noox

@cubbyphotos: I think it's U23. But usually only XC has a U23 category.

Usually there should be the option to change commentary language - but it does not work for me. Only ambient sound. Audio issues seem to be common: during one of the Brasil XC races they even added the audio of a tennis match.

@NuckaMan: In Austria - as I assume in many other EU countries - the EU is always the scapegoat. And I think the EU is not very good at selling their benefits. You only see it if you don't have them anymore. Think of it this way: You have a problem and ask the major. He says: he can't do anything - it's a matter of the federal state. You go to the federal state representatives - they say: we can't do anything these are the rules of the government. But now with the EU it's always the EUs fault. Surely the EU countries are quite different so some rules are really bad in some countries. But very often we would have rules we blame the EU for in our countries anyways - with or without the EU. Since Brexit the discussion about leaving the EU in Austria is pretty much dead. You also have to consider: If you are better situated you might benefit more from the EU. Like a job at an international company, you travel, you buy online, etc. But if you struggle you might not have or might not see the benefits and you want someone to blame for your situation.

@MindPatterns: Just saw an IG post of the crash. She wrote that she caught a cold and felt weak today. "Pushed too much in Qualis for the current strength. But all good!". Crash did not look too bad.

Really ridiculous. Different bikes sound differently and these sound effects would fit better to bikes from maybe 10 years ago. With todays bikes you mainly hear the tires hitting the ground. And why don't they know how to make proper POV-videos? Looking at the commentators face while he's riding the course is completely useless. And the footage of the camera pointing to the course was not helping either. People are making POV-videos while mountain biking for 15 years now. If they don't know how to do it they should ask someone.

@chrismac70: In the past we had (downhill) races on places where there where no bike parks. But there are issues. - For a full track or e.g. hiking path you might cross a lot of different land owners. If one says no or wants more money than it does not work. - I saw hiking paths pretty much destroyed after a race (short cuts etc.) So it's quite an effort to restore the original state - If you are near a bike region there is quite a big risk that many bikers will try to ride these hiking trails or race-only-tracks even if it's forbidden. And at a tourist region with a lot of bikers and hikers you have to separate them. Hikers don't want to step away every 30 meters because of a biker. - I also assume that environmental issues are a major problem. Maybe 20 years ago that was easier but now it's really hard to get approvals for e.g. new trails.

@bashhard: Matzalm is the most Enduro-like trail. The last time I rode it there where no hand made bike-park-obstacles like berms or jumps. Bergstadl is also mostly natural.

@JohSch: Fire roads are prohibited too. Usually only in touristy regions there are contracts with the land lords so biking is allowed. Here in the region around Salzburg (about 1 hour from Leogang) we have just gotten our first legal trail two months ago.

@winko: In alpine skiing it's 1/100s. That's why we see two on the same podium place from time to time. Interesting, because mountain bike downhill races are usually about twice as long as ski races (also depending on disciplines). But at WC downhill races it's 1/1000s.

Does anybody know how the Discovery deal did happen in the first place? Did they just offer more money than Red Bull could justify? Or maybe they did not want a broadcaster who is also heavily involved in sponsoring riders? Or because Discovery covers already a lot of UCI's disciplines?