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

Jun 17, 2023 at 4:02
by Ed Spratt  
Leogang brought some incredible racing as we saw racers take on a flat-out course with some of the fastest times we have ever seen here.

Vali Höll has remained unbeaten this week in Leogang as she finally takes an Elite World Cup win at home. From top to bottom Vali Höll lead the race building her lead at every split the Austrian rider crossed the line in first and 4.303 seconds ahead of Camille Balanche. Camille has had to settle for second place once again in 2023 as for the first time since 2019 she is not the winner in Leogang. Rachel Atherton backs up her win in Lenzerheide with another great performance as she ends the week in third place.

After the race in her broadcast interview, Vali Höll said: "Leogang is such a hard race for me. Last year was a disaster, I've never been so down and doubted myself. The years before, first injury then crashing on the last corner, every time I'm so close then it didn't work. After Lenzerheide I was so lost I didn't know what to do and it all just clicked this week.

"To do it here finally, it feels so good."

Andreas Kolb fought back from disappointment at round one to make it a clear Austrian domination as remained untouched on the hot seat. Riders tried and failed to topple the Atherton team rider but none could master the final sector and all lost time into the finish arena. Loic Bruni was the closest rider as he crossed the line 0.680 back and just behind the three-minute barrier. Jackson Goldstone continued to impress in his first year of Elite racing taking home third place after a small mistake in the final turn.

Following his World Cup win Andreas Kolb told the live broadcast: "It's so emotional for me. It's my ninth season elite, it took me ages to get here and I will never forget this day. It's unreal."

Check out the results below.


Results:

Elite Women

1st. Vali Höll: 3:23.222
2nd. Camille Balanche: 3:27.525
3rd. Rachel Atherton: 3:30.556
4th. Monika Hrastnik: 3:30.825
5th. Phoebe Gale: 3:31.074
Elite Men

1st. Andreas Kolb: 2:59.335
2nd. Loic Bruni: 3:00.015
3rd. Jackson Goldstone: 3:00.246
4th. Finn Iles: 3:00.786
5th. Luca Shaw: 3:01.048



The Elite Women's Race as it Happened

4:00 am PDT: The Elite Women's Race is Now Underway
After this morning's semi-finals it's Veronika Widmann who kicks off finals.

4:03 am PDT: Veronika Widmann Sets a Time of 3:41.549
Veronika Widmann is the first rider down and goes around 15 seconds back from Vali Höll's semi-final winning run.

4:08 am PDT: Jess Blewitt Ups the Pace
Jess Blewitt is looking rapid in finals as she lays down a run that would have been 6th in the semi-finals. Jess currently leads by 5.2 seconds with eight more riders.

4:12 am PDT: Gracey Hemstreet has an Incredible Run
Gracey Hemstreet is continuing to show her talent this year as she has taken the lead and beaten all but Vali Höll's time from the semi-finals.

4:16 am PDT: Phoebe Gale Goes 0.8 Seconds into the Lead
Another first-year Junior takes the hot seat as Phoebe Gale finds 0.884 seconds to hold the top time so far. We are still around four seconds behind the top semi-final run.

4:20 am PDT: Marine Cabirou Goes 2nd
Marine Cabirou was leading through the woods but the French rider lost almost a second to the line as she goes 0.564 back.

4:24 am PDT: Rachel Atherton is Back on Top
Despite losing two seconds to the finish Rachel Atherton still ends her run 0.5 seconds up to take the race lead.

4:28 am PDT: Monika Hrastnik Can't Match Atherton
Monika Hrastnik battled hard but she couldn't close the gap to Rachel Atherton. Monika goes into 2nd place, 0.269 back. There does look to be quite a bit of time left at the bottom of the track, let's see what the final three riders can do.

4:30 am PDT: Top 5 with 3 Riders Remaining
1st. Rachel Atherton: 3:30.556
2nd. Monika Hrastnik: 3:30.825
3rd. Phoebe Gale: 3:31.074
4th. Marine Cabirou: 3:31.638
5th. Gracey Hemstreet: 3:31.958

4:32 am PDT: Camille Balanche Flies into 1st
Camille Balanche is always a threat in Leogang and she is now the race leader with two more riders left. Camille currently holds a lead of three seconds although she is still just under a second off Vali Höll's semi-final run.

4:35 am PDT: Disaster for Nina Hoffmann with a Mistake in the Woods
Nina Hoffmann was storming down the Leogang course but a mistake through the steep woods ended her chances for the win. Nina crossed the line in seventh.

4:39 am PDT: Vali Höll Finally Wins in Leogang
Vali Höll has struggled to find her form at her home race since moving to Elite until today where she dominated with a win in semi-finals and the win in finals. What a performance to cross the line over four seconds in the lead.




The Elite Men's Race as it Happened:

5:03 am PDT: Joe Breeden Kicks Off the Elite Men's Race
Joe Breeden is the first rider down in finals as he sets a time of 3:09.234. Six seconds back from Finn Iles' semi-final run.

5:07 am PDT: Jack Piercy Goes 2.5 Seconds Faster
Jack Piercy takes a significant chunk off Joe Breeden's run as he now holds the hot seat.

5:10 am PDT: Another New Leader as Simon Chapelet Goes Fastest
Simon Chapelet drops the leading time by another half-second as he takes the lead. Already we are around three seconds off Finn Iles' run. Will we see the three-minute barrier broken today?

5:13 am PDT: Bernard Kerr Almost Takes the Fastest Time of the Week
Bernard Kerr gets loose as he almost matches Finn Iles' semi-finals run. With a 3:03.644 Bernard leads by 2.507 seconds.

5:17 am PDT: Disaster for Danny Hart
After leading into the final sector by 0.926 seconds Danny Hart's front tire comes off the rim and he slides off the course.

5:22 am PDT: Loris Revelli Takes 2nd
Loris Revelli is having a great week in Leogang as he comes closest to Bernard Kerr so far, 1.697 off the pace.

5:25 am PDT: Oisin O Callaghan Pushes Kerr Off the Top
Oisin O Callaghan shows his skills on this course as he is the first rider to best Bernard Kerr finding 0.233 seconds.

5:34 am PDT: After 10 Riders the Top 5 Are:
1st. Oisin O Callaghan: 3:03.411
2nd. Bernard Kerr: 3:03.644
3rd. Remy Meier-Smith: 3:04.137
4th. Antoine Vidal: 3:04.813
5th. Loris Revelli: 3:05.341

5:40 am PDT: Charlie Hatton Takes Over the Hot Seat
By the smallest of margins Charlie Hatton sets the fastest finals run so far, leading Oisin O Callaghan with a gap of 0.027 seconds.

5:42 am PDT: Dakotah Norton Sets the Fastest Time of the Week So Far
Dakotah Norton is the first rider to beat Finn Iles' semi-final run as he crosses the line with a 3:02.457. Dakotah's run improved upon Hatton's by 0.927 seconds.

5:46 am PDT: The Top 5 with 15 Riders Remaining:
1st. Dakotah Norton: 3:02.457
2nd. Max Hartenstern: 3:03.092
3rd. Charlie Hatton: 3:03.384
4th. Oisin O Callaghan: 3:03.411
5th. Bernard Kerr: 3:03.644

5:49 am PDT: A Big Run from Ronan Dunne Places Him 0.9 Into the Lead
Ronan Dunne is looking wild in Leogang as he splits the top three by one and a half seconds. Ronan Leads Dakotah Norton by just under a second.

5:52 am PDT: Jordan Williams Sits in 2nd
Jordan Williams won't be winning again this week as he ends his run 0.666 back.

5:59 am PDT: The Bad Luck Continues for Greg Minnaar
Greg Minnaar is having a rough season so far as he ends the race in 16th so far after a mistake sees him come to a halt in the woods.

6:01 am PDT: Laurie Greenland Falls Just Short of Dunne
Laurie Greenland led through the first three splits but a slower ride through the woods puts him in 2nd, 0.133 seconds back.

6:02 am PDT: The Top 5 with 10 Riders Remaining:
1st. Ronan Dunne: 3:01.548
2nd. Laurie Greenland: 3:01.681
3rd. Jordan Williams: 3:02.214
4th. Dakotah Norton: 3:02.457
5th. Max Hartenstern: 3:03.092

6:10 am PDT: Andreas Kolb Breaks the 3-Minute Barrier
Andreas Kolb become the first rider to get under three minutes this week as he leads the race by a huge 2.313 seconds.

6:15 am PDT: Thibaut Daprela Can't Match Kolb's Speed
Thibaut Daprela leads through the first three splits before falling behind Andreas Kolb's rapid sectors through the trees at the bottom. Thibaut finishes in 2nd, 1.725 behind the Austrian hot seat holder.

6:21 am PDT: The Top 5 with 5 Riders Remaining:
1st. Andreas Kolb: 2:59.335
2nd. Thibaut Daprela: 3:01.060
3rd. Loris Vergier: 3:01.546
4th. Ronan Dunne: 3:01.548
5th. Laurie Greenland: 3:01.681

6:24 am PDT: A Strong Ride Puts Luca Shaw in 2nd
Luca Shaw has ended his run with a great 2nd place, 1.713 seconds off Andreas Kolb.

6:28 am PDT: Jackson Goldstone Just Misses the Hot Seat
Jackson Goldstone led for some of his run but it is the final split that sees Andreas Kolb hold onto his lead. Jackson sits in 2nd with three more riders at the top.

