The Pinkbike Racing Podcast: Episode 2 - The Lourdes World Cup Post-Race Wrap-Up

Mar 28, 2022 at 12:42
by Henry Quinney  
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THE PINKBIKE PODCAST // EPISODE 112 - LOURDES WORLD CUP POST-RACE WRAP-UP PODCAST
March 28th, 2022

Henry, Ben, and James talk about the first World Cup race of 2022, including long lift lines, fast juniors, and a resurgent Amaury Pierron.


Join us on another episode of the Pinkbike Racing Podcast. This week the team completed their first World Cup of the season in France and we talk about the race, endless lift queues, and why racing downhill in the French springtime wasn't all that bad.

The track was fast and the racing was close, so here to bring you all the latest from the event itself I'm joined by Ben Cathro and James Smurthwaite. Ben sadly had to miss out on this round due to a shoulder issue but has plenty of insight into the race and the track. James, who's our resident racing stats enthusiast, also has many interesting insights into a weekend that offered so many great parts of downhill, as well as some of the negative ones.

We also have clips from Max Commencal as he discusses what it's like to be at the helm of a company that can seemingly do no wrong on the World Cup circuit, as well as the etiquette for concussed riders.

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider subscribing to Beta to help support the Pinkbike Racing team.

Podcast presented by Evo
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Author Info:
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Member since Jun 3, 2014
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60 Comments
  • 52 2
 Big shoutout to pinkbike for not putting this behind the paywall!
  • 21 11
 Wait a few more races lol.
  • 3 0
 @nskerb: I don't know how they can do it and keep it on the podcast apps?
  • 1 0
 @nskerb: Why is this downvoted.... they said in a previous article the first few we're going to be free and then it'd go behind the paywall. Welcome to the new Pinkbike
  • 1 0
 @kookseverywhere: PB Comments are where logic goes to die lol. Can't argue with stupid.
  • 34 0
 I would agree that Camille Balanche is very consistent but what they didn't mention is that while she's been riding that way she has gotten faster and faster. She even found 4.2 seconds between Saturday and Sunday, where Tahnee found 2.7 and Miriam and Vali were slower. That shows how she seems to be in control of her lines on track and bike setup. I don't think we know how fast Camille can get but if she continues on this path combining increasing speed with consistency, she might become very hard to beat.
  • 13 0
 Lourdes has shown that we can have a world cup much earlier in the year than what we have seen previously, and I would be confident in betting that potential host locations are taking note. What are the odds we see one in the Southern Hemisphere in coming years? Some kind of Aus/NZ/Asia double or triple header is the stuff of dreams for someone like myself. It would be amazing to see the European circus head south for a change.
  • 6 0
 Lourdes is a great track, but I agree. They missed a trick not having a race in AU or NZ, seems crazy with 8 weeks to get back up to Europe
  • 3 17
flag x-jumper (Mar 29, 2022 at 0:54) (Below Threshold)
 No need of races in Vaxland. Wink
  • 3 0
 how about South America. Like Bariloche, Argentina or something
  • 7 0
 Having just had a concussion falling off my bike and getting some solid advice from the emergency department doctors, that's one of the only time I would agree with UCI introducing a rule that doesn't allow a rider who has been assessed with concussion, to ride again in this race and a mandatory period of 6 weeks rest. It's then up to the team to have agreement in place so there is no pressure on the rider to get out on their bikes because of the sponsor's demands. There is now a lot of research on concussions and the long term consequences of getting another knock to the head too soon and not letting the brain recover properly.
  • 2 0
 First of all, get well soon. I've had a good few in the past and never knew what it was. They never told me. Just dismissed, said to take some rest and be woken up every two hours the first night. Just that. It was an article on here from Danielle Baker which was the first that explained to me what it was and what the consequences could be. It is pretty nuts, isn't it? How are you ever going to learn about it if the doctors don't give you the information. Sure if it happens in competition or in another controlled training environment, there may be someone to help you there. But most of my concussions were outside mountainbiking or even away from sports. If doctors don't tell you what a concussion is and how to deal with it and you don't happen to be reading sports media then you might never know how to deal with it properly. And luckily ever since I do know, I haven't actually sustained a concussion anymore. Would have been happy if I learned about this earlier.
  • 1 0
 I agree. The visual processing needed to ride and the effects of a concussion seem to be a recipe for disaster. So much of your brain power is required for processing inputs while riding, and especially when racing, that the risks of further mistakes and crashing potential is just unreal. That, and the fact that sequential concussions are worse than an individual concussion. Seems like a smart idea to promote racers longevity
  • 13 2
 Henry is a great addition to pb. Glad he’s on the team !
  • 2 0
 Who in their right mind would down vote your comment?
  • 5 0
 @Mr-Gilsch: @mikelevy? jk.
  • 2 0
 Yep my favorite Pinker
  • 3 0
 Awesome insights!

