Video: Shakedown Day - EWS Northstar 2019

 Enforcing clearly articulated rules makes you a ball bag?

 @MikeyMT: the UCI offers waivers for certain infractions. It seems like Martin's case could be a reasonable time to offer one given the circumstances. I'd argue the opposite in Richie Rude's case (where they didn't offer a waiver, but did reduce his penalty), but that's just me...

 @MikeyMT: Sad to see your post getting downvoted. EVERY SINGLE DOPING STORY has some complex series of excuses and extenuating circumstances that somehow the doper thinks will exonerate them. Maes was one of the more ridiculous, with the cell reception nonsense. As long as people continue to eat up these excuses and cheer these guys on people will continue to dope and tell these stupid stories. Maes is a doper, full stop. He was a decent front of pack rider for years but no world beater, all of a sudden 1 year he becomes unstoppable in two disciplines, shortly after gets caught taking a masking agent. Like all dopers, surprise surprise, he has a ridiculous excuse, and just coincidentally had a series of insane performances leading up to getting caught. Oh man the bad luck!

 @GorgeousBeauGaston: yeah there is a subtle difference between excuses and explanation. The making agent didm't come from a mysterious water bottle or his personal doctor but from an external and independent doctor. You see excuces, I see logic explanation and he was negatif before and after the treatment btw.

@schredddr UCI has nothing to do with Richier Rude, it was before UCI enter in the game

 @shredddr: i’d Argue rude deserved his reduced penalty and maes deserves the penalty he got. Neither got massively hit nor did either get let off for avoidable mistakes. If either gets popped again obviously any benefit of doubt is gone and you hit em big.

The stars of a sport need to held to the highest standard. If maes is midpack maybe you allow a more leniency as his results don’t make such an impact

 @bulletbassman: Thats not why doping rules exist. They exist so everyone is held to the same standard. People here are upset because he was having a great season - does not matter if he was first or last - his piss was dirty. Explanation vs. excuse...does not matter. This is black and white and the onus of responsibility is on him (just like in 'real' life) - he made a mistake.

Sorry officer, I didn't realize that this was illegal and I didn't have cell service to double check if it was or not; will you spare me the jail time...? lol

 @GorgeousBeauGaston: wow, you clearly never looked into Maes his history huh?
No world beater, whaha man you have no clue!
And never been to the jungle in NZ too I assume...

 @MikeyMT: would it be different if you were at the doc getting a medicine and the doc can back that up when the officer fines you?
Yes it would, ignorant ass.

 @jozefk: You're mixing analogies and it not longer makes sense but I think I can understand where you are coming from.

Let's roll with your story, instead.

The Doc administered the banned substance (before the race ever started from an injury sustained during practice).
No research was done by the team around the substance to make an appeal BEFORE the test was done (immediately after the race).
The test was administered after the race (we now know the result)
Couple weeks passed - another race happened, and another test was administered, and failed.
THEN the team tried to appeal and wanted a free pass because they had no cell service at the moment of administration of the drug; which again...was before race number 1.
So what happened during that period of time between the administration of the drug (before the race) and the test (right after the race)........Ahhh...a mistake was made...nobody looked into this substance...this mistake resulted in a ban because it violated a clearly articulated rule.

c'mon man - be rational.

 It's just really good to see Martin back, you've been missed. And it's just a joke that Martin missed 3 rounds for having taken a none-performance-enhancong substance that was prescribed by the race doc for a serious medical condition while someone else who was caught taking 2 banned performance enhancing doping substances without providing any reasonable excuse also only missed 3 rounds and even his results of round 7 and 8 2018 remained intact. WTF! Would be glad to see a podium of men who were not caught cheating his opponents! This includes the unlucky Martin, of course. Hope to see all contenders healthy on Sunday evening!

 @MikeyMT: I hope your not a lawyer. Context is a massive part of discerning law and how prosecutors charge suspect and how judges and juries rule on verdicts and sentencing. You’re idea of the world is pretty akin to hitler’s ideas on Judaism.

 @MatthewCarpenter: If rude got popped early in season he could’ve missed an entire season plus some with the investigation. He didn’t race at races he could’ve to help get his suspension over with. Maes deservedly got a far more lenient ruling even if the timing and such cost him more

 @bulletbassman:
"Context"
Let's put this in context
Rude has mediocre results for a many races, wins a race, gets caught doping at that race.
Maes is a decent top 10 finisher for a few seasons, shows up and suddenly is dominating BOTH Enduro and DH for a season, gets caught doping after winning a race, which supposedly just prior he was in some critical health danger that required him doping with no cell coverage, yet bounces back to WIN the next race.
Pinkbike commentators, who apparently have never seen a doping story play out in countless other sports, ACTUALLY believe their "I'm somehow a victim" story. Somehow none of the riders who aren't winning races don't have this extraordinary bad luck of accidentally doping. A lot of people here need to look into Occam's Razor.