6:36 am PDT: Loic Bruni Takes 2nd with 1 More Rider Left
Andreas Kolb could just take the home win as only Finn Iles is left to take on the Austrian's top time. Loic Bruni came close to the hot seat holder before the final sector once again saw a drop back behind the three-minute barrier.

6:38 am PDT: Andreas Kolb Takes the Win in Austria as Finn Iles Takes 4th
Andreas Kolb has joined Vali Höll on top of the podium making it an Austrian domination in Leogang.



Full Results:


Elite Women

photo


photo


Elite Men

photo


photo


Overall Standings:


Elite Women

photo


Elite Men

photo
photo
photo



Author Info:
edspratt avatar

Member since Mar 16, 2017
3,068 articles
Must Read This Week
Pinkbike's DH Fantasy League: Get Your Team On The Line - Fort William is in 10 DAYS!
42382 views
Bike Check: Evan Wall's Haro Greer Prototype Enduro Bike
41989 views
Downhill Bikes of Sea Otter - Part 2
41528 views
First Ride: Canyon Neuron:ONfly - a Lighter 140mm eMTB
39526 views
Pinkbike Poll: Riser Bar or Extra Spacers Under the Stem?
39225 views
Vivo Cycling Previews All-Aluminum 12-Speed Derailleur
37819 views
The Ultimate Recap of Sea Otter 2024
37043 views
Dario's Final Sea Otter Randoms
35864 views
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup

389 Comments
  • 343 45
 The commentary is so good I'm listening on mute
I'm sorry but all these 2 do is repeat themselves, give basic information, and fake yell. It's genuinely like they are only there to get paid not cause they are passionate about the sport. I remember in previous years that Warnner would give so much background information that one cant deduct from a stream such as "spoke to her earlier today and she said that she is struggling a lot with that bottom woods section" or "Bruni had a small crash yesterday and seemed to be in a little bit of pain" these guys legit just go "she is on a mission" (CG) then 5 seconds later the rich guy will be like "she's going for the win today" like no shit that's the idea of racing to go for the win.
  • 47 174
flag BenPea (Jun 17, 2023 at 5:27) (Below Threshold)
 Mate, Gracia was a legend of the sport before you were born. Ric is not new to mtb either.
  • 24 27
 Agreed. They also forgot to mention why Tanya Saegrave didn’t make the finals when they mentioned she wasn’t in the final...basic stuff lads.
  • 44 3
 I have the sound off and I'm commenting on it myself
  • 94 8
 @BenPea: I never said he wasn't I have no doubt in my mind that CG was a great rider unfortunately being a great rider doesn't mean your going to be a good commentator and this is clearly evident. CG does not have the same relationship with current-day riders as Warner had. TBH besides that hes pretty good but that rich dude can get lost he does my head in. I think a solution going forward is to invite riders that are injured or unable to race to commentate alongside CG for example gwin didn't race, maybe Amury (2 Frenchies would do my head in) or even Ben cathro lmao. i think Crankworx did this for the slopestyle a couple of times with Nicolai could be wrong tho or maybe it was Lemoine?
  • 11 27
flag mi-bike (Jun 17, 2023 at 5:58) (Below Threshold)
 @jackheat: "2 Frenchies would do my head in". I'm confused. Do you have issues with *what* CG is saying or, perhaps, with *how* he's saying it?
  • 11 0
 I already know which tree Greg will cut down
  • 30 7
 @mi-bike: light-hearted humor got 0 problems with the Frenchies besides that they are French
  • 16 4
 Just putting it out there that I'd listen to an amateur audio stream over these guys..
  • 30 2
 @BenPea: doesn’t mean they don’t suck at their current job. Ric is a great presenter, when it’s recorded. His live commentary is garbage.
  • 53 0
 @BenPea: Who cares? Being fast on a bike doesn't translate to good live commentary. Murray Walker commanded tanks in Normandy before being the best Motorsport commentator of all time
  • 2 25
flag pastaman23 (Jun 17, 2023 at 6:46) (Below Threshold)
 @jackheat: No bro, mi-bike has a point... Be more sensible.
  • 16 3
 Or, or... get Nikolai Rogatkin to do it.
  • 6 0
 @urkel: I had the sound off and was listening to some Power Trip.
  • 30 4
 It's torture listening to them for 5 hours over 2 days.
  • 7 1
 @ben13bm: this comment can't get enough upvotes
  • 31 2
 CG is so bad. They need to get someone else asap!
  • 1 2
 @yoki-bike: please god noooo hahahah
  • 2 0
 But I was expecting CG parroting Ric's words, not the other way around, tbh. Maybe I'll give the Spanish speakers another chance, though I tried in Lenzerheide and it seemed like they where commenting a chess game or something...
  • 42 1
 I agree 100% the new commentators don't get me hyped even close to how it was before. I paid the GCN subscription yesterday to be able to watch today and to be honest I was very disappointed by the commentary and the live filming of the runs. The drone follow cams were terrible, it doesn't make sense to get that new technology into the runs just for the sake of innovation when it does not bring better quality to the viewers. Also some of the camera mans following different sections really frustrated me, they zoomed up so much it was impossible to see the actual speed of the racers through those sections and it didn't make sense. First experience with this new broadcasters for me and it really annoyed me, such a downgrade to be honest. Clear example when businessman get involved in a sport they don't understand and think they can do better. This has to be runned by people who ride bicycles and understand the sport.
  • 23 0
 bring back freecaster tv with rob warner
  • 16 0
 or a parallel live stream on youtube by rob warner
  • 39 0
 we should crowd fund Warner to go live on insta and commentate on the race so we can mute the offical one and just listen to him lol
  • 126 40
 JUST GIVE THEM A BREAK FROM THE HATE PLEASE!!!
Why not give constructive feedback instead.
I find it a bit unfair - all this hate against ric and cg’s commentating - they doing a fine job in my opinion. Of course there is room for improvement.
Warner had phrases he repeated for years over and over again as well. Of course he brought that amazing excitement more to the people. But negative people please stop the hate already. it is their second race - why not give them time and accept that it is the beginning of an almost new era of the sport. It is common sense that it has to build up and settle in and it is just not the same as it used to be. Just because one is not used to new ways of things yet! Same goes for the coverage, which is quite good.. a lot more seen on the track. Junior racing semifinals.. lot more work in total..details will come over time eventually.
They don’t deserve the hate and all this stupid moaning in the Internet from people who let out their personal frustrations on others they don’t know. And they do love the sport and are not fake excited.
  • 22 1
 Do they even know where the speed trap is? They keep saying “wow 56 km/h” when the rider is well into the woods as if they think the speed shown is live or something
  • 17 1
 The commentators aren't great, but I think they aren't so terrible they can't become decent. Cedric is a bit too dominating - I feel like he's trying hard to make himself into Rob Warner, but he ain't. There's so much broadcast time, it isn't possible for either of them to not recycle their lines. So I think your points are valid: they need to bring in guests into the broadcast booth. Different ones for the different races - it gives them a break on commenting so they don't overuse their lines, it saves their voices, it brings diversity. And who knows, it might even help find the next great commentator. As mentioned I think they need to do more going out before and between the races interviewing the racers on and off camera to get more personal details that they can share during the broadcasts. They need to spice it up a bit, specially when you consider how many hours of broadcast they're doing. Hopefully they are keen to improve themselves and we'll see these broadcasts evolve a bit.
  • 10 9
 @Fufi7: this isn’t a sport that hands out participation trophy’s. Lol
  • 10 6
 @Fufi7: well said. I watch the races for the brilliant athletes, incredible riding, and unpredictable outcomes. The commentating is just an afterthought for me.
  • 23 1
 @Fufi7: people seem to not understand that Rob wasn't a very good commentator in the early days. He has admitted it himself, and got coaching to improve his work.

I'm not a fan of the new format though. Two race runs in a day is harsh at best.
  • 12 1
 @avg-roadie: Agree. I love the CG but commentating isn't a good fit for him... it's badddd!
  • 21 0
 CG keeps playing with fire saying "LOOK-AT-THAT" and one day is gonna get carried away and turn that into the forbidden words that only the almighty Warner shall pronounce and is going to be truly embarrassing and awkward for everyone
  • 3 4
 @BenPea: exactly, a legend of the sport, great and downhill riding and entertainment but very bad at live racing commentator, he took a big risk by accepting the job and potentially damaging his reputation and how we saw him by trying to fill the shoes of the best downhill commentator there was.
  • 58 3
 @Fufi7: Okay.

1. Too much see // say. Meaning rider is pedaling “oh look he's pedaling”. The audience isn't dumb and can see the rider is pedaling.

2. Overly hyping moments when it isn't needed. If everything is at level 10 there is no room to elevate moments that should be hyped.

3 Poor use of hyperbole and metaphors. They should stop trying to do Warner lite.

4. Very little backstory and context to the athletes. Meaning, more context to who the rider is. That requires talking to the athletes prior to the broadcast and learning about their lives be it their race life or out just every day life.

5. Both announcers are going for the same points Ala Warner. Warner always had the straight man or woman with him that counterbalanced his hyperbole. Elliot was Warners opposite and this works in a broadcast setting. CG clearly wants to be the hype guy then Ric needs to be the straight man in the setup.

I think the critique is more than fair when you replace a legend with a new team. The question is whether they improve as you say. That means being open to learning. They have a month off in July, that is a good amount of time to practice, get better and deliver. Otherwise, it's gonna be a painful 8 years of this commentary & broadcast team.

