DH World Cup thread

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Have there been any updates on Cam Zink?

Last I heard was during the second round where they said he was in a stable condition since being airlifted out.

No updates that I have seen on his actual injuries and condition. That was a massive crash.
 
Have there been any updates on Cam Zink?

Last I heard was during the second round where they said he was in a stable condition since being airlifted out.

No updates that I have seen on his actual injuries and condition. That was a massive crash.
His wife said he had a collapsed lung and 6 broken ribs .. ow ..
 
Apparently Zink posted to social media that he’s busted 6 ribs and punctured his lung.


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Next year World Cup changes have been made. No more semis and no more protected riders. I like it!
Lots of info here: Changes to WC for 2025 onwards
A maximum of 20 gravity teams and 20 endurance teams will become UCI Mountain Bike World Series teams for the entire season.
For both categories, 15 invitations to join this top tier of teams will be based on the annual UCI team ranking, with an additional five teams benefiting from wildcard invitations for the season.
UCI Mountain Bike World Series teams will benefit from multi-year commitments from 2026 onwards, supporting long-term planning and development.



This was a bit sad to see:

Enduro and pausing of E-Enduro​

A common decision has been made, in agreement with all the stakeholders involved in the UCI E-Enduro World Cup format, to press pause on the UCI E-Enduro World Cup to work with the industry towards a future format. However, E-Enduro will maintain its UCI World Championship status and will remain an open racing category at the UCI Enduro World Cup.
Moreover, men junior and women junior categories will be introduced for Enduro at the UCI World Championships, offering young athletes more opportunities to shine on the world stage.
UCI sports director Peter Van Den Abeele said: “The introduction of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series two years ago has led to significant growth of mountain bike and an increase in its popularity.
"Together with WBD Sports, the UCI wishes to build on the momentum with these changes that will simplify certain processes, favour globalisation, and make competition formats easier to follow and therefore even more exciting for the fans.”
 
I think the UCI sports director needs a drug test. My take is the opposite of his statement. The last two years have been a big step backwards for mtb competition for the riders and the viewers.
 
I think the UCI sports director needs a drug test. My take is the opposite of his statement. The last two years have been a big step backwards for mtb competition for the riders and the viewers.
Everyone is entitled to their opinions and I don't care enough to argue about it. Ive been watching WC DH since 2014 and I think the racing gets better year on year.

The coverage from WBD is the best its ever been, I definitely enjoy seeing the full track and the Juniors racing. The 2025 changes are in the right direction too.

Can't wait to see a fully fit Jackson back challenging the big names in 2025.
 
It's deffo shortened the chances of my lad making it into a WC jersey, but arguably the biggest stumbling block of that goal was the removal of Fort William as there's usually a larger allocation of GB jerseys which would have increased his chances most. All of that said, we didn't plan/think realistically of a WC jersey next year as it's his first year in Juniors... The year after... well, lets see how that goes.
 
Definitely makes life harder for privateers & juniors. Happy to see semis go, the sole beneficiary of those was the broadcaster & even then it backfired since the audience saw through it & it created an eight hour day of racing, taking into account the junior broadcast (which I like for the record) leading to audience fatigue.

I don't think many will miss e enduro. Enduro in general isn't working as a tv format & hasn't for years. Not sure what they can do with it to make it a compelling spectacle. It amounts to rallying on bikes minus the speed & spills that bring in fans.
 
Just an observation from the US - I have to think that viewership for World Cup racing has plummeted since the events stopped being broadcast/streamed on RedBull TV and since Rob Warner isn't involved. Does anyone have any actual data to support this gut feeling? BTW, I haven't seen a single race live for a couple years as a result.
 
Just an observation from the US - I have to think that viewership for World Cup racing has plummeted since the events stopped being broadcast/streamed on RedBull TV and since Rob Warner isn't involved. Does anyone have any actual data to support this gut feeling? BTW, I haven't seen a single race live for a couple years as a result.
Figures don't seem to be available anywhere sadly.
 
