
 @pisgahgnar: wrong
  • 1 0
 What makes for a nice track is different for different people. I prefer a bit more variety on a track. In particular, I like those steep woods sections where you have many and evolving lines.
  • 29 0
 Let’s GO DAK!!!!
Ford f*ckIN RANGER
  • 28 0
 So much better Broadcast this one. Finally they stepped up their game.
  • 16 0
 Felt similar to other races for video, but didn't gwin add a lot to the commentary? He was awesome
  • 3 0
 @russthedog: Didn’t hurt that it was a good track and race. Lots of drama.
  • 29 2
 Take a drink every time Rick says "Pal Arinsal Andorra" or "Loudenvielle Peyraguides"
  • 9 1
 It’s so annoying!!
  • 22 1
 Probably contractual with the resort/tourist board, seeing as they are investing to host a round.
  • 8 1
 @andyrm: probably, but doesn't stop it from sounding so forced and contrived every time he said it.
  • 5 0
 Nope. Drinking game is everytime C.G. says...releese ze brake. Would be stinking hammered.
  • 1 0
 @andyrm: Pretty sure it was similar in the previous years, yet Rob never took it to such obnoxious level.
  • 1 0
 I wouldn't last to the end of the race...
  • 27 0
 Gwin in the booth for Men's elite finals!
  • 25 0
 Where is my bike? Daprela´s moment was the best moment of the race. What a crash!!!The kid is made of 40A rubber.
Very nice race overall.
  • 2 0
 More like adamantium or vibranium, dude is a beast
  • 3 0
 @fedfox: Harder than a crash dummy hehehe. He landed hard and rebound faster than Bruni´s fork looking for his bike? hehehehe (Cedric Gracia voice).
  • 25 0
 That Daprela crash was absurd. Took 2 people to pull it out of the tree branches!
  • 24 0
 Thibaut looking for his bike should become the new travolta meme, I still don't understand how this guy is unscathed after most of his crashes, they look terrible.
  • 24 2
 These two experts are still incapable of relating split times to the leading rider, talking about specific sections and time gained or lost irrespective of what happened in the leading run. Top quality stuff
  • 7 0
 They’re also freaking out about a faster split time for the 2nd rider to drop. It’s noteworthy but the energy was just weird.
  • 18 0
 I like that Dakota talks about how much he like racing new tracks before the race. Everyone is on the same level trying to find out the best lines etc. Compared to the same tracks that someone have been racing for 10 years. And then goes out and pulls one hell of a run! Makes me wonder how cool it would be with one whole season with just brand new tracks...
  • 18 0
 Clearly Gwin saved the commentary this time. Way better with a lot of insight and good knowledge. And the cameras covered most of the track too. By far the best effort of the season on a broadcasting point of view. Please keep Gwin in the booth for the next races.
  • 18 0
 So stoked for DAKOTA! He's been pushing it close since the middle of last season. Gutted for Finn getting outside the line. Will be interesting to see the top 2 specialized riders battle it out for the overall.
  • 18 0
 I may be at a minority, but I really enjoy Aaron Gwin commentary. I hope they keep him, intelligent comments, good voice, good sense of humor, seem like a natural, was totally solid.
  • 3 0
 He was very good but he is an active racer again as soon as he recovers.
  • 21 0
 Dak attack is back!
  • 5 1
 Brilliant run from Dak
  • 18 1
 The stoppie and the tuck no hander in the worst place to do both tricks lmao
  • 36 19
 Cedric needs to be fired.
  • 30 5
 He needs to be quiet, he always interrupts and doesn't add anything to the conversation
  • 7 1
 Yeah I thought that initially he is improving tho thank fuck
  • 10 2
 silence would be better than 90% of his comments
  • 7 7
 At best his comments are generic and worst they are nonsense. Either way he adds nothing of value.

At multiple points he was asking Aaron about the racers. Man, you’re the colour commentator you’re supposed to know this stuff and communicate that type of insight to the viewer. He is just trash.
  • 4 1
 Dunno about being fired but a talking to is in order. He needs to get off his @ss and do the track walks with the riders, hang around the pits, learn and take notes about the track and what the riders tell him so he has something to say besides "he's pushing" or "he's hungry".

I'm and old school CG fan, and liked Cedric's Dirty Sanchez vlogs on YT back in the day. He is not doing himself any favors by appearing to wing it every race. He does a course ride FFS and still adds zilch. Commentary comes off as lazy.

Come on son!
  • 15 0
 Really wanted to see Coulange and Deprela make it down without a crash. Deprela's was hectic. They would have made a French 123
  • 18 0
 Deprela's crash was pretty funny tbh.
  • 14 0
 As a german i am really Happy for Hartenstern, this Sport needs more attention here. Happy for Nina as well. And sure for Loic after the mess in Andorra. Also great to See Dakota Norton so far up!
  • 14 1
 After watching all of the live broadcasts and trying to give the new commentators a chance, I have to just give up and say Cedric is not adding anything (no offence to they guy but he's the wrong man for the job). Rick is ok but is so monotonous I find him draining to listen to.