Nothing is next level beyond more coverage of the juniors and semi.
  • 31 2
 @Fufi7: I see your point but we are paying MONEY for this broadcast. They wanted to take so badly a free product that was working great, Redbull TV was not perfect but they had it running like a well oiled machine and it was free and it had Rob Warner!! Every single race was full of excitement and I was hyped after each race and wanted to go ride my bike. After today’s livestream I just feel disappointed and frustrated, the commentary and camera shots are awful. Once again, we are paying money for a shitty product at the moment and we have the right to complain and wish for things to get better for the money we are paying and for the love of this beautiful sport. I started watching world cups religiously back in 2010 and this is the first year I have finished watching a World Cup and I just feel like MEH
  • 3 1
 @jackheat: Williams proved he was Warner succesor at hardline... Or at least grab Carlson they have around making great interviews for short moments...
  • 3 14
flag reydin (Jun 17, 2023 at 11:55) (Below Threshold)
 Those two are also commenting for those that are new to the sport not just just for all knowing dudes like you sunshine.
  • 8 5
 @Fufi7: 10000%. Its easy to be an internet tough guy and bash them. Theyll get better. Im sure theyre aware. More context and background is needed. I love Ric’s Irish-isms!! “his front wheel landed a Fortnite after his rear”!! I laughed
  • 12 9
 @jackheat If after watching that race the first thing you do is bitch and cry......gtfoh

You're the dude riding by on build days complaining to the people with the shovels.

All the bithching on Pinkbike is not making anything better
  • 5 2
 I should have specified that I was responding to this gem: "It's genuinely like they are only there to get paid not cause they are passionate about the sport". Is the commentary and background info stellar? No, clearly not. But these are not just a couple of random broadcasters (unlike the anchor).
  • 12 0
 @lastminutetech: problem is I don’t think it will. Cedric isn’t new to commentating, he’s been on the commentary for the French streams for a long time. I personally think it’s pretty awful and they miss so much stuff it’s like there way behind on what we are seeing. They don’t build the excitement up on runs where people are up having sick runs
  • 10 0
 @Fufi7: I understand your point, they are new they have to get more experience to get better. But that's exactly why it is so frustrating because they are charging now to see their broadcast which would mean they have to make a better job than what red bull tv did before for free. The commentators are not something that annoys me as much because they have a very high bar set by Rob Warner. What annoys me the most are the camera angles and the way they show the runs, it is awesome we can see junior and more racers which had no chance before but they are showing it wrong in my opinion. I just feel that if they come in saying they will do a much better job than before and that's why they are charging now then I expect that when I pay for their services. I also think that complaining is necessary so that they can know where to improve.
  • 11 1
 I too am missing Robs commenting. But I don’t get people hating on the filming? I thought camera work in todays finals was better than most we’ve seen in the past. Nice perspectives, not zoomed in as far, great slow-mos. Even the drone shots, while not high quality, gave a nice view on how well rider hit the landing spots on the jumps.
  • 1 1
 Si tu le dis...
  • 12 0
 @Fufi7: CG is commentating for years on the french red bull program, and even in french he is really not a good one
  • 2 1
 @Daddybear: Pas faux.
  • 9 12
 Your joking right! All Warner did was repeat his catchphrases or the same facts he knew about the riders every week. I remember this because 2 years ago everyone was asking for a change up in the commentary booth.
  • 2 4
 @lawrence-s: ya cedric isnt great but i like Ric and does have some strengths that n his craft
  • 2 0
 @rad-but-also-sad: This.
  • 3 1
 @lastminutetech: if he says "in the good" one more time im going to explode
  • 11 2
 Rob and Elliot were such a good combo... I am missing them.
  • 8 0
 Why do they insist on sticking someone in the com box that doesn’t speak good English lol
  • 2 0
 @Fishoholics: No, but it does put 5 people on the podium. That’s the same thing for an elite sport
  • 1 0
 @waxed: ha fair
  • 3 0
 @ischiller: This is really well said and is an excellent analysis.
  • 11 0
 @ischiller: @ischiller: just a plus 1 here. I'm especially missing some depth (4) in their commentary and in the interviews. It feels flat just to keep talking about Rachel being a fast mom. She is a fast woman. It would also be interesting to talk about what it means to put yourself first career wise and go racing. I applaud her doing that but that's an actual interesting topic.

Does Rick have enough time on the hill and in the pits? He is also doing EDR and perhaps XC. Is he stretched too thin to be able to go have conversations in the pits to give a bit more background? Right now, as you say, they are both there for hype and a bit of tech analysis.

I do think Cedric calls out some things I don't notice, so I appreciate that.

Honestly, I'm missing some empathy from the commentators. They have superficial sympathy. Reece has empathy. He knows what it means to be in the racers shoes. Cedric might know that but doesn't bring it. Rich has a different role but seems to lack the depth of knowledge.

Oh well. They are just getting started. Hope their producer reads this and summarizes this positively into actionable next steps for the whole production team.
  • 3 1
 @jackheat: also Andrew Neethling was always good at commentating in the past.
  • 3 0
 *I mean Reece Wilson sorry
  • 7 1
 @BenPea: who cares? Legend or not, trash commentator. It’s cool that he used to be great in an era before Jordan Williams was even born. Has nothing to do with him being a good commentator or not, it’s trash.

Would be better if Eddie met up with Charlie Murray and gave a mtb version of the ACC.
  • 6 0
 Kolb you f****** legend. What a race
  • 4 0
 @mi-bike: don't try to be that "cool guy" just for the sake of it. Their accent is annoying and the downvotes you've got just confirm it. There is always someone who tries do deny the reality just to be the "kind and lovely" and this is also boring!
  • 5 0
 @jackheat: Red Bull had Tracey Hannah jump in before retiring even and was great to get someone with current knowledge. What we have now is a joke and no Elliot Jackson interviewing racers!....
  • 3 1
 Whatever. Get over it and enjoy an epic race.
  • 2 0
 We've been watching on GCN. We've tried English and Polish audio, which were both insufferable, the French which seemed a bit better, but we don't speak French nearly enough to be comfortable listening to it.
Then we tried the German commentary and it was great, even if we didn't understand every single thing!
Lots if insight about the riders, the races and the sport, they paid close attention to the race, the times, the lines, etc. Their tone and voices were pleasant to hear, with just the right amount of excitement.
I wonder who those guys were, they were both really good. I hope they'll stay for the season, we're sticking with Deutsche commentary for future races! It actually made me want to work on my Deutsch more.
Thank you guys, if you ever read this, you saved this broadcast for us Smile
Also, YES ANDY !!!!!!!! xD
  • 5 7
 @kevindh19: where can we see complains from your mum's clients?

Clearly you are having nostalgic bias and confirmation bias. You don't like paying for a service you used to have for free regardless of the quality hence you will never be satisfied.. During RedBull days people kept complaining about the lack of cameras on the course, and the commentaries from Rob Warner or Claudio Caluori have never been what I would call legendary. The former was simply stating like a robot at the beginning of each run how talented each rider was, then was waiting for the splits to be red or green to either put himself into "complacent" or "OMFG that is some epic stuff I will go hyperbolic" mode depending if it was red or green. Claudio was trying to guess if the section was fast between splits and some "wow" and it was pretty much like fliping a coin.

The reality is commentary wasn't better, we were just used to it. And commenting DH is hard. Speed is not visible. Bruni looks always effortless regardless if he is winning or not, Brosnan looks always chirurgical, Greenland always look so springy and A. Pierron always look so close to the edge. I could go on and on with every single style of rider. Sometimes composed ender up being the fastest, sometimes it was the wildest run. My point is, unless a rider crash or you get the chance to spot a small mistake like a front tire nearly washing out or too much skid in a specific place it is very hard to figure out if a rider is making up or losing time. That mean commentaries can't really be so insightful and commenters ended up following a bland recipe that they think work best.

And I don't f*cking care how rider x's dog is named, who is single or dating someone else, or what is their preferred color.
  • 6 0
 @opignonlibre: just mention the splits when they appear on screen simple they were usually waffling soo much they only noticed the rider was "in the good" after about 3 splits of them being up i was actually commentating myself to try and keep my head in the race whilst they where waffling on about some crap!
  • 1 0
 @mi-bike: both
  • 2 0
 @malv173: that’s a good point but they should have received coaching beforehand. I’ve heard Ric commentate the Enduro Pro stages and he wasn’t very good then either. He’s much better scripted. Cedric just isn’t good. He might be better doing the French feed.
  • 1 0
 Hell I’d like to watch the finals and still be a tightwad!
  • 5 1
 I loved the comment by Cedric ""LOOK WHERE SHE IS LOOKING""!!!! it's honestly so terrible and cringe, mute is a must.
  • 3 0
 They also need to learn basic math again.
  • 9 0
 My problem is they were not just chosen, they interviewed along with several other people and this is what was decided?
My biggest issues:
- The splits, they take forever to acknowledge them, are they watching a different feed? Maybe they are??
- The repeating of each other. Cannot remember the rider "1.2 seconds in the green" then the other said the exact same thing, this happened a few times.
- The speed trap. IT WAS ON THE MOTORWAY!!! They didn't talk about it until they were well into the woods, sorry the riders were not hitting 50-55kms in those woods. Again maybe they watch a different feed?
- Easy to tell who had a bad split. In the Semi's Nina went down right near the finish. They were shocked when other riders were able to close a 3 second gap on her. Did they forget she crashed?? Rob was great at this knowing who was fast in a certain split or who wasn't. "Nina went down in the last split so Camille can make that up"

I can hear Rob calling these races in my head. As a fan it is not hard to see what is happening on course for each rider, the splits tell a story within the race that can help build excitement without screaming. Rob was realistic if a rider was out of it and then hyped it up if a rider could possibly make up time in a split! He really knew what was going on and showed it. These guys are lost in the race, overwhelmed?

