2021 PRO thread

[robbosmans]

Yeah pidcock has one, its integrated into the BMC fourstroke frame

[BenSiskri]

Miscommunication seems to be the Dutch specialty this games.

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From the BBC's coverage, no one else went ass over tit on that drop off, not mis communication, did MVDP even have a dropper?

He never races with one, if you don’t know it you can’t really blame him too much. He also didn’t have time for the test event last year.

The test event was in October 2019, and he was meant to be doing it; however after his Harrogate disappointment he decided not to travel, and rode a few road races instead. And turned up after everybody else....

[maquisard]

Yes, I think the race showed how specialist a discipline MTB is. Pidcock has ridden road this season but the last few months have focused on MTB. Today it showed, he looked perfect on the MTB.

MvdP had less preparations for the MTB this year due to the TdF. The fitness was there, the skills perhaps lacked the final details

[Attermann]

Seems like he was I bit arrogant in his preparations, seems like he hasn't spent much time on the MTB, and arrived late, and didn't understand when it was told to him the ramp would be removed

[BenSiskri]

One feels for him; in the summer of 2019 it was going so well; he was European MTB Champion, winner of 3 XCO races, and probably the best rider that year, but chose not to ride the MTB Worlds, instead of focusing on the Road Worlds.....
And then COvid put a spanner in the works, which wrecked his plans; meaning he had to ride the Tour before the Olympics; and only rode 2 World Cups in May, his first for 18 months. We knew he'd have preferred not to ride the Tour, but it was an obligation he had to go through with. His form and fitness were there, but maybe not enough MTB race & technical sharpness.

And Pidcock, who done very few UCI ranked races in 2019 (UK Nationals), spent last summer riding a few French XCO races before the Baby Giro; then the 2 Nove Mesto U23 World Cups, and the Leogang Worlds. Even then the Olympics were a pipe dream.....

[robbosmans]

Pidcock only rode one race more as MvdP, I don’t get how you can say MvdP was lacking after only one lap.

He has been riding his mtb since he quit the TDF, Vader told MvdP it was removed during the test event, I think they just assumed he would know it would be removed.

[tymon_tm]

Seems like he was I bit arrogant in his preparations, seems like he hasn't spent much time on the MTB, and arrived late, and didn't understand when it was told to him the ramp would be removed

erm, isn't it team's job to communicate such info to riders? don't they go over the details a number of times before a race like that?

back to women's RR for a second - imho everyone was looking at what Dutch are gonna do, after all it was their race to lose. you can't blame other teams not doing much work having 4 possible candidates for medal sitting and doing nothing. each team needed any help possible to counter future attacks from orange gals, because that's how this race was supposed to look like - solid tempo and then a bunch of killer attacks from y'all know who.

[Attermann]

The coach has said they told him several times.

[spud]

that drop in the MTB race is significant. Guessing MVP was not really paying attention during briefings, if the Dutch coach is to be believed. The pic of Pidcock going off the thing makes it look like his seat is not dropped, maybe an illusion. In any case, I would never hit a drop like that without my seat down, too difficult to get your CG back suffiently to prevent an endo, then stick the landing without crushing your tackle.

[BenSiskri]

Pidcock only rode one race more as MvdP, I don’t get how you can say MvdP was lacking after only one lap.

He has been riding his mtb since he quit the TDF, Vader told MvdP it was removed during the test event, I think they just assumed he would know it would be removed.

That's not quite correct. He's ridden a lot more MTB races in the last year than MvdP; who has ridden just two World Cups since August 2019. Training on the MTB isn't as good as racing.....and I'm sure he's said it takes him a while to get into the rhythm on the MTB. I'd also say, Tom is possibly more natural on the MTB, and it comes easier.

[robbosmans]

Pidcock rode 3 World cups (and a swisscup), Mvdp 2, so not that much more this year

[bikewithnoname]

The pic of Pidcock going off the thing makes it look like his seat is not dropped, maybe an illusion. In any case, I would never hit a drop like that without my seat down, too difficult to get your CG back suffiently to prevent an endo, then stick the landing without crushing your tackle.

Doesn't look like Pidcock had a dropper, I guess he has a healthy disrespect for his tackle Or some decent skills

[robbosmans]

He had one! Like I said it’s integrated into the frame, isn’t a huge drop but it is a drop

[bikewithnoname]

Ah yeah, I see in another shot on the finishing line that the bottom of the post is wiped clean by the seals for maybe 50mm?

I'd personally prefer something with 150mm+ front and rear for that drop Suspension makes up for my lack of skill

[jasjas]

Miscommunication seems to be the Dutch specialty this games.

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

From the BBC's coverage, no one else went ass over tit on that drop off, not mis communication, did MVDP even have a dropper?

He never races with one, if you don’t know it you can’t really blame him too much. He also didn’t have time for the test event last year.

But thats my point, this was a course that needed one, mvdp didn't appear to take it as seriously as some others and whilst TP did more mtb races, he also broke his collar bone 7 weeks ago, hardly ideal prep.