A pleasant surprise today was Gwin - I mean he's always been an articulate guy but he owned the commentary. He was so good, he could actually do it on his own. I hope they listen to public comments and keep him whilst he's available!
  • 11 0
 When Gwin came onto the scene in downhill he upped the game, brought out the best in all the riders, made the sport better. Then he has to step into the announcing booth and again step up the game of everyone. He is a legend, brought so much to the broadcast. I want him back on track but until then PLEASE STAY IN THE BOOTH!!! - You sir just might have saved dowhill... again!
  • 4 0
 Gotta love Gwin! Definitely want to see him on the track some more but he's got a future in commentary, A+.
  • 13 2
 Gwinny absolute steaming at Amaury talking about it being a French win. Mans so competitive. Gutted for Benoit, Stoked for Dak and Loic getting back on the top in a hard season is pretty awesome.
  • 14 2
 The drone following riders are AMAZING, but the satellite/bird perspective is the opposite. If I wanted a postcard view, I'd buy a postcard.
  • 6 0
 They only need to fix the frame rate, colour grading and resolution...
  • 11 0
 Tuned in to the end of the Men's semis and it was v much better commentary with Aaron Gwin in the booth with Ric and Cedric. Conspicuously absent here in the finals...
  • 2 9
flag Nuss-95 FL (Sep 3, 2023 at 4:18) (Below Threshold)
 But they were barely talking about what was happening on the screen...
  • 28 0
 @Nuss-95: we don't need commentary for every pedal stroke. We can see what's on screen. We want to hear about the bits we can't see on screen. The baseball sized rocks, the extra training this rider does. The way Luca can turn any course into a bmx track
  • 3 0
 @Raisadaruppe: You're right. It makes for a great balance when you watch a lot of riders and start picking up on the rhythm of the track.
  • 8 0
 @Raisadaruppe: everyone remember Warner's hype and one liners but he was also really good at this. Always talking about conversations he'd had with riders, stats on when they'd play won or what the track was like when he'd been trackside
  • 14 4
 Cool track, but that short drop into a small parking lot at the end is a little anti climactic.
  • 11 0
 Great Great work Gwin! Amazing commentary
  • 5 0
 Yeah I really enjoyed his commentary!
  • 12 2
 Continental tyres not going well today …
  • 9 1
 yeah it's always the tires
  • 2 0
 What's Vali using?
  • 1 0
 @bmx-background: The Trek DH team is on Perelli tires this year, right?
  • 2 0
 @ABhardtail: they are, but Vali isn't on that team
  • 2 0
 @bmx-background: oh, I didn't realize Trek Factory Racing is distinct from Rockshox-Trek. I found a picture on Insta of her bike after world champs using the new Contis.
  • 1 0
 @bmx-background: Vali was on Kryptotals last race - didn't see which Contis this round - probably the same. Racers seem to like them.
  • 2 0
 @suspended-flesh: Argotals in these conditions
  • 10 0
 So gutted for Coulanges. It will happen soon!
  • 8 0
 Why couldn’t the camera man just pan to the left to see the rider off the track? Isn’t that his job? Lol
  • 7 1
 I’m surprised nobody has said it yet, but if Dak rode at the same time as Bruni. This is a good chance he would win. It was clear the track was rolling faster especially at the top.
  • 4 0
 He might have had it if he could have clipped back in after the last jump to get a few pedal strokes to the finish
  • 2 0
 Bruni said that about himself last week.
  • 4 0
 That's racing.
  • 7 0
 How the f*** do we still not have a broadcast with audio and video in sync. For gods sake
  • 8 0
 DAK ATTACK! What a run he put down against the French Army.
  • 7 0
 Loic is a beast. So stoked for Dakotah. And what a bummer for Finn. Easy come, easy to I guess!
  • 4 0
 If you “watch” the timing on mobile - switch to horizontal mode.