I understand there are a lot of reasons not to do this, but it would be really cool to see a breakdown of the costs of running/sponsoring a WC race team. It would be an interesting continuation of the State of the Sport survey, and give us outsiders a better perspective of what it takes to make these events happen. Same for equipment, how many brake pads/tires/grips/whatever does the team and its sponsors need to make a weekend of racing at the highest level happen?
  • 4 1
 These are effin awesome BUT - the regular PB cast is still my heroin. I didn't get that heroin last week. Im sad. So, Ill take that episode please and also another regular cast this week too, yeah thanks! (Pretty please???)
  • 8 0
 Yup, the normal weekly podcasts aren't going anywhere, even though there wasn't one last week.
  • 1 0
 @mikelevy: Good enough. I know ya have a million things to do, much less getting fun / non-stressed ride time. I always replay anyway when theres no episode & am extra smacked up when its a 2-cast week. Easily the best mtb pod of all
  • 2 0
 I think it's a diservice to Benoit Coullanges to call him under the radar, the guy came 2nd at last years world champs and is the current French national champion, and was the year before as well. He's not on the biggest team but whatever Dorval is doing seems to be working for him.
  • 2 0
 He ironically seems to "suffer" for being French. You've got Bruni, Vergier and Pierron who have more results and are still at the top of their game. Throw in Daprela as well who I think managed to get good publicity out of his time in Juniors and objectively Benoit is the 5th best Frenchman. So he's always going to be seen as an up-and-comer until he starts racking up WC and WC wins.
Any other nationality and he'd be mentioned constantly as a podium threat.
  • 1 0
 @AyJayDoubleyou: I think you are right, and also as mentioned in the podcast he's not putting out lost of edits and promotional stuff, he's just racing.

Too many fast frenchies
  • 7 0
 @melonhead1145: I don't think any of us meant to be disparaging. He's the absolute tonic to the all-filler-no-killer instagram athletes who just pump out crap. I genuinely think he doesn't give a shit about anything other than racing and I'm a bit of a fan boy because of it. I wish there were more people like him at the world cups. I hope he has a great season and finally wins a big race. I think it would be just awesome to see and a bit of a disruption to the status quo.
  • 5 0
 @henryquinney: I've got loads of respect if he can pull it off as a career as a "pure racer". Racers losing out career wise because limited brand budget goes to someone who can roost a corner and go yeeow on instagram is the thing I like least about this sport.
  • 1 0
 @henryquinney: I made the comment as you started talking about him, you did go on to say how good he is. Definitely overshadowed a bit by the other big french names but I think this is going to be Benny's year for a win
  • 1 0
 @AyJayDoubleyou: Being a tall gangly MF myself I've been a Benoit fan for years. He also "suffers'' from not being an Insta / social media self-hyper loudmouth and instead, just focuses on racing. He seems to be far more consistent than Vergier & Daprela and while its tough to beat Pierron & Bruni, Benoit has a cool about him - and doesn't seem to be constantly injured/ AND - he is consistently upping his times but damn, he just seems to be outta that podium by a nick. Racing obviously comes down to that split 1000th or 100th now but maybe this will be the year we see Benoit hitting the top 3 if not a few wins. The pressure is less on him than on Pierron & Bruni and even w/ 4th @ Lourdes and both Daprela & Vergier spinning out like amateurs, Benoit is still getting ignored. I think he's in the rare catbird seat of likely only going up while races are everyone else's to lose.
  • 2 0
 Great format, looking forward to more of these. Especially with Ben on board... On the issue of Disco coverage... please stay on top of this story. It would be an absolute shame if their broadcast did away with live coverage and went in the direction of 22 minute condensed race summaries, as the GMBN enduro coverage seems to be. I lost all interest in following the EWS because the coverage is so lame. (and I get it, the format is hard to cover live, but I stand by my opinion that it's just not exciting to watch). I hope they aren't considering doing the same thing for DH. it's best covered live...
  • 1 0
 Looking forward to this on tomorrow morning's commute.

