Pinkbike Poll: Which Events are you Most Looking Forward to in 2016?
If winter in the northern hemisphere is good for anything, it's taking some time out from the less than perfect weather to reflect on what happened last season and to contemplate what could be coming our way when spring finally arrives. Last season was as action packed as any before it and perhaps more so thanks to the heightened level of coverage that's beamed into our homes from windswept mountains in far flung locations. But with an off-season packed with pro riders jumping between sponsors and teams, 2016 could well be another box office smash for the fans.
Will Gwin keep on gwinning, even on his new bike and will Graves - also on a new bike - defeat his apprentice and retake the enduro throne? Can Nino retain his dominance in the mountains and take it all the way to Rio and will Peaty's last season be one to remember? Will Zink get some Rampage retribution, will the UCI step up to the plate and can the FMB World Tour continue to stand tall next to the non-conformist FEST Series rebels? There's lots of question and of course, lots of excitement. So with this in mind, what event and series of events are you most looking forward to in 2016?
Discipline Dilemma
![Aggy s Reunion in Kamloops BC part of the Fest Series Photo Russell Dalby - http dalbyphoto.photoshelter.com]()
![Gunn-Rita Dahle-Flesjaa refused to get out of Maja Wloszczowska s way as she walks down the course s most technical descent. It cost the Polish rider quite some time.]()
![Brendan Fairclough got a bit loose coming out of the woods and would almost end up in the crowd. Luckily he saved it but lost precious seconds within sight of the finish line.]()
![Brandon Semenuk at the Red Bull Joyride during Crankworx in Whistler British Columbia. Photo by clint trahan Crankworx]()
That brings us to this week's poll question... So what will it be? Downhill, freeride, cross country, enduro or an event with all of them? Are you already beating your head against the wall in anticipation of the Downhill World Cup kicking off or is the all-encompassing Crankworx World Tour too much of a distraction? Is the prospect of seeing where and how far The FEST Series crew will push things just too much to comprehend or are you a die hard enduro fan, eager to see how these purists handle the competition in 2016?
So which event or series of events are we zeroing in on and why? There were no criteria, but it's hard to deny the importance and significance of those chosen below. Granted, there are other events out there, but the ones listed below represent those which will be attended by the world's most accomplished professional mountain bikers and garner the most recognition from you, the fans.
You can only pick one series and one individual event, so choose wisely and let us know if your vote is based on being a hardcore fan or simply the volley of coverage that awaits you when the season jumps into action. If you think we've got it wrong, let us know in the comments below...
MENTIONS: @TheFEST / @officialcrankworx / @EnduroWorldSeries
Will Gwin keep on gwinning, even on his new bike and will Graves - also on a new bike - defeat his apprentice and retake the enduro throne? Can Nino retain his dominance in the mountains and take it all the way to Rio and will Peaty's last season be one to remember? Will Zink get some Rampage retribution, will the UCI step up to the plate and can the FMB World Tour continue to stand tall next to the non-conformist FEST Series rebels? There's lots of question and of course, lots of excitement. So with this in mind, what event and series of events are you most looking forward to in 2016?
Discipline Dilemma
Freeride: Tricks and Stunts
Freeride contests have morphed and evolved over the years into two distinct disciplines with 'big mountain' and slopestyle currently vying for the top spot.
While the FMB World Tour scratches its head as The FEST Series captures the imagination of the fans, are we seeing a shift in the sports hierarchy?
With the good old FMB still mixing it up and offering aspiring freeriders a platform to impress potential sponsors and with the Crankworx World Tour going from strength to strength, slopestyle contests won't be going anywhere anytime soon...
Freeride contests have morphed and evolved over the years into two distinct disciplines with 'big mountain' and slopestyle currently vying for the top spot.
While the FMB World Tour scratches its head as The FEST Series captures the imagination of the fans, are we seeing a shift in the sports hierarchy?
With the good old FMB still mixing it up and offering aspiring freeriders a platform to impress potential sponsors and with the Crankworx World Tour going from strength to strength, slopestyle contests won't be going anywhere anytime soon...
Has The FEST Series made the FMB look a bit half cooked or is slopestyle still the be-all and end-all of freeride competition?
XC: Spandex Warriors
While the thought of being dressed head-to-toe in Lycra and sporting a pair of carbon fibre disco slippers while riding a near rigid bike without a dropper post could amount to a bad day at the trails for many, cross country racing is the real deal and is not for the faint-hearted.
The tracks are gnarly and the physical aspect alone simply beggars belief - so should we be paying more attention to cross country coverage?