Are they walking around the pits talking to the riders? Taking notes?? If you have ever been to a World Cup then you know Rob was constantly walking around the pits, on track during practice and talking to everyone from mechanics to team managers, anyone that had something he could use.
  • 5 0
 @Tormy: totally agree with your points, well put out. I can't remember the rider (maybe Ronnan Dunne?) but someone who was in the lead for a while had a terrible first split, so then obviously almost everyone behind was getting a green first split with like a second lead. They simply went WOOOW LOOK AT THAT and failed to provide the context by stating "x rider on course is in the green BUT the rider leading in the hot seat had a terrible first split, so that means nothing until they progress further down" At times I felt like I could understand better the race than they did.

Also if a split time says something important about the race I will need to hear that announcement at the same time I see it on screen, not five, ten seconds later. Is like watching a movie with subtitles out of sync. That's something Rob excelled at, he was on top of the info that mattered and delivered it right on time. That's the main point of commentary, otherwise is just people pointing out the obvious.

And as for the background and color stories, is not only they should work the pits and talk to people. They should also have a producer that is feeding them cold hard facts to add up to the commentary. For example people keep saying "this was the tightest race we seem in a bit" Well, was it? I guess if you have somebody sitting in a computer with the data at hand they could be fed that info and not only give an opinion but also valuable information, like is it really the tightest race, or when was the last race we saw that? Maybe there are any other significant bits of info about Leogang apart from Gwin chainless run (Ric repeated that so many times) that they could provide to better understand for example how the speed, overall times, technical difficulty of the track has progressed over the years? How the talent pools compare now to maybe 5/10 years ago? So people can go afterwards and say "It is the tightest race ever because somebody looked it up properly and they commented it in the live feed"
  • 2 0
 and they are late on almost every comment
  • 3 0
 I reckon (Rob Warner aside) Ed Masters would do a better job in commentary!
  • 117 4
 Get Reece Wilson on the mic, he’s likeable and easy to listen too
  • 60 2
 get Cathro on it now he's injured, think of the insights you would get.
  • 61 0
 @wonkle: Cathro and Reece, what a team that would be!
  • 35 0
 @rad-but-also-sad: with Wyn as the trackside reporter!
  • 13 0
 @rad-but-also-sad: you've got to think that in ten years time Cathro could walk into the commentary job if he wants to, he's just got the team to deal with at the moment
  • 4 0
 @rad-but-also-sad: You gotta be kidding, Thats to much of a good idea for any business only interested in money to consider it.
This is a pure Money grab.

But hey the racing itself has been excellent.
  • 8 0
 Really a goose in heat would be better than listening to GC..dude is garbage to listen to.
  • 1 0
 He's busy with other things. He'd be good but he's already busy. Someone else can step up to the plate.
  • 3 0
 @pisgahgnar: dream team. They could comment the chess worldcup and I would be hyped
  • 4 0
 @abueno: The ones to blame are Disvorery, not CG, for having made such a bad choice.
I don't know if CG asked for anything, but he didn't refuse though, which is a big fail. He was already not good at commenting in french, why did they make a deal with him? Nobody talented enough wanted to do the job in the shadow of Warner?
The bad new is that CG signed a contract and certainly has to finish the season, which means tons of shit storms to come against him.
  • 3 0
 @danstonQ: I can see your point, but if someone employed me for a job that I knew was way above my skill set, I would not take it. Something with wanting to keep the quality of a sport that I love (GC as an example) to be at least the same or better than when I came in. Same with any type of job.
  • 81 0
 These interviews while other people are riding are really shitty. Ok, Dany crashed and that sucks. But Toby Meek is riding his first elite finals give the kid the same respect as others. If you’ll show full runs, show them for everyone.
  • 16 1
 After a crash it's fine IMO, but during a normal run it's really disrespectful.
  • 3 0
 @Nuss-95: agreed. Earlier they interviewed Todd Shumlick, manager of a completely different team than the rider on course, when the other guy had nothing wrong just happened to be down a second.
  • 28 0
 It's massively disrespectful to the racers. I can't understand why they think it's a good idea. Do it before or after a run.
  • 2 1
 wat
  • 71 1
 Congrats to Finn on the women’s DH elite win!

m.pinkbike.com/photo/24983421
  • 5 2
 Hahahahahaha
  • 4 1
 now Vali could have the right to say f*cking!
  • 21 18
 Maybe she identified as Finn Iles, who are you to judge?
  • 6 1
 @Muckal: If I identify as Finn Iles, does that automatically make me able to ride as fast as Finn Iles? And should I furthermore be able to force everyone to just accept the postfactual claim that I'm in fact as fast - just because I said so and because it would hurt my feelings otherwise?

There was probably some sort of clever, insightful criticism of the modern identity movement and how the subscribers to that ideology have a devastating and irrational aversion of facts in here - but I'm too lazy to type it out right now.
  • 2 1
 @SimonJaeger: well, maybe, you could try. And no. Facts are for bigots.
  • 54 6
 I think even GCN know the commentary is terrible that's why the app defaults to ambient sound! Much more enjoyable listening to that tyres roll than the commentators waffle on spouting non-stop statistics and just telling us what we can already see on the screen but shout it. There's zero critical analysis. Most people watching this are proficient mountain bikers. They know what's going on. A bit more insight would be a step forward.
  • 31 23
 I think it's better than all the negative comments give credit for. I appreciate that Cedric is noticing things in the live footage before I do. I couldn't say that I experienced that with Rob and Claudio.
  • 40 20
 They are not nearly as bad as everyone makes them out to be. Sure, it's not polished yet, but Cedric notices a lot more things than Rob and Elliot.
  • 32 2
 I personally think the commentary is... not great but not that bad, for their first season. They were never gonna be as good as Rob Warner, and probably never will be. But I don't find them as bad as you and a lot of other commenters seem to. I would also say that some of these long distance drone shots don't really give them a lot to talk about as we're too zoomed out to really see what's going on in detail. I definitely don't feel the same excitement watching these races as I did in previous seasons, but hopefully with a bit more experience things will improve. I do feel confused every time Ric says continent-ahl though..
  • 38 13
 #WeWantRobWarnerBack
  • 2 3
 @sasso90: He is under contract with RB. Discovery can't get him.
  • 21 7
 May be stepping on some toes here.. but just curious, what exactly is good about Rob Warner’s commentary? Is it the personality? Giving more insightful analyses? Hyping up the viewing experience? Or could it be that we’ve been accustomed to his being the commentator all this while?
  • 30 16
 The commentary isn't half as bad as people make it to be. Most people complaining in here don't even know you Cedric Gracia is.
  • 18 17
 @wslee: Cedric is more insightful and notices far more things.

The only thing Rob had going for him, were his hype moments and having a good connection to the riders. So he could sprinkle in some bits about the riders were feeling about things.
  • 35 12
 @Nuss-95: are you kidding? cedric cant string together a coherent sentence, just repeats the riders name and point out the most obvious shit.
  • 4 1
 @Nuss-95: Yeah Cedric has said some really interesting things amongst the noise.
  • 26 1
 @Nuss-95: when it get steep it get sketchy, when its fast they go fast, when its bumpy the suspension goes up and down, the wheels on the bike go round and round!
  • 10 5
 @mitch243
Claudio always spotted stuff that average viewers didn't. Watch replays and see.
  • 1 1
 That's a point for the the app, then.
  • 1 1
 @Mitch243: haha
  • 4 2
 @Mitch243: you’re wrong bro sorry
  • 5 1
 the WB Discovery CEO has made $300m in salary and comp in last 2 years, just slice a small piece of that and get Warner back, these clowns are turning back DH
  • 9 0
 @markeversonpencilart: although I can't count the number of times Claudio said "he's looking really fast through there!" only to see the rider lose 2 seconds on the next split
  • 11 2
 I think they're doing a good job. It's gotten better from last week. They've calmed down a bunch. At the start of each run, I wish they would bring back the qualification number in the graphics like Red Bull used to do so we have an idea of how many racers we have left.
  • 2 1
 @Nuss-95: yeah like dark lenses vs clear lenses. Who cares about that??
  • 9 0
 @kevindh19: “He's running mirror lenses, you love to see it”

What?
  • 23 3
 @Nuss-95: Cedric is insightful? Are we living in alternate realities?

Telling me that someone is pedaling in a place where every rider pedals is not insightful.

Agreeing with something Ric said, but misunderstanding him and then adding some incoherent comment to the commentary is not insightful.

Yelling a string of commentary, but losing his line of thought and not finishing what he was saying is not insightful.