 Good to see Martin with a good attitude even if the EWS are ball bags. Fixed it for you. Learn up, EWS called in UCI when RR and JG tested positive.

 @alaric0108: my bad - thanks for clarifying

 @GorgeousBeauGaston: @MikeyMT: Thank you for bringing some common sense to this discussion. People counting on technicalities and evoking Hitler (seriously?) are ignoring that guilty people often get off on technicalities. Judge each case on its own merit and use common sense.

 @GorgeousBeauGaston: If you had your eyes open de last years, you would have seen that Maes was mostly in top 5 to 3 last years. He won several EWS too, Slalom, Pumptracks, you name it. Maes was multiple world champ at the DH youth when young, won 4cross world champs while he was 15 and entered the seniors in Germany with a wildcard.
He had several serious injuries so he could not race many EWS past years.
You should try to get your distorted glasses of your nose and see facts.

Wonder why Maes is still one of the youngest riders of the field? Ever asked yourself why he could enter so young at the top level? No? Ah ok... dumb ass. You clearly have no clue where you talk about.

 @GorgeousBeauGaston: Or maybe rude has a few mediocre results when on a outgunned bike, in the wet most races, and with mechanicals costing him a race he was leading after day one. He’s a two time champ and a junior wc dh champion. Guy doesn’t need a boost from drugs to get back on top, he’s not some aging 33 year old with low testosterone.

 @jozefk: I dont know how else to say it...Martin consumed a substance that is on the banned list. His piss was dirty. He got banned. You're being emotional, bro. This has nothing to do with Richie; who also took a substance that is prohibited.

 @bulletbassman: WTF are you talking about...? This is not law - these are rules of competition - they are not up for interpretation. Its like offside in Soccer...its not up for interpretation; thats the f*cking point. Hilter and the viw of teh jews..lol, you're an idiot.

 @MikeyMT: I get it. You think anyone who breaks a rule regardless of context needs to be purged from the sport. Maybe the context of that joke will be easier for you to comprehend.

 @MikeyMT: Yes, Maes fail the drug test, he deserves his ban because his responsible of what he take(the rule are the rule), but he doesn't mean is a cheater or try to enhance his performance in purpose. (btw the drug is not a doping agent)

 @bulletbassman: He didn't get purged. He got a 90 day suspension. The 'context' here is really an excuse - Martin took accountability for the mistake immediately - for some reason you can't.

 @alaric0108: I never called him a cheater.

 @MikeyMT: I'm with you, but be fair dude. You're strongly insinuating that his results are closely related to a failed drug test. That is tantamount to cheating.

 @scvkurt03: That the other dude on this thread. His results are what they are. I'm gutted for the guy - at the highest level, he failed a piss test. If he had not won the races and been sitting 9th overall would we all be so up in arms...? If the answer is no then we can agree we're being emotional and expecting an exception to the rule because he has been winning - frankly the fact he's been winning makes him look more guilty.

 @MikeyMT: still a joke dude I don’t actually think your akin to one of the evilest dudes of the last century

 @MikeyMT: you are sick with your accusations.
Thedoc stepped in and said he gave it. The doc is an unknown person to Maes. He saw him once cause the doc lives in NZ and you say this looks like a shady case?
You have mental problems. And you whatabout Ritchey the juiced up cheater with this.

 watch Rudes insta video berm slap where he almost crashes and unclips one pedal and gets on the other one mid air..... dont think these dudes have a problem getting in and out of their clips....

 @BWildProductions: If you look closely enough he actually lands on the BB shell/spindle and then slides down onto his pedal. Pretty amazing footwork IMO.

 Wasn't it super wet in Whistler?

 I want that top cap!

 The other long-leafed plant you smell in the air is weed, man. Marijuana. Cannabis. You know, the herb.

Welcome to California folks.

 Duststar for sure, but OUR duststar! Will be there Saturday all day - stoked to see our heroes who happen to be younger than me!

 @cuban-b: Damn Straight!!

 @Lotusoperandi: True but that's common everywhere now. You only get the Mule Ear in OUR mountain range!

calscape.org/Wyethia-mollis-

 He is

 He was too fast for the camera. They should increase the framerate

 He did last time he raced Northstar. Gonna be a good race for sure.

 @wpplayer18: Ya he has good results there on a demanding course. Altitude, drops, pretty much has everything.