We should also remember that we are now entering an Olympic year and these hardy guys and girls will be representing mountain biking to the world...
While the thought of being dressed head-to-toe in Lycra and sporting a pair of carbon fibre disco slippers while riding a near rigid bike without a dropper post could amount to a bad day at the trails for many, cross country racing is the real deal and is not for the faint-hearted.
The tracks are gnarly and the physical aspect alone simply beggars belief - so should we be paying more attention to cross country coverage?
We should also remember that we are now entering an Olympic year and these hardy guys and girls will be representing mountain biking to the world...
Think XC is lame? Try and ride a World Cup XC track on an 80mm travel hardtail and see how you fare.
Gravity: DH vs. Enduro
If you were to draw parallels between mountain biking and car racing, downhill would be our Formula One and enduro would be our Rally, and with latter finally finding its feet, the world is a better place.
One thing to always consider here is Red Bull's live coverage of the World Cup series being a huge catalyst for not only DH's recent surge in popularity, but mountain biking as a whole.
With 8 EWS rounds and 7 World Cup rounds, not to mention the slalom and downhill on offer at the Crankworx Wold Tour, gravity racing has never been better, but which way do you sway - DH or enduro?
If you were to draw parallels between mountain biking and car racing, downhill would be our Formula One and enduro would be our Rally, and with latter finally finding its feet, the world is a better place.
One thing to always consider here is Red Bull's live coverage of the World Cup series being a huge catalyst for not only DH's recent surge in popularity, but mountain biking as a whole.
With 8 EWS rounds and 7 World Cup rounds, not to mention the slalom and downhill on offer at the Crankworx Wold Tour, gravity racing has never been better, but which way do you sway - DH or enduro?
Do you think DH has had its day or do you think enduro is a little on the dull side? Either way, gravity racing is on the up.
That brings us to this week's poll question... So what will it be? Downhill, freeride, cross country, enduro or an event with all of them? Are you already beating your head against the wall in anticipation of the Downhill World Cup kicking off or is the all-encompassing Crankworx World Tour too much of a distraction? Is the prospect of seeing where and how far The FEST Series crew will push things just too much to comprehend or are you a die hard enduro fan, eager to see how these purists handle the competition in 2016?
So which event or series of events are we zeroing in on and why? There were no criteria, but it's hard to deny the importance and significance of those chosen below. Granted, there are other events out there, but the ones listed below represent those which will be attended by the world's most accomplished professional mountain bikers and garner the most recognition from you, the fans.
You can only pick one series and one individual event, so choose wisely and let us know if your vote is based on being a hardcore fan or simply the volley of coverage that awaits you when the season jumps into action. If you think we've got it wrong, let us know in the comments below...
Which series of events are you most looking forward to in 2016?
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Which individual event are you most looking forward to in 2016?
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Has coverage of the events listed in this article swayed your vote?
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MENTIONS: @TheFEST / @officialcrankworx / @EnduroWorldSeries
Author Info:
Member since Jun 8, 2005
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Much prefer the coverage/hype during the run up and the highlights.
P.S. Don't get me wrong, I watch Rampage every year and love it. I'm not "hating".
www.pinkbike.com/photo/13026028
Sorry for the rant, but it simply isnt as black and white as what people seem to think it is. I thought Enduro was going to be a walk in the park when I started racing, how wrong I was, and thats what makes it awesome!
@thenotoriousmic I agree 100% with what you are saying, but it goes both ways, top DH guys aren't able to bother the top Enduro guys either. and the main reason for that is that it isnt what their focus is and not what they are specifically training for. It goes both ways, but enduro guys certainly arent inferior at riding fast down hill.
To me, what you are saying is no different to saying that any top road racer could walk in dominate World Cup XC. It simply wouldnt happen.
What about Graves having not raced DH all year getting 3rd at DH World champs in 2013, or Martin Maes jumping on a DH bike the Week before world champs and almost taking home the junior world title.
Thing is, I probably would have agreed with you 12 months ago, until I started racing enduro last year and had my eyes peeled open as to just how different it was.
Ive heard straight from the mouth of a few top dogs in DH, that they havnt done any further EWS round simply because it was much harder than they expected and they were minutes off the pace, not just seconds off the pace, but MINUTES. I'll say it again, DH is possibly the best background to have for an Enduro rider, but it's a really different animal when it comes down to it, and it suits a very different beast, the skills are requirements simply arent 100% transferrable, and they way most top DH guys who have done EWS rounds have been a long LONG way down the results sheet prove this beyond argument.