Elliot Jackson was insightful. Get him back.
  • 5 0
 @pastaman23: personal preference, a great rider doesn’t mean he can commentate. We seen the same with Tracey Hannah.
  • 1 0
 @FensterM: exactly
  • 5 8
 @wslee: It's because people in pinkbike comments fixate on one particular point and then insistently repeat it at every moment, as their favorite pastime in whining. It was not too long ago that everyone was asking for a change in the booth. Rob only became super popular because amongst people on pinkbike after it was announced he was left out of commentating for this season.
  • 1 0
 @wslee: voice!
  • 1 1
 Counterpoint, my cousin is not a mountain biker and was listening to it without watching (I steamed it while he was driving) and he said he could follow along and enjoyed it. So it may not be what everyone is looking for, but at least it works for a certain audience of non-core mountain bikers who discovery may be targeting
  • 1 0
 @Mitch243: he did notice a few things basic stuff like line choice and over shooting jumps but he just doesn't quite seem relaxed yet and it shoes. I actually wish he'd speak a bit of french such as brief phrases or sayings. I think it'd help him relax more between the forced english. And Ric man stop repeating what Cedric says just because it's not grammatically correct! It's not helping the chemistry.
  • 44 1
 tiz-cycling-live.io/live2.php
  • 2 0
 thumbs up. thanks
  • 2 0
 Thank you
  • 2 1
 thanks!!!
  • 4 0
 You are the man!! Thank you. Will this stream be available for the upcoming venues?
  • 3 0
 Sweet, hope it stays up
  • 1 0
 @bikes-arent-real: refresh the page and start the stream again.
  • 2 0
 @RSCortezC:same stream/site as last week at Lenzerheide, so hopefully it works for future rounds. Good for XC too ;-)
  • 3 0
 stream went down
  • 8 3
 You’re awesome! Too bad they just blocked the live stream Frown I hate the new format and the new broadcasting company. F*** them
  • 2 0
 hang in there free stream!
  • 1 0
 Thanks!
  • 2 0
 @theronsta: Keep refreshing, it will come back. Dont worry though, it will surely freeze on the most important times like last week.
  • 1 0
 Perfect Thanks!
  • 2 2
 blocked.
  • 1 0
 @theronsta: I agree. It’s sucks Been waiting since last year to not even be able to watch live. I
  • 44 6
 If somebody want to stand in for Cedric, you'll be kinda fine with repeating a mix of these lines:

He/she is on a mission!
French Lines!
Is it a day for [name]?
Wow he/she is 'really' on it!
Look at the line!
What happened there?
Is/she on the run of its life!
Is it his/her day?
He/she is on the limit!
Can he/she do it today?
Wow wow - wooooooow - WOOOOOOOOW
He/she is aggressive!
He/she destroyed the corner!
Whaaaa!
He/she is dangerous!
Ohh that's clean!
Whaaa he/she is flying is down!
He/she is carrying at lot of speed / momentum!
It's so tight!
  • 49 19
 As if Rob wasn't saying "look at the time" 10x per day.
  • 10 2
 You forgot about one more:
He/she is the most talented rider from (choose your country)
  • 3 1
 Another one:

Not too much braking here now!
  • 19 8
 @Nuss-95: There is a difference in having your signature phrase and just blabbering random speak.
  • 11 5
 @Nuss-95: Rob was tossing out one liners non stop. Gettin a laugh during a broadcast is a nice add on and hard to do. I think you're CG burner with how much stumpin you're doing for the man
  • 5 4
 @Nuss-95: Rob was tossing out one liners non stop. Gettin a laugh during a broadcast is a nice add on and hard to do. I think you're CG burner with how much stumpin you're doing for the man
  • 10 9
 @Nuss-95:

Rob: Ugh! Amazing!

PB Commenters: he’s the best!
  • 3 1
 I read that in Claudio's voice
  • 19 0
 add to that Ric calling 80% of the field “a BIG, STRONG rider, a real unit.” The rest (Troy, Jackson, Laurie) are “compact riders”
  • 4 1
 You forgot these lines:

He/she is carrying at lot of speed / momentum!
Is it a day for [name]?
Wow he/she is 'really' on it!
Look at the line!
He/she is on a mission!
Can he/she do it today?
Is/she on the run of its life!
Is it his/her day?
He/she is on the limit!
He/she is aggressive!
He/she destroyed the corner!
Whaaaa!
What happened there?
Ohh that's clean!
It's so tight!
French Lines!
Whaaa he/she is flying is down!
He/she is dangerous!
Wow wow - wooooooow - WOOOOOOOOW
  • 7 0
 Looc at de jersey flapping wit de wind!!!!!!
  • 16 2
 @Nuss-95: the most iconic phrase in this sport. He could say it 100 times if he wanted to. Just look at the YouTube winning races replays. Look at the Finn Iles winning run from last year in Canada. The excitement, the hype, managing his voice and the energy, it just builds up the excitement beautifully and you get an explosion of emotions at the end when Rob did it. Today I just wanted to turn off the tv as soon as I could.
  • 12 2
 @not-really: CG made some indepth statement zhat ze rotorz shouldn't be rubbing becauze ozn ze moturway it's all about zpeed, but he forgot halfway what he actually wanted to say or shout a bit of wooooo instead.
  • 2 1
 @Nuss-95: Iconic lines can be repeated. Nothing Cedric says is even close to iconic.
  • 1 1
 @succulentsausage: Nothing he could say would be iconic after just two races lmao. What a weird complaint.
  • 42 0
 Fuck yeah Andreas
  • 2 1
 Kolby Broughtit
  • 4 0
 All hail the Austrian Eagle!
  • 4 0
 The stories this sport is writing now is incredible. We’ve all been watching the races since the FREECASTER days and we’ve never seen such compelling storylines like we’ve seen in the last couple years. The riders are so much more professional in how they conduct themselves, their conditioning is elite and the competition has never been better. Well done
  • 27 1
 What a day for Austria!! Is that the first time a man and woman have won elite races in their home country. This year is starting off brilliant racing
  • 5 0
 Think Gee & Rach both won fort bill some years back and I'd half guess the frenchies must have done it too in the past few years maybe? Definitely must be quite rare though
  • 1 0
 @Joebohobo: yeah pretty sure I was there! Must have been 2013 ish
  • 26 0
 Jackson was on a run!! Too bad about that final corner, same one that got Holi last year in her first year of elite.
  • 16 0
 That mistake cost him first place, I feel.
  • 6 0
 @urkel: definitely
  • 5 1
 @urkel: Definitely cost him second place. Maybe first place - it would have been extremely close. But that's racing.
  • 1 3
 @urkel: Nah I think he'd have taken 2nd with it but 1st was just out of reach even if he kept the corner. But still an excellent effort considering 1st year elite/recent injury. Excited to see what the season brings for him.
  • 28 8
 CG’s commentary…… “wow look at his wheel spinning” yes Cedric, it’s a bike!!!
  • 20 0
 What a day for Austria… the leogang pits are about to burn to the ground for the two locals
  • 32 18
 Not going to be the most popular comment, but I think people need to chill a bit on commentary hate: It's OK, we all miss Rob and the RB media team, but this Leogang race was a great show, and Ric and CG did not take away one bit of enjoyment of that for me.
Some seem to really not like CG's over excited style, but loved when Rob did it. Come on guys, give these two a chance.
  • 4 3
 Agreed, I think its just fine. It’s their first season. They’ll pick up a little tricks of the trade along the way and I only get better
  • 13 0
 They are so distant from the Riders/riding. Commentary Must have daily knowledge and be up to date with the riders and how they are feeling that day etc - these guys are the opposite and its like they turned up 2mins before the runs lmao
  • 2 0
 @luckymixes: Maybe it sounds better in Spanish? It's pretty poor in English.
Little to no insight, project work, other races, personal insight and other info on riders beyond previous Uci results, nickname calling and why, explanation of injuries and those who didn't make it to the final.


The biggest problem for me is poor interpretation of what's happening.
I'm no expert but I've watched this sport with the Mrs who doesn't ride for the last 3 years.

She can spot a fast ride/line slow ride/line most the time, These guys aren't reading it well at all constantly amping up slow rides.

It gets tiring to hear and follow when it's smoke and no trousers.

I want to find the positives but in truth it's piss poor and will likely result in me dropping watching all but the final highlights and I imagine many others the same cause 3 hours of listening to this isn't enjoyable as it once was.

