2021 PRO thread

Questions about bike hire abroad and everything light bike related. No off-topic chat please

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blaugrana
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by blaugrana

Hard to say how technical the course will be from that picture alone.The part on the left of the power line seems to be on a hillside, but it's hard to judge how steep. It would be nice to have an exciting race as an ad for a potential winter olympics inclusion, as it has been rumoured for years, but we'll have to wait and see about that.

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jcrr
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by jcrr

robbosmans wrote:
Wed Dec 08, 2021 6:24 pm
Holy shit
Image
Just stumbled on this on instagram. WTF.
"If it ain't broken, it could be lighter"

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ms6073
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by ms6073

micky wrote:
Wed Dec 08, 2021 8:57 am
We couldn't bother to make something interesting kinda of circuit.
Since when is CX racing using 33c tires and no studs on snow/ice/muck, in temperatures that are at or below freezing, not intersting enough?
- Michael
"People should stop expecting normal from me... seriously, we all know it's never going to happen"

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robbosmans
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by robbosmans

I wonder if studded tires are allowed?

BenSiskri
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by BenSiskri

I'm pretty sure they're not........

I've quite often found riding on snow with narrow knobbly tyres a lot of fun, and plenty of grip. When it turns icey is another matter.
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BenSiskri
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by BenSiskri

blaugrana wrote:
Thu Dec 09, 2021 1:44 am
Hard to say how technical the course will be from that picture alone.The part on the left of the power line seems to be on a hillside, but it's hard to judge how steep. It would be nice to have an exciting race as an ad for a potential winter olympics inclusion, as it has been rumoured for years, but we'll have to wait and see about that.
I would think they'd need more than one race on snow to convince the IOC that CX warrants inclusion; one race just looks like a token gesture. Have another 2-3 races either side of Christmas.....
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ms6073
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by ms6073

robbosmans wrote:
Thu Dec 09, 2021 4:27 pm
I wonder if studded tires are allowed?
Nope. Max 33c tire width and studded tires are no longer allowed for CX racing when an event is contested under UCI rules.
- Michael
"People should stop expecting normal from me... seriously, we all know it's never going to happen"

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Dan Gerous
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by Dan Gerous

Blame Dugast and Sven Nys for that... and the Spice Girls. :mrgreen:



When the Dugast Diabolo was announced, the UCI immediatly banned studded tires, maybe for safety reasons more than to keep the sport 'pure'.

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jcrr
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by jcrr

BenSiskri wrote:
Thu Dec 09, 2021 5:31 pm
I'm pretty sure they're not........

I've quite often found riding on snow with narrow knobbly tyres a lot of fun, and plenty of grip. When it turns icey is another matter.
Fully admit to not playing in snow on my CX rigs much, regardless of thread...

I always read FILE THREADS was the choice for snow. Please inform me if wrong.

Aside- Martin Bína's 2013 palmares at Valkenburg and Hoogerheide are cool snow CX races in my old-skool memory. Love it when underdogs could beat up the expected contenders. Wish that happened more often.
"If it ain't broken, it could be lighter"

BenSiskri
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by BenSiskri

jcrr wrote:
Fri Dec 10, 2021 6:12 am
BenSiskri wrote:
Thu Dec 09, 2021 5:31 pm
I'm pretty sure they're not........

I've quite often found riding on snow with narrow knobbly tyres a lot of fun, and plenty of grip. When it turns icey is another matter.

Aside- Martin Bína's 2013 palmares at Valkenburg and Hoogerheide are cool snow CX races in my old-skool memory. Love it when underdogs could beat up the expected contenders. Wish that happened more often.

Yeah, something we very rarely see in CX, as most courses are quite similar - very little variety. To me, that would suggest he had great bike skills, but maybe not great power - but in tricky conditions, you can't use loads of power. Similar to motor racing on wet tracks; quite often lesser riders/drivers in lower machinery can appear near the top of the field.
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Dan Gerous
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by Dan Gerous

The Val di Sole course is not flat despite what some thoughts from the first photos, looks pretty hard actually.


OnTheRivet
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by OnTheRivet

jcrr wrote:
Fri Dec 10, 2021 6:12 am
BenSiskri wrote:
Thu Dec 09, 2021 5:31 pm
I'm pretty sure they're not........

I've quite often found riding on snow with narrow knobbly tyres a lot of fun, and plenty of grip. When it turns icey is another matter.
Fully admit to not playing in snow on my CX rigs much, regardless of thread...

I always read FILE THREADS was the choice for snow. Please inform me if wrong.

Aside- Martin Bína's 2013 palmares at Valkenburg and Hoogerheide are cool snow CX races in my old-skool memory. Love it when underdogs could beat up the expected contenders. Wish that happened more often.
Interesting about Bina's wins in the snow, the silica based rubber in his Tufo tires is known to be very good on snow/ice (but not really anywhere else). If you re-watch Hoogerheide he is the only guy not slipping around.

flying
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by flying

Dan Gerous wrote:
Fri Dec 10, 2021 7:52 pm
The Val di Sole course is not flat despite what some thoughts from the first photos, looks pretty hard actually.
I felt Anaerobic just watching that :wink:

stoney
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by stoney

I'm looking forward to the snow race. No matter the course, the racers make the race.

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BenSiskri
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by BenSiskri

Dan Gerous wrote:
Fri Dec 10, 2021 7:52 pm
The Val di Sole course is not flat despite what some thoughts from the first photos, looks pretty hard actually.
Yes, having seen a few bits of training on Instagram, it's far better than the first photos suggest; and a bit more technical, which is good. CX courses should be a test of skill, just as much as power.
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