Ive said my bit, and I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree I suppose. All good.
You're totally right that there isnt any live enduro coverage, the EWS has only been around a few years and its well publicized that the main reason for this is that they just havnt found a cost effective way to properly do it yet, it certainly isnt for lack of interest. If a DH world cup was run over 5 different courses in the same day, then we wouldnt have the coverage we see now, it would be far too expensive and difficult. Take Red Bull TV away and Enduro and DH receive the same amount of coverage in any other media.
EDIT:
2013 Finale Ligure EWS Syndicate results:
23rd: Steve peat, +1min 46 sec
35th: Josh Bryceland +2min 20 sec
2014Finale Ligure EWS Syndicate results
26th: Greg Minnaar, +1min 35sec
36th Steve Peat +1min 52 sec
is that factual enough?
25 Greg Callaghan 0:01:50
26 Yoann Barelli 0:01:51
30 Joe Barnes 0:02:00
39 Max Schumann 0:02:23
and wheres keene? these guys are all pro racers and got shut down by some chilllin out guys.10th for Sam Hill and Blenki in 7th is pretty good in rotura for just basically f*cking about? Same with WYN masters in 3rd? pretty good for a dh guy who can't keep up to the enduro guys right?
Japan,Brasil,Indonesia...who wouldn't like a real World Cup?
As long as the calendar doesn't have big month-long gaps I'm happy.
Starting in March and ending in October,with only two months having two races.
As for the privateers,the "exotic" countrys have privateers too,and in my opinion they give a colourful ambiance our sport needs.
What's the problem there? Wouldn't that allow the cream to truly rise?
Plus a 2-3 week wait for each round to build up the tension makes every round a special event, easy to let a boring one slide if you know there'll be another one next weekend.
More races as well or more time in competition. When you count how much time a racer actually spends competing over a course of a season it's under 25 mins. More races, less racers and more time in competition. Why not have multiple tracks over the course of a race?
*unless you're Muslim or mexican.
Logic
Probably not signing everything with the date 2015, which will probably take until about february
DH - not enough stops, too long between races but fast, exciting and well covered in terms of live events and team vlogs etc
Enduro: actually I lied, dont follow this as much, I like all the editorials and photo epics but its a funny one as I never watch or keep up to date on the live times etc, just watch the nice summary vids and photo stories - Its the fact that enduro best reflects what the masses actually on mountain bikes and why its popularity is forever rising,(2 major series in the UK + all smaller events too)
Dirt jumps: I like this alot and watch this more than most, they have a lot of smaller events too and I love it when they set up in large city centres but not keen the bigger comps as it just seems a showcase for the "big names" and lack personality
Fest: awesome but confusing media releases, their desire to do their own thing seems to mean not releasing as much to the audience - maybe im missing the stuff when its released but it just appears hap hazzard - which kinda fits with the ethos I suppose
Rampage: amazing stuff and live too - crazy and this gets most coverage on TV too it seems, as its even shown here on DAVE TV chanel - so it shows what TV companies want - danger, excitement, big hits, jaw dropping moments, complaints and twitter battles about how the riders could get hurt .... DUH ... BUT whole things needs sorting, profit share or something like that - its more like an event/show than a competition, like Nitro Circus .. and I bet they get paid
So, didn't vote as cant choose as I like mountain bikes and all this stuff is part of a whole
Just shows all the dh haters (enduro boys) now they can have a good moan lol
I mean yeah cool to have more riders in some ways but I actually think that they hit really good numbers at the ones I went to last year. More people would just mean longer waits and less food (the bacon stations were always empty...)
There are a lot of great races in 2016:
sites.google.com/site/deutsche4xunion/race-date-rumors
World Cup and national completions all visit the same venues year after year, I'd rather see venues used alternate years, and have organisers contribute to new courses, meaning access to mountains with a chainsaw, and a roll of tape, real Virgin mountain tracks for racing just like back in the day
Lender hi den was this for me. But then f*ck it up with huge burms that are a waste of time and diesel. Let's just make downhill raw, fast, rough, rather that smooth, long and boring.
Note to rampage, don't bother, there will always be next level athletes that want to do the next big jump, making it a " competition" is just boring, let there sponsors pick up the bill and share it on YouTube, plough the money into real completion,
Cycling is about speed, not scores, or we could just call rampage " strictly come biking" from Len a 10
I regularly ride XC trails, i'd love to take part in an Enduro if i ever did a mtb race, but i only like watching DH.
.