If nobody watches then what happens to the sport?
  • 2 0
 If you've got that much money and said in advance you'll bring the sport to a new era... Be consecuent with your words... It was easy to bring someone to do it better than Rob... Reece, Cathro, Eliot, Minaar (future).. they all proove it... Just get well spoken experienced riders... Poor Rick don't know how many things he's doing... Don't know if the guy ever sleeps...Which proves they just try to cut costs down and doesn't give them much of a shit ...
  • 2 0
 @gomez12: I listen to the english commentary, tried listening to the Spanish version and THAT is how you now what a terrible commentary can ruin it.
It is a good example: in the Spanish version, you have a generic presenter who does not now anything about the sport and just reads from a piece of paper (name, nationality, some random past results) with ZERO emotion.
By his side, there is a fairly good rider with experience in world cup racing, but the man does not have the experience behind the mic to come up with the right words, valuable info, etc at the right times.
Also, there is ZERO humour between them

That is what makes me appreciate the job that specially Ric does. He is not as charismatic as Rob, but he is a proffesional who can talk for hours and hours about bike racing without being cliché
  • 14 0
 Jackson and Finn both having issues on final corners during amazing runs was a bummer, but I'm happy as hell for Kolb. Always awesome to see someone deserving win it in their home country.
  • 1 0
 Least favorite track to watch because of those last corners. Not fun to ride and not fun to watch. I’m fine with flat loose corners if they get the riders to put a foot out.
  • 14 1
 I wish Rob would do a live commentary feed, no video. That I could sync up with. Not sure how many more times I can hear “into the good” even if it was a podcast episode I’d wait for that and watch the race after.
  • 3 0
 100%
  • 2 0
 ...110% bring back The Warner asap
  • 4 0
 Plus, without the contract, he could go back to doing it drunk...
  • 1 0
 @slimboyjim: OMG yes! That would be so much fun!!! xD
  • 14 0
 I was trying not wo whinge today but holy shit the background noise on the commentary is horrible. Get a goddam sound proof box.
  • 14 0
 WHAT A RACE!!! AUSTRIA YOU BLOODY LEGENDS!
  • 9 0
 Those semi-final points might really make a difference in the overall this year.
Cami Balanche is in first in the standings: She hasn't finished lower than 2nd in qualis, semis, or finals through the first two races. She picked up 100 points in semis last week and Vali only got 12 points for a 14th in semis. That difference is exactly the same as how far apart they are now in overall points (680 vs. 592).
  • 1 0
 Yeah, once again it is her consistency which helps her towards the points lead. I also wonder whether it is her always pushing harder towards to finish or (nearly) everyone else getting tired. Ever since she took the Worlds title in Leogang (haven't been paying sufficient attention before) she started from the back and progressed towards the front.
  • 11 0
 One of the Discovery promises was wider audiences presumably through traditional cable TV packages, yet all we get is obscure apps to stream from.
  • 9 0
 The red bull German audio was so good: former WC DHer Markus Pekoll was the co-commentator, he was so on-fire when Kolb came down - as he was his mentor for years…. and when it was clear he finished the race as #1 pekoll cried a bit in the live feed, whoawwww AWESOME
  • 1 0
 Red bull German audio? I guess you mean GCN?
  • 1 0
 Oh apparently not! Are they streaming all the races in German...?
  • 1 0
 We've tried English and Polish audio, which were both insufferable, the French which seemed a bit better, but we don't speak French nearly enough to be comfortable listening to it.
Then we tried the German commentary and it was great, even if we didn't understand every single thing!
Lots if insight about the riders, the races and the sport, they paid close attention to the race, the times, the lines, etc. Their tone and voices were pleasant to hear, with just the right amount of excitement.
So you're saying it was Pekoll, I wonder who the other guy was, they were both really good. I hope they'll stay for the season, we're sticking with Deutsche commentary for future races! It actually made me want to work on my Deutsch more.
Thank you guys, if you ever read this, you saved this broadcast for us Smile
  • 1 0
 Oh ok, you did mean RB. I was talking about german commentary on GCN.
  • 2 0
 Then meanwhile we need a live translation of the German live show... An we al tune there!...
  • 13 4
 I sure am glad internets weren’t around when I was a commentator… I couldn’t have taken it.
Rick… Keep doing what you’re doing. As a hast commentator, you’re doing fine and will get better and more relaxed as time goes by.
Cedric… With the reputation you have, get into the pits and talk to the racers. Find out what they’ve been up to before the race and during practice. Get their highs and lows and pick up a few stories along the way. It’s only to someone like you where they’ll just open up. Anyone else wouldn’t have the immediate acceptance. You’re the “colour” man… for both on air commentators to be doing the same thing gets you where you are… passable, but you’ve got a tough act to follow and people will be looking for you to fail. As far as I’m concerned, if this is how you do with little direction, you’ll be fine.
Note to Discovery… you need a better director.
Did I just write this like it would be read by them?
We’ll, as long as it’s read by you fine people, that’s enough for me.
  • 7 2
 There's such thing as the right person for the job and these guys ain't it. If you get someone with the right personality it will flow naturally
  • 10 1
 I don’t hate Cedric at all,he seems like a very nice lad,I respect his racing career I just don’t like his screaming and shouting commentary style,I’d prefer someone else,the other guy is alright mind.
  • 11 1
 If they knew history maybe they would talk about how many people have lost it in that final turn. But nah, just “over cooked it”
  • 19 0
 Actually it was like this when Jackson overdid the turn:
Ric: Over cooked it
CG: overcooktit
Ric: Over cooked it
CG: overcooktit
Ric: yes Over cooked it
CG: yes, overcooktit
  • 8 0
 I remember watching reece in the hot seat in leogang for like an hour in most miserable weather in 2020. Today Kolb sat there watching rider after rider unable to beat his time. What a day to be an austrian ! Vali has been spoiling us for a while now and now Andi showing that austrians can do more than just skiing is fucking sick. Wish i could have been there !
  • 6 0
 Jst skiing? Austria is also good at leder hosing and eierpecking.
  • 1 0
 @mi-bike: Love all of the above ... but we should add DH to that list Smile
  • 4 2
 Austria has been prepping for climate change… snow sports won’t be paying the bills forever
  • 5 0
 @mi-bike: they are also really good in hiding people in their basements
  • 8 0
 Hear me out. I say they should put Wyn Masters in the commentary booth. He’s out with an injury. He knows and talks to all the racers and has the inside scoop. And he would say stuff other than “he’s looking fast” immediately followed by “he’s lost more time”
  • 17 9
 Wait... In the entire world of mountain biking there are only 15 women for qualifying and a mere 10 women on this planet to make the finals? I think something is underrepresented here.
  • 13 38
flag mountguitars (Jun 17, 2023 at 8:07) (Below Threshold)
 Dont give them bud light drinkers any ideas.
  • 7 2
 Yes, I think it could be 25 for semis and 15 for finals. And drop the men's to 50 for semis and 25 for finals. When I watch the women's it seems over too quick, while the men's drags on if I don't skip the first few.
  • 13 1
 @mountguitars: Alberta never fails at failing our country
  • 18 2
 It's not underrepresented at all. 10 seconds separates the mens top 30. 18 seconds separates the womens top 10. The women's field of talent is so much smaller that the competition drops away from the elite riders incredibly quickly. Proportionate to the competitive talent its actually overrepresented. But hey, the current format allows exposure in a semi final so there shouldn't be many complaints. I think it's fair.
  • 3 2
 @karatechris: Based on the competition currently, the 10 best riders were playing it out. However, why is there only 10 riders? Our sport is a very male dominated sport at any level (road, xc, DH) and this seems to be showing it. Should something be done? Regardless it seems quite strange.
  • 5 0
 19% of the Men Elite who posted qualifying times raced in the Finals.
But 28% of the Women Elite who posted qualifying times raced in the Finals.

30% of the Men Juniors who posted qualifying times raced in the Finals.
But 45% of the Women Juniors who posted qualifying times raced in the Finals.
  • 12 0
 Kolb!
  • 9 2
 Definitely room for improvement with the broadcast but so far the new format is delivering an exciting finals race. Seems like there is less chance of having weather and protected riders affect the final race order, that gets sorted out in the semis. The top 30 are hauling!! The old format always had that awkward middle period when protected riders dropped down early with a fast time, sitting in the hot seat for ages, whilst we watched a tonne of riders roll down with all red splits. Congrats to Klob and Vali, awesome racing!
  • 2 0
 Protected riders came down in 20th+n previously?
  • 9 0
 I have coded a AI program with Warners voice to commentate on the racing via Alexa. It may not be accurate, well, not accurate at all, but its better the Cedric and Ric.
  • 1 0
 Maybe we can get grimes involved
  • 17 11
 What a remarkable thread.
I thought this might be a discussion about the race but it seems that’s not the case. About 95% of this conversation is about the commentary and the majority of this is just pointless, puerile nonsense. Your toys will be on the floor underneath your prams.
Guess you guys are media critics not mountain bikers.
  • 6 0
 Plenty of riders out at the moment… Ed and wynn.. Aaron Gwin.. Cathro…Reece. to name a few. get them in as a third person in the commentary box. Someone they can bounce questions off about how each section feels to ride, why it’s a good line choice. nothing against Ric and Cedric… but it’s just lacking something.
  • 5 1
 For real, their feelings aren't worth everyone's enjoyment of the best competition in the sport. Just pay them a nice severance and put the right people in the box
  • 2 0
 It's a good chance for some ones to start a live podcast ...
  • 6 0
 Nice job Andreas Kolb! After 9 years as an elite I cannot imagine how stoked you must be and you deserve it for hangin in there and believing victory is possible! Wow with Vali winnin too today, Austrian cycling fans must be fired UP! Atherton Bikes are obviously working quite well. This is very cool to see. I'd love to demo one of their trail bikes. Goldstone and Iles both were on heaters but alas, one little bobble is all it takes these days as the comp is so wickedly tight. Nice job Luca! I actually like CG on the mic. I so wish Rob and CG could MC together, I think it'd be a riot!
  • 7 0
 Nearly a decade and someone finally checks the life dream box to get a win. Absolutely jazzed for Kolb. True homie shit.
  • 1 0
 This! To have the mental strength to keep doing what your doing! I know they love the sport but that Win is what they want. My eight year old has been racing for two seasons now and has yet to get that elusive win, while some lads it happens every race. I have to try and explain that it will happen if he keeps trying and racing! So glad Andi got his win!
  • 11 6
 Pretty disappointing seeing most of this comment session on criticism for the commentating. I usually look forward to reading the comments - true excitement for riders out there and their performance. Not this time.
  • 6 6
 Same here. I’m a little disappointed even for Andi Kolb. He might want to return to this article over the years, and look at it with fond memories and well-deserved pride…only to find all these comments about commentating instead of his incredible performance and the fairytale win.
  • 12 0
 @fjm35: ahh yeah pinkbike its where i go for good memories and positive comments haha
  • 3 3
 Wish I could upvote this enough times to push it to the top of the list! Enough has been said about the broadcasting let’s talk about the race! It’s been a really exciting start to the season. Great stories for the elite winners this weekend and last
  • 4 1
 Says a lot about the state of the sport right now then doesn't it ? Despite such a great race and memorable result , the disappointment surrounding the broadcast is a big talking point. Change for the worse is a bitter pill to swallow , especially now that viewers are paying for the product.
  • 8 2
 Come on buddy, where ya at?!!! Need that link to watch the race for free again.
  • 5 0
 You can Watch the Race live on redbull tv in Germany and Austria. Use a VPN