It additionally shows stages’ time then, not only current seconds and then the rank once a rider crosses the line.
  • 2 0
 Thanks! I was wondering about that.
  • 6 0
 Actually seeing a good chunk of the entire run for once!
  • 8 2
 Track is slowing down. F***ing UCI not watering it for consistency
  • 9 0
 should cancel the race half way through really its not safe any more
  • 6 0
 Cheers for the update @edspratt
  • 4 0
 yeah, appreciate all the work you put in for the races
  • 6 1
 Bruni calmly nodding when his last opponent blows up. He’s the best. He’s the best!
  • 7 1
 Kade edwards styling his way down the hill and still coming 25th!
  • 2 0
 To the camera operators and production team, much improved focus pulling and placement. As stated in another thread I think the aerial shot of the first section straight loses context too much. Everyone wanted to see if the triple was possible and Jackson did it but it was briefly shown in the replay. The hosting walk about looked soooo awkward, you can tell when it came over the earpieces to start walking. I still have no clue who the interviewers are? Overall though a much improved product.
  • 4 0
 I’ve never seen so many riders coming off in a final before especially the brits! Gutted for hart too he was on for a good 1 I think!
  • 6 0
 Stoaked for Norton
  • 2 0
 Bruni is such a great rider. So composed, yet sooo fast. Happy for him to get another one. Big props to everyone that made the big gap on to the left hander where Kolb and others went down. Looked sick, especially Luca's
  • 1 0
 The overall ranking sheets are always so confusing. I know they have to total ranking points for qualies/semis/finals, but makes it deceptive in a certain way. took me a second to finure out why Laurie is 2nd this round, Dak is 3rd, Greg is 18th.
  • 2 0
 Why did nearly all the Brits crash? Got to be the worst World Cup for us….
  • 5 3
 Finns gonna lose the overall for leaving the track
  • 2 0
 whats the story with Finn Illes?
  • 5 0
 went off track
  • 4 3
 Went off track and didn't notice/care. That probably lost him the overall...
  • 19 1
 It's funny because Gwin said early on in the stream that he prefers to keep the massive styled scrubs out of his race run because you can blow it up easily, keep it straight and tidy for the race. Then Finn goes and does the wildest Scrub of the day and blows his feet and ends up off the track, which will lose him the over all.
  • 9 1
 @Nuss-95: there are 3 more races and Finn is 87 points back, it can be easily regained. He would have gotten like 30th if he walked back up, gaining very little points.
  • 1 0
 @Roost66: where does one find the overall standings?
  • 8 0
 @Roost66: Yeah to me it looked like it happened in such a fast section (the line "choice" itself not forcing him to slow down) that getting himself stopped, pushing back up the hill and getting going again wouldn't have been much help results wise. I'm really not jealous of needing to make those decisions in a split second.
  • 1 0
 @Axl085: ucimtbworldseries.com/rankings/series/uci-dhi-world-cup/dhi-men-elite
  • 3 0
 @bikes-arent-real: that's a good reminder to us all to can the showboating and keep it professional whatever we do.
  • 8 0
 @Roost66: He's actually 82 points back (Bruni has 1123, Iles has 1041).

30th place was worth 30 points. I'd guess he'd rather be 52 points back instead of 82.
  • 12 0
 @Bibico: If you think he's stopping, hiking the bike back up in that steep muddy section, and getting back up to pace in under 60 seconds, you're bananas lol He was 31st or 32nd regardless, i.e. no points.
  • 5 0
 @adamkat: True. it was a real bad spot.
  • 1 3
 @adamkat: The person I responded to said " He would have gotten like 30th if he walked back up, gaining very little points." Guess you missed that part.
  • 6 4
 @adamkat: Daprela was two minutes behind because his bike disappeared over the netting. Walker, Hatton and Dunne all got points being over 40 seconds back. Lets face it, there should be a time penalty not a DSQ, unless you literally cut a corner on purpose.
  • 1 0
 @Roost66: is he 87 points back or is that an error? Race list says DSQ but he seems to be listed 29th in the overall standings list. I reckon they'll amend that to DSQ and he'll be quite a few more points behind, won't he? Or am I missing something?
  • 1 0
 @doakwolf: Looks like an error, still granted 0 points.

I was wrong earlier, he is 82 points back.
  • 3 0
 @doakwolf: i think that is 29th in points for the weekend. quali, semi, final. Laurie was 2nd in points but 3rd in the race
  • 2 0
 @Axl085: literally on this page
  • 1 0
 @Bibico: Ahhh fair, yes you're right 30th worth 30 points, but no chance was Finn getting 30th as the other guy was guessing. He'd be closer to Thibault's time all said and done.
  • 1 0
 He went off track and is rightfully DSQ, but I wish they still showed his splits.
  • 1 0
 @bgoldstone: great, thanks for clarifying for me!
  • 3 0
 Having actual tape to go through might help in these situations.
  • 2 0
 Semi final points? Why and what do they do?
  • 2 0
 Why isn’t Jordan on the new bike ?
  • 3 1
 Did anyone see Jackson’s crop top lol
  • 1 0
 Hope to see Gwin smashing podiums for a few more years, but he certainly smashed the commentary job. Well done.
  • 3 1
 Get a room
  • 2 0
 Yup. Was thinking same thing.
  • 1 1
 Just a couple more sec....dang it
  • 1 0
 DakNo!!!!
  • 2 2
 Spits of rain up top
  • 1 1
 LG Has This
  • 1 2
 what dose p stand for on the left!???
  • 4 0
 Protected
  • 1 0
 What ya have to do after too many redbulls. Protected though for real.
  • 1 0
 @bgoldstone: from what mate???
  • 2 0
 @mtbflow24: qualifying straight into the semi or the final. Depends on where they are in the overall standings and last years overall. All they have to do his start of the gate, doesn’t matter if they have a flat, crash or a slow time.
  • 1 0
 @bgoldstone: Cheers!
  • 6 8
 We’re going live to the commentary booth.

Commentary booth: …..

I can’t believe I pay for this shit.
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