@henryquinney if one were to happen by the Pinkbike Racing pit at Fort William when it's not manic would the team be accepting [small] brown envelopes, or road snacks, even? Sorry, no edibles. But no awkward attempts at social interactions, a dead drop would be ideal.
  • 3 0
 Haha. If it's not manic by all means say hello but I'm not never going back to anything in brown envelopes. Not never, no way! Haha thanks though - I'm just still only just about recovered from the last time.
  • 1 0
 @henryquinney: Big Grin and will do... if not away seeing Ben in the hot seat! Another great podcast - you're forgetting your job as water carrier for big MTB, what you were saying about Orbea, sponsor of PBA, "not throwing shade" but being honest about theirs versus Lapierre's "go race what you want" approach. Glad to hear the team's working through things together, can't wait to see Aimi racing after what you said - picture her and Ben, "please, sir, can I have some more?"
  • 2 0
 I know it's childish but I'd really like to know what teams hat people standing in line for their athletes ? That is such a dickmove and so obviously not in the spirit of fair competition
  • 1 0
 Excellent edition. Sound quality was mint. Looking forward to the next epoxide being recorded inside an actual tin can.

Hey @henryquinney - if the funicular only carries 35 riders and bikes per trip and takes ~ 27 min to load, transit and unload a trip - with 279 total rides it would take ~3.5 hours to get them all up the hill. That's if they all showed up at the same time. Throughput of the funicular is basically fixed at "f*cked" - you don't even have to dip into queueing theory to figure out that it could never have reasonable service times for a world cup. As a comparison an old-fashioned double chair ski lift if ~1200 people/hr.
  • 2 0
 is this really James?? his voice sounds totally different. @mikelevy, is this what happens when you get abducted by aliens?
  • 2 0
 sounds like the day after a massive night out on the green chartreuse
  • 2 0
 @threesixtykickflip: I think it's the opposite, recording at 9am not 9pm haha!
  • 2 0
 No hot take or big questions but just wanted to say I really enjoyed this podcast! The honesty is awesome, keep it up team.
  • 3 2
 Could it be on it's own feed? It's supposed to be episode 2 of the Racing Podcast, but it's episode 112 of the normal podcast?
  • 4 0
 I empathize with your OCD.
  • 2 0
 @vapidoscar: I empathize with & share this OCD
  • 1 0
 @Mtn-Goat-13: @vapidoscar: It's actually slightly less OCD and a bit more that I'm not a fan of the regular podcast, and don't want to deal with the choice of setting the feed to auto-download and deleting the regular pods, or leaving it on manual and having to fetch the race pods when they come out.

I have the same issue with Mountain Bike Radio, where everything is in one feed but I only listen to a couple pods. Though most of those have not been updated in forever, with no (easily discoverable) updates regarding those hiatuses, so might be time to take it off my list completely...
  • 1 0
 @justinfoil: Dunno what to tell ya - if ya dont like the PB cast - not an issue. I cant see ehy you'd like the PB Racing cast either. Details up to you my man - no need to even comment really. Just move on…
  • 2 0
 My recollection is that in the first article, they announced that after a few episodes, it'll will indeed be its own feed.
  • 1 0
 @Mtn-Goat-13: You do realize the Racing Podcast is done by a different crew, with different subject matter (the races and race team)?
  • 1 0
 @pmhobson: You are correct. I guess I totally skipped that last paragraph in the first article.
  • 1 2
 @justinfoil: Sure: I have watched Henry since his GMBN days. Bens great too (minus his constant mooing “hmmm…hmmm….hmmm” thru-out the past two casts. If anything Im more into DH & talk about it than anything and I like the last two racing casts but its not anything Downtime didnt do a bit better. Henrys part of the main PB crew so - not that much different really - and now, its wait 6-7 more weeks for any new content unless they create more. Ill take it but I dont see any reason to Sub To Beta (!) to hear a 30-45 min discussion that Chris Halls gonna destroy w/ Neko & Eliot
  • 1 0
 Should rename the podcast to bucket boys, sounds like your recording into a iPhone in a bucket. I appreciate its on the road and loving the content!
  • 1 0
 Really enjoyed the format. Like the unpolished behind the scenes feel to it.
  • 1 0
 @henryquinney Re pivot heights, maybe get ahead of the pack and name them "down country pivots"!!
  • 2 0
 ohlins logo on forks of those bikes?!?!

suspension sponsor?!?!
  • 1 0
 Antoine Vidal.... Anyone, Anyone? Great ride from a young enduro racer making a big crossover. Chapeau!
  • 1 0
 It was an uphill battle but it went down pretty well
  • 1 0
 Great podcast Henry is on his game.
  • 1 0
 What about thibaut daprela on the Jrs that stepped up to elite ?
  • 1 0
 sound quality not ideal
  • 1 0
 Great format, thanks.
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