Should the Race Have Been Cancelled? | Story of The Race with Ben Cathro

 They have no reason to be pissed, it was only the top 10 who were affected, it happens all the time. It happened at ft William.

 @bikes-arent-real: that’s racing

 Weather is intrinsically linked to our sport, and in my opinion we shouldn't do away with it. In speaking with a professional rider friend who was very opinionated on the weather topic, I asked him what the 5 best DH runs of all time were.

3 of his top 5 were...
- Gwin (MSA) Wet
- Sam Hill (Champery) Wet
- Danny Hart (Champery) Wet

 @yoobee: it’s a time trial type race in the mountains. Weather will always have an effect.
Even if you wait to make sure nobody has to ride in the rain, you can still end up with people benefiting from a drying track instead (or worse, a track getting claggy and slowing down). There’s no way to fix it all

 @Onetrakcmind: wet track with light drizzle is now the same as pouring rain.

Interesting.

 The negativity is becoming comical. I too preferred the old commentary, and getting to watch the races for free. I got over it because like most adults I have actual real world stuff to worry about, and paying a small fee to watch a niche sport that I follow, and it not featuring my favourite commentator, does not even make it into the top 100 things that I am going to concern myself with.

Now it's just getting silly on here. Semi Finals? Well we didn't even notice that was a thing for 3 races but now it's a travesty that we must fight with all our might. Running the race? Terrible decision! Postponing the race? Terrible decision!

PB has just become some daft doomsday cult of people who care more about moaning than they do about the sport.

 @elbandido77: Agree with you on everything but one. Semi finals

IMHO, semi is too much risk for as we've discovered no points reward. It's only purpose is for TV at the expense of the woefully underpaid riders.

 People on the internet just like to riot. If they cancel it, everyone yells and throws rotten tomatoes because they wanted to see a race. If they let it run and someone wraps themselves around a tree, everyone is outraged that the event organizations would proceed in such unsafe conditions. If humans discover a way to experience multiple realities at once, living in both and yet neither, then people would bemoan the fact that all the uncertainty and risk of life is lost.

Conclusion: People on the internet need to stfu.

 There’s a great comment further down from someone who “wouldn’t watch the GCN coverage even if it was free”. Of course you wouldn’t petal.

 They should get one of those covered,enclosed ,temperature controlled Saudi ski hills to race on.

 But everything has to be the UCI/ ESO / Discovery's fault. Take your pick or combination. Its the the law in the Pinkbike comments section

 @elbandido77: Well said. Everything has to be the UCI / ESO / Discoverys fault and RB was the land of endless sunshine and never ending trails.

 @ATXZJ: If riders dont want to race for the money they are offered then no one is making them do it.

 @ATXZJ: but points are awarded for semis. Points go towards the World Cup series overall.

 @elbandido77: I especially like coverage. Footage off the top, the first jump and then 2.5 minutes later.. So for the majority of the Riders you only see about 30 secs of their run. Bravo Discovery and UCI!!!!

 @elbandido77:

 Sounds like the 'track stand' of F1 rain-day quali. "You go first." "Bitte, Christian! I owe you one, so, please, go ahead..."

 I think that's one of the "no go" with FIS and ski races.

 Everytime a storm blow through here there are multiple trees down, across the trail. I'd rather take my chance with lightning over high winds in the woods.

 Cedric mentioned this on Wyn TV

 Downvoted for stating a simple fact. Fun.

 YES!!!!

 Oh shit yes.... "Stay on your bike Dannnnny!"

 @nateb: That and Sam Hill's 'we dont' have mud in Australia to practice in, I just rode like it was dry' in 2007 on the same track.
Not to take anything away from the greatness of that run, being on the hill that day, I remember the sustained rain actually making the track less slimey for Big Ball Danny than for the 10 or so racers before him, however. Which again, is part of the sport!

 @nateb: i think Champéry was just a mud fest for everyone. But that race in Monte-Sainte-Anne where the heavens opened but somehow Gwinn managed to take a victory in horrendous conditions was absolute magic!

 @SleepingAwake: It rained half way through Chambery in 07 and Mati stopped in his Qualifying to take advantage of this and he won the race.