www.redbull.com/at-de/live/uci-mtb-weltcup-2023-leogang-downhill
  • 1 0
 Who’s commentating? Worth switching over from GCN+?
  • 8 0
 @Lumenous1: German language commentary. They are pretty decent, in case you understand German.
  • 1 0
 Thanks! Gonna have to learn German!
  • 1 0
 Not sure I would rate the German commentary as not too bad: they completely butchered Tuhotos name, insisted Remy Meier Smith is a Kiwi, promoted Leogang Bikepark very hard and called it the Whistler of Europe, completely missed Rachel's case at the start of the Motorway...
  • 1 0
 Do they have their own cameras, their own coverage? Or is it the same as Discovery?
  • 1 0
 @HappyBiker19: discoverys feed
  • 1 0
 does anybody know why they could stream it? Austrian race? Main sponsor at this location?
???
  • 6 0
 This are the tightest times from all DH WC ever! I would say... 10s 30 guys... Top ten by only 2,5s... This is becoming F1!
  • 3 0
 The diference in finals only 6,66 seconds for top 30! Mark of the beast to get in!
  • 1 0
 *semifinals
  • 4 0
 It’s cool ay. But I still want some longer tracks too. Hopefully they get some 4.5min tracks as well. That will spread things.
  • 5 2
 Contrary to my username, DH is clearly the best cycling discipline to watch. I pay for GCN, and I’m just not nearly as hurt as the majority of y’all are. There was a noticeable improvement in coverage compared to last week. Cedric sounds like his English gets caught in his throat, then just bursts out, but he knows good performance when he sees it, and says so.

I’m happy enough about the coverage, and I know it’ll improve.
  • 3 0
 It’s a good thing the DH racing is so competitive and fun to watch because the commentary is just terrible.
Chris is just so amazed at how fast and scary DH racing is, and Cedric is captain obvious. Frankly I found them more distracting from the racing today than last week.
I know it will get better, because it can’t get worse.
  • 2 0
 Whats with the lack of bike and crowd audio on the broadcast? RedBull had that sound of speed atmosphere, and fair enough I could've done without so many flipping chainsaws coming over the audio, but now I feel like I'm the poor work experience kid muzzled and strapped into a chair at the back of the commentary booth, only able to faintly absorb the atmosphere of a fantastic race venue outside, whilst being forced to listen to a tired overworked irishman and a french stimulant addict.
  • 3 1
 Vali doing what Vali does! I've listened to a lot of interviews with her and it was clear to me once she adjusted to Elite she'd kill it. Overall Champ, World Champ, Home race dominant win. Pom Pon is the only rider on the same speed in the dry.
  • 3 1
 and it’s rad how the ladies picked it up after last week.
The Rachel effect is real, “After Lenzerheide I was so lost I didn't know what to do...”
  • 1 0
 I still think Rachel is the benchmark for which other women are measuring their skills. That doesn't mean she'll always be the fastest, but the others can certainly learn something from her, and if they beat her, they need to keep doing whatever it is that lead to that. It's gonna be a great season.
  • 10 5
 Cedric is the sort of person to go into a comment section and spew a load of crap in all caps.
  • 1 0
 but then repeat it 5 times and then wonder if he was still on topic... lol
  • 7 1
 King KOLB.... smashed it.
  • 6 0
 Am I even watching the same race as the commentators?
  • 6 0
 We need Edbull Media and WynTV alternative Commentary!
  • 1 0
 Can we as fans of the sport write some kind of petition. I prefer to watch the races on catch up so i can rewind runs etc, which used to be great on redbull. Now i go onto youtube and the gmbn racing page and there have been spoilers the last two weeks. Gmbn are clearly a money grabbing entity now and dont give a damn about the fans who cant or dont want to pay. I used to love watching downhill, i cant even comment on the commentators as i dont see the point of watching a two hour race when i already know whos won!!! Get gmbn out!
  • 6 0
 Vali!! What a great win
  • 4 0
 Hell yeah Valentiinaaa.. she was looking way faster than the rest of the girls , congrats Champ
  • 4 0
 The bottom corners took out Goldstone, Bruni and Iles. And that's a win Austria and Atherton and most importantly Andreas!
  • 5 0
 Perfect run from Kolb! Amazing!
  • 3 0
 I finally found a good use for AI - we just need to feed the captions to a real-time Rob Warner voice generator and we’re golden.
  • 5 0
 Can we talk about the race also? Or just the commentary?
  • 8 7
 Y'all are way too salty about the commentators. I think they are doing a fine job. Of course everyone loves Rob but these guys are good enough for me. Give me a few chuckles and have good enthusiasm. I feel bad that they're going to be reading all this nonsense about themselves online. It's all bs.
  • 3 0
 Some big improvements but like everyone else the commentator (Cedric) it a massive let down. I had to switch the volume off half way. Ric is doing ok and is easy on the ears.
  • 4 0
 I kinda enjoyed CG commentary, he sounds like a drum n bass MC, like I keep waiting to hear him yell out “come selecta!”
  • 3 0
 So happy for Andi Kolb, what a win! Also glad to see Luca Shaw on the podium again, I hope he can find consistency at the very sharp end of things again.
  • 2 0
 I'm sure this has been said but can the commentators please let us know how many racers are left. Top 10 countdown please! Apart from that I'm not really complaining about the commentary.
  • 2 0
 5:17 am PDT: Disaster for Danny Hart
After leading into the final sector by 0.926 seconds Danny Hart's front tire comes off the rim and he slides off the course.- SHRALPPPPPPPPPPPIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGG!!!!!
  • 3 0
 It aint perfect but its 6 quid for 3 races this month. Maybe go without those oil slick ti bolts your 6 grand bike needs and you'll be able to afford it
  • 2 0
 Exactly this! Spend thousands every year on the latest fad but small change to watch some racing-hell no!
  • 5 0
 Great race! Should be a good season. Reece is the biggest pro on the mic.
  • 2 0
 I was wondering if people could create a semi-final parallel championship, solely dedicated to providing an opportunity for those who may not have the chance to witness the final.
  • 4 0
 I wish everyone with Pay Tv a lot of Fun!
  • 3 0
 www.redbull.com/de-de/live/uci-mtb-weltcup-2023-leogang-downhill

free on RedBull TV
  • 2 0
 @blackrider66: I have to get a vpn extension
  • 1 0
 @blackrider66: thx thats pretty cool
  • 1 0
 @blackrider66: Huge thanks man! Just fired up Winscribe & watched the top 20. Don't speak a lick of German but didn't need to - I can work out what's happening on track, the commentators had all the passion to keep the buzz going.

Brilliant!
  • 11 7
 They are killing DH , it’s all bad .
  • 6 4
 What a race that was....on mute. CG gotta go, it is painful. Congrats to this podium, doing that track 2 times full gas, unbelievable.
  • 4 1
 Goldstone would have won but for that silly mistake in the very end. He's bound to win a world cup soon.
  • 3 0
 That move on that steep berm on the forest ..
  • 4 4
 Don't want to pay to watch the sport you claim to enjoy, then don't! Don't want to listen to the commentary, then turn it off! Yeah we have to pay to watch but in a sport that is quite frankly, bloody expensive, why are people moaning! Let's enjoy the bloody amazing racing we have witnessed so far and long may it continue!!
  • 1 0
 Amen
  • 2 1
 Maybe we should get some colored silicone favorite commentator bracelets and wear them like trail flair to show our support for our favorite announcer! (No particular offense to any of them btw)
  • 1 1
 Do somebody know please where can I watch the full elite DH finals replay for free? Because when there was a RedBull I was watching from their website, but now I can´t find any source Frown It´s shame when someone has a lot of work on Saturday, then I miss everything. And really who cares about semi finals replay on YT.
  • 3 0
 CG & Ric your insights are worse than anything found in the comments on Pinkbike that should be instant dismissal
  • 5 3
 Aussie bloke doing a live commentary, it's pretty good tbh. www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BG6bRRTaJg
  • 3 0
 Glad to be living in Austria right now. Next week Crankworx woopwoop
  • 2 0
 Two punctures on one day (Minnaar last week) is bad luck. Making a mistake in the woods (Minnaar today) is not.
  • 3 0
 Why does it say Hart was DSQ. That that would say DNF, due to crashing.
  • 2 0
 not having watched the finals but having seen the crash I would suggest that when he did get back up and on track he entered the tack lower than where he exited the track, this gives him a disqualification. I could be wrong but that's what my best guess is going on what I have seen.
  • 3 0
 It looked like he re-entered correctly. Maybe because the worker cutting off his tire was considered illegal mechanical help?
  • 2 0
 @presidentcamacho: ah that's it. No outside assistance allowed.
  • 2 1
 I have an idea, let's convince Rob Warner to start a live stream on YouTube as he watches WC DH live muted and gives the commentary
  • 5 3
 Jesus Christ. What are you here for, commentary, or the sport?