WBD/Discovery are never publishing viewing figures but you can bet your house that if they were satisfied, they wouldn't change the format and they are changing the format.
 
Definitely makes life harder for privateers & juniors. Happy to see semis go, the sole beneficiary of those was the broadcaster & even then it backfired since the audience saw through it & it created an eight hour day of racing, taking into account the junior broadcast (which I like for the record) leading to audience fatigue.

I don't think many will miss e enduro. Enduro in general isn't working as a tv format & hasn't for years. Not sure what they can do with it to make it a compelling spectacle. It amounts to rallying on bikes minus the speed & spills that bring in fans.
I don’t think enduro or e-enduro has ever had a live broadcast has it? It’s only ever had highlight video‘s that I can remember, and sadly the e-enduro coverage has been pretty non existent the last couple years, and I miss it! I think it’s because of all of the e-haters that have constantly been bitching about it, (mostly on pinkbike) anytime they did show any e-coverage. I still don’t get all of the e-hate from so many. They’re fun AF!
 
I wouldn't think the UCI pay much attention to the comment ragers on PInkbike! The enduro thing though is one of those race series you just know would be a hoot to ride but they just can't get it into a format that works for television it seems to me.
 
Anyone keeping an eye on the Red Bull Cerro Abajo in Genoa? Track walk yesterday with half the course unbuilt, rain affected practice today with no obstacles tested, race tomorrow. I feel this one could be messier than your usual urban DH. which are obviously never messy.
 
Anyone keeping an eye on the Red Bull Cerro Abajo in Genoa? Track walk yesterday with half the course unbuilt, rain affected practice today with no obstacles tested, race tomorrow. I feel this one could be messier than your usual urban DH. which are obviously never messy.
I saw some of the track walk and practice vids from Wynn Masters and Bernard Kerr. Looks like it’ll be a fun race to watch!
 
It was a really good race and the commentators pure gold. How much I have missed them.
Rob is great, but Eliot Jackson is a bit much for me. He giggles through almost all of his commentary and gets overly dramatic most of the time. But the race was really good. 🤘🏻
 
Rob is great, but Eliot Jackson is a bit much for me. He giggles through almost all of his commentary and gets overly dramatic most of the time. But the race was really good. 🤘🏻
Can't stand Eliot, I find he struggles to string a sentence together .....................and ................. the ..................... gaps ............ in ................... the ................... words ............... in that sentence makes me so unreasonably angry. Should never be given a microphone.
 
Aww, I like EJ. Ric McLAughlin sounds like he doesn't want to be there & the less said about Cedric Garcia the better.
Cedric was horrible, (but luckily they got rid of him after the first season) and McLaughlin just parots what everyone around him says. He also makes a gasping noise, (clenching his teeth and sucking air in) way too much. Gwin was/is a great guest commentator as were the other guest racers that commentated. I also don’t care for the overly dramatic ginger, (I forget his name). He comes off as super phony too.
 
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Yeah I never thought in a million years Gwinn would make a good commentator.
Do you mean the Ozzy Ginger fella?
 
Yeah I never thought in a million years Gwinn would make a good commentator.
Do you mean the Ozzy Ginger fella?

In his defence, he's a very very skilled rider.

 
All change in the pits. So much going on, I can't be bothered to sum it all up but the thing I am finding interesting today is the big shift (!) to Pinion gearboxes. Four teams so far I think, including Atherton. The Gates 100k prize can't hurt but it feels like they were going that way anyway, yet a bit weird too given there's not much pedalling in DH & broken chains don't seem a a major impediment.
 
I spoke to a team rider at Dyfi at the weekend who said the prize money wasn't significant enough of a factor to be the decision maker, after all it's what £65,000 and a team is £500,000 a year of that size... it's not enough to make or break the time.
They did seem REALLY happy with the bike, the feeling and speed from it, so i'm really curious to see how that goes for them... well, if they're in WCs that is :D
 
Agree on that, I remember BK letting slip that one team spaffed $10k at Wholefoods for a week at Snowshoe! I'd be amazed if it doesn't get won this season though.
 
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