 @bikes-arent-real: i guess he is talking about Champery 2011.

 @Muckal: I was, for the second part of my reply.

 @jwdenver: Is it a coincidence there are no physically unattractive female sports "reporters?"

 I'm not giving her a pass. Is it too much to ask that we get a host that truly follows the sport?

 @sonuvagun: Maybe not in the US...

 @YemBot: or at least understands it if they are a professional presenter

 @commental: hahahaha, took me a moment

 Is the semi finals thing driven by UCI or ESO? I'm not sure and it doesn't really matter. This year has been a bit of an experiment I think and they have to run out the season. I doubt that anyone is thinking this semi thing is a good idea at this point so I expect next season will be different. Probably qualy and final but with less than 60 qualifiers? I don't think that will be good for privateers. As spectators we are being hypocritical. We want to see more of the individual runs but don't seem to realize how difficult that is timewise. It's virtually impossible to show full runs and it would get boring too.The drone shots were crap this weekend? No shit Sherlock, the wind blew the top ranked female rider off a jump so I doubt the best drone pilots out there could have done much better We complained about not seeing juniors but now we can noone seems to be impressed. We always complained about commentary. Tracey was deemed to be shit but now she's the gold standard? Claudio was ripped on constantly and Elliott got his fair share of criticism. Warner is perfect for most of us DH fans and we didn't want to lose him , but he is not the best commentator ever (instant downvote). But yes bring him back! For me this season has been pretty exciting so far (including World Champs) and I can't wait for the next race. DH is dead! Long live DH!

 @singletrackjamaica: The drone shots are never any good. It's a novelty idea that doesn't work. I'm pretty sure redbull had crazy cable cam set ups back in the day. They also had their cameras on platforms that gave you a better view of the track, none of that from discovery.

 @singletrackjamaica: nobody likes change and the PB comment section is way too harsh sometimes. Like you say, it is a bit of an experimental year and the kinks can be worked out in time.
The most interesting point of this video for me was the point about moving to a shortened race format with fewer riders as a way a mitigating unfairness through bad weather. A difficult balance but I think it shows the organisers trying to present the sport in the best way. There is a mutual interest for everyone in making it fairer, although mountain weather is always unpredictable.

 This isn't baseball, kids. A WC race shouldn't be cancelled on account of rain. That would be shameful.

 @singletrackjamaica: I’ve watched every semi and race this year. The drone shots have sucked at every single event. I don’t know if it’s the same pilot at every event, but it’s been terrible every time. FWIW, I have never flown a drone in my life, so I have no idea what’s involved. But as an armchair pilot, the drones are way too close to the athletes.

 @singletrackjamaica: I actually haven't minded the drone trailing shots this year. It similar to the zipline shots but I love seeing the riders pushing it and their line choices at speed. Don't really like the high shots though..

 @singletrackjamaica: THe semis are there to get a field for the finals that is broadcast able and there fore watched by non mountain bike riders. This is how sponsorship and rider salaries ultimately go up

 Yeah, people can say that the weather effected the results all they want. Greg still turned up to races for 20+ years, he still qualified 13th, he still beat Finn Iles, Larue Greenland and Troy Brosnan.

 @bikes-arent-real: and lots more riders that could be his kids. Gotta love the man. He restores the faith in me that I can still improve in my mid thirties.

 @bikes-arent-real: What a great nickname you've given him:
Laurie "Larue" Greenland!!!

 @sonuvagun: XPOSED!

 If a race is broadcast in the woods and no one has a whinge, did it really get broadcast at all?

 @bikes-arent-real: wait, you know the original saying isn't people whinging about bear shit, right?

 Was there too, couldn't agree more, they handled it really well, was happy to wait it out.

 lol, you've never heard the average football fan then, have you?

That's SOCCER for you tea-haters.

 Crazy to think that Minaar took his first world title the same year Daprela was born.

 @joecrosby: Ha! Holy s$it!

 I hear you, but when you've been listening to Rob for like 2 decades it does make a huge difference in the wrong direction.