Any comments on actual rides?

Give it a break already.
  • 3 0
 Stocked for Luca with the top 5.
  • 4 3
 Just canceled my subscription to GCN+…..been watching DH live since the freecaster days. I’ll just watch the highlights for now. Not worth it sorry discovery.
  • 6 5
 Serious question: is Vali Hol putting on weight to gain an advantage? She is obviously fit, but it appears she has some extra weight which I assume is an advantage racing DH?
  • 3 2
 I’ve been asking myself the same thing, but more along the lines of a powerlifter build, I guess
  • 1 2
 Obviously, physics says heavier objects fall faster right?
  • 2 3
 I had no problems with the commentary. Cedric brings an excitement to the race and noticed lots of small details. They both did a better job of noticing the splits and bringing in background on the riders compared to Lenzerheide.

Still having issues with the logistics and flow on the GCN+ app (and it sucks not having a Roku app). Beyond that, I don't like the semifinal structure, especially how it flows into a tiny 10-women final (excluding true contenders from the chance to win). I haven't watched any of the men's semi-final coverage because I, like most people, have limited time available and the final run is where the magic happens. The semi introduces dumb risk and winnows the women's field down way too much.
  • 3 1
 Oh, and not even showing Tahnee Seagrave crossing the finish line in women's semis? Really?
  • 3 0
 Missing Lauren Smith most!
  • 3 0
 I would pay money to watch these races live with Cathro commentating
  • 1 0
 I subscribed to Disney+ and their app for my samsung television doesn't even have a sports section much less any way to watch the World Cup. WTF is up with that?!
  • 2 0
 I want Vali to win just so we get another interview with her friend
  • 5 0
 What did I miss??
  • 4 1
 @bikes-cost-too-much-now: You had to be there.
  • 1 0
 Done the 1 language default English. Everything thing else is right, build up, in the pits but no in race commentary.
  • 5 4
 What's Cedric's full name and does he have an Instagram?
He needs to know that down means slower and up means faster!!!
  • 15 19
flag mluk2004 (Jun 17, 2023 at 5:04) (Below Threshold)
 @Mitch243: Cedric Gracia, he's a mountain bike legend. His commentary is fine
  • 4 6
 He needs to know what down means, and you needs to know one think or two about down(hill) Big Grin his name is Cedric Gracia ^^
  • 3 6
 @kegron: Easy lad! I've been an F1 fan since I was a kid so I'm used to commentators saying certain things.
Not aware of Cedric's achievements. I only know the 2015's onwards and, of course Stevie Smith, Sam Hill and Steve Peat.
But up means faster and down means slower. It just is!
  • 3 0
 @Widgets: No problem , did you notice the smiley ? ;-)
  • 4 1
 This drove me nuts as well...rider goes 2s faster and commentator says "2s back!" WTF??!!
  • 1 1
 @Widgets: dunno man. As far as I'm concerned, down means lower and up means higher.
  • 2 1
 @mluk2004: legend in what way? definitely not in commentary.... terrible, ive heard better at a local sports game by the drunk guy next to me.
  • 3 1
 Kerr’s thinking ‘ I should’ve signed Oisin to Pivot’ !
  • 3 1
 "UNLITCH THE BEAST!" - Cedric Garcia
  • 3 0
 DAKOTAH!!!
  • 1 0
 Syndicate corner? Wasn’t that the place Greg threw away the race to Troy?
  • 2 0
 Looks like Troy chose not to run the steering damper
  • 2 0
 Fantastic day for Austria! Glad it stayed dry today.
  • 2 0
 Kolb pumped it up today. Nice run.
  • 3 1
 Gracia... interview with Kolb..didn’t ask one question ... so bad
  • 1 0
 Did I miss it or they didn't show the overall standings after both women's and men's races?
  • 2 0
 So the Austrians won in Austria, eh
  • 1 0
 Had to switch from the Swedish commentary. Guy on there kept calling Loic Luca English commentary was a step up!
  • 2 0
 Anyone have a link to a replay?
Missed it was out on the bike
  • 6 3
 youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ
  • 1 0
 @super-fred:
  • 1 0
 @super-fred: I hate you
  • 3 0
 RedBull TV PLS
  • 3 1
 Andi you absolute legend!!!!! So so so stoked for him! Finally!!!!!
  • 3 1
 Athertons win again without actually winning
  • 11 10
 You're all such whiny fcking whinge bags.. the commentry is absolutely fine. Don't get the hate
  • 3 1
 #bringbackredbulltv #ucisucks
  • 2 2
 Heck, at this point I'd even vote to put Eliot Jackson back in, as terrible as he was. If you ask me, the best commentating tandem was Rob Warner & Nigel Page.
  • 2 0
 I watch the video of Danny's "ludicrous" run at Champery at least 4 or 5 times a year. The video showing Rob and Nigel in the booth calling the race is hilarious and wonderful.
  • 1 0
 On the overall leader list, why was Jackson Goldstone credited with only a 4th place in the second race when he came in 3rd?
  • 1 0
 Never mind, figured it out.
  • 1 0
 Jackson is haunted by left handers
  • 2 1
 Commentary would be nice! Disco +
  • 2 0
 Check your sound options.
  • 1 1
 @Nuss-95: nope, nothing.
  • 1 1
 It was the same last week, would have thought they'd be able to sort it by now. Pretty fucking poor.
  • 1 0
 @alexhyland: Weird. In the app I can choose between a 7 languages.
  • 1 1
 @Nuss-95: this is watching Discovery+ (so Eurosport) through Amazon app.
  • 1 0
 Where have Ric and Cedric gone?
  • 1 0
 To the future, at least on my GCN feed. The audio being a few seconds ahead to the video is real nice, with the commentators announcing crashes and split times in advance...
  • 2 0
 Check your sound/caption options.
  • 1 0
 I'm not complaining there is none on discovery + through amazon.
  • 1 0
 That’s a lovely accent you got there. New Jersey?
  • 1 0
 Where was Tahnee Seagrave at?
  • 1 0
 Crashed
  • 2 0
 @russthedog: lookin fine
  • 4 2
 WC DH eats itself
  • 1 0
 Minnaar 8 seconds down, come on man.
  • 3 3
 Who do you think has the best butt in downhill mtb? my vote is for Greenland.
  • 5 3
 Cedric needs to go
  • 1 0
 Make Downhill Great Again and bring Rob Warner back
  • 3 3
 Gracia is good but the other guy just needs to shut up, he is just annoying
  • 2 0
 Tippie and Palmer.
  • 1 0
 what about the junior results?? dose anyone know where to see them!!??
  • 2 0
 www.pinkbike.com/news/junior-results-from-the-leogang-dh-world-cup-2023.html

Full replay of the Juniors races are on both the GMBN and UCI Mountain Bike World Series Youtube channels.
  • 1 0
 @Bibico: Thanks mate!! real help!! Smile
  • 12 13
 I’ve muted the screaming Cedric .. he sounds like an over excited 7 year old girl… too much.Great ride by Vali Holl
  • 14 18
flag J4m3z420 (Jun 17, 2023 at 4:46) (Below Threshold)
 I really hope they get rid of him. Put in a native English speaker for the English commentary at least. I’m sure they can find someone much better with relevant recent racing experience and winning…. Like Reece Wilson
  • 14 10
 @J4m3z420: I don't get the hate against him. Sure he could work on his English but he is an mtb legend and brings some humor and insights to the table.
  • 11 5
 @pastaman23: I agree he is a legend and has great humor but maybe not the best for live commentary just yet. He will surely get better with feedback and commentary training. Also currently paying for GCN+ so I feel I have a little input. Curious if people preferred Elliot over Claudio once Claudio got phased out on RBTV. I for sure did.
  • 11 0
 @J4m3z420: I loved Elliot over Claudio, Claudio had his time but there was a time I kept getting annoyed at how negative he was and counting rider’s times off mid race. Elliot and Rob were my favorite by the end.
  • 2 2
 All the sound but commentary hahaha f sake.!
  • 3 3
 Goldstone made up for amaury pierron's absence
  • 8 9
 Bring back Warner ffs. Whatever it takes stop the torture. At least I am being honest and not sugar coating anything.
  • 4 1
 But other people have other honest opinions- there is a lot to learn how society really should work.. life is not a my opinion is the right opinion game..
  • 2 0
 @Fufi7: it is if enough people agree. That's what capitalism is, voting with money. For better or worse...
  • 3 0
 @Dogl0rd: Capitalism is not about majority of the people, rather the majority of the money and power - people wise that is a very tiny amount of people who decide - that is capitalism..
  • 2 1
 @Fufi7: too bad people aren’t honest about their opinions…. You like that shite they are spewing? If so then everyone has different opinions.
  • 7 10
 Well, they did it! WC DH is officially dead! I feel sorry for everyone involved.
Below threshold threads are hidden







Copyright © 2000 - 2024. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv42 0.056243
Mobile Version of Website