 @robito: call me nostalgic or whatever you want, but Rob's voice kind of belongs to the experience of enjoying
an exciting race.
The sport is only 2 decades old, and for a big part of this time Rob was the voice of mtb.
So, it's always hard to say goodbye, at least mostly.

 @rms195: I have a funny feeling Rob will be back as will a free broadcast, after folks realize their experiment this year doesn't bring in any money. At least that's my hope. Funny how I didn't realize how good we had it...

 @robito: yes, let's hope for the best, fingers crossed. haha

 @robito: no, that would make sense. So UCI won't be doing that.

All MTB rights are obviously sold as a package, so only way that would happen is if UCI drops DH. That could be a mixed blessing, that said I don't think DH would go the same way as 4X.

 Nah surfing is man on man. The scores may change greatly from the first heat of a round to the last, but a totally level playing field. So not a good example DH is what it is and every one rolls the dice

 I stopped watching since we no longer have red bull coverage. I don't even like redbull but at least I had free, live, decent coverage with commentera that didn't make it horrible. and highlights came right away. and you didn't have to be forced through women footage of you didn't care (or vice versa)

downvoted away, but I suspect it's the case for many. and I'm not really complaining, I'm just stating the obvious, most stopped watching.

 If you "despise" the commentators, I would advise you to find some new ways to let off steam. Watching men and women bomb down a mountain on two wheels is amazing and not worth it to get worked up over to this degree.

 @mi-bike: sigh. I love it when people read two sentences from a person about one subject and think they have that person's life and personality figured out. "despise" wasn't literal. I don't know them, i'm sure they're fine and dandy in real life, however I very much dislike listening to them prattle on over the racing and it ruins the coverage for me. i'm also not "worked up". I simply don't care anymore. maybe try a new hobby other than trying to psychoanalyze pinkbike commenters.

 @p1nkbike: yeah. I'd pay for redbull coverage, this GCN coverage is so bad I wouldn't watch it for free.

 The coverage is largely the same as it was on the Redbull Broadcast. The GNC commentators are fine. Not as good as Rob and the Redbull team but they not a reason to no longer watch. If the coverage is the reason you no longer watch then DH racing was never really your favorite sport to watch.

 @brighterlights: "I don't know them". Lol.
Hopefully you have heard of Cedric, think he used to ride a bike I think.

youtu.be/oOpk2uEHyGI?si=Ex5nMCzF-EsRTqv8
youtu.be/9yzYU0RV0Rs?si=rp4trxCiqqbGqiKN
Heard he won rampage too... lol.

 @betsie: i didn't say i didn't know OF them, i said I didn't know them. personally. learn how to read.

 @sino428: case in point. know it all on the internet reads one comment and thinks they know everything about a person. I don't like the coverage, i dont like the commentators, i dont like this season of racing, and I am VERY FAR from being the only one, as any comment section on this season will tell you. but go ahead, act condescending about it so you can feel good about yourself.

 @brighterlights: I don’t need to know anything about you as I’m not judging anything about you other than the comments you are making here.

 @brighterlights: what... you mean they have not reached out to you personally to become your buddy!
For reading... you said "I don't know them"... you never said "I don't know them. personally". So... my reading is fine, feel free to add in words that you have not typed afterwards!!!!

Redbull commentary wasnt as good as Freecaster which is where much or Robs enthusiasm was, shame redbull clipped his wings, but they kinda had to at the same time. The video coverage this year has been on another level compared to Redbull, folk like you may not like change in the commentary but it is what it is, they are doing a good job, even if Rich is a little dull and they miss the split timing by 10s at least before commentating.

Enjoy your time away from Dh, hopefully you are still riding your Dh bike and racing everywhere, enjoying how Dh has changed over the last 15 years and become much more professional on all levels.

 @brighterlights: I take it you were good friends with Rob then

 Well, if comentators were able to ruin the sport for you and you completely abandoned it, you were not that much of a fan, were you.

Perhaps you were a fan of Rob's commenting, not the sport?

 To slow and you get out. But if they know that the weather would be bad, why not cancelling qualification and instead doing a final with all riders at good weather?

 we.tl/t-du3ijmfhCw

 @HannesBa: awesome thanks!