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753
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8/29/2010
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Grand Junction, CO
US
Before I even get into my rant, I want to point out that I'm well aware Robot and a number of others are going to make fun of my title. Hell, even I want to make fun of it. I just don't have a good enough handle on the English language to find a better word than "honor".
Those that don't know me, I love racing and riding bikes. I also generally suck at both, at least considering how much bike riding I've done. At best I'll eek out a mid pack pro finish at a BME which is to say I'm a total joke on the world stage (EWS). The reason I point out my level, is because I'm not delusional in thinking my below rant somehow impacts my results either way. I'm still going to get smoked either way...
A trend I've noticed since enduro became a "thing" is dudes showing up to race venues well in advance of the race for a look at the trails. This is clearly not illegal and isn't even something I cared too much about when all this started. (okay, I cared a little...)
As the sport has grown up, it seems like this has gotten worse...and worse...and worse, to the point you'll see various sprinter vans rolling around weeks before even a BME or similar, often with some of the higher caliber riders. (riders that would smoke the field anyway, trying to gain an edge on their closest competitor)
On one hand, I get it. They have a job, go win races. A hack like me has to work all week, mow his yard thursday night before arriving for Friday's sanctioned practice. I maybe get a look at each stage and boom, I'm racing. I dig it. Obviously, if the event is near my home town, I have a huge advantage. We'll never equalize this.
However, it feels like there should be a "gentleman's agreement", "honor", "pride", something that says "eh, I'm going to roll to an event just like everyone else and not try and gain an advantage". I know certain riders like Marco could smoke me even if I had 100 looks at a trail and he had 0. These are the types of racers I most respect. Marco is more likely to be found fishing if he shows up early, not poaching trails. If a race feels rigged, its harder to want to compete in them.
When I reflect on the bigger picture, I realize why this seems a problem; it really is unique to enduro racing, a sport that is generally held on publicly accessed trails and emphasizes descending (unlike XC, which is also often on public trails). DH racing, especially at the top level, is very often on closed courses, which was *certainly* the case when I was growing up. Slalom was this way. Other forms of racing, such as Supercross, Hard Enduro, Enduro (moto), snowmobile hill climbing etc are basically no practice, on-sight and go.
I realize there are races like Trans-FILL IN THE BLANK. Which is rad, and nearly impossible to make a series out of. Enduro in the US will remain a sport on public trails.
Is it cool to game these unwritten rules and try to make a place your "home" weeks in advance of a race or should this be looked down upon? Is this good for the sport, or not?
Curious the collective's thoughts. The power of social pressures can be vast, hence, this thread...
Those that don't know me, I love racing and riding bikes. I also generally suck at both, at least considering how much bike riding I've done. At best I'll eek out a mid pack pro finish at a BME which is to say I'm a total joke on the world stage (EWS). The reason I point out my level, is because I'm not delusional in thinking my below rant somehow impacts my results either way. I'm still going to get smoked either way...
A trend I've noticed since enduro became a "thing" is dudes showing up to race venues well in advance of the race for a look at the trails. This is clearly not illegal and isn't even something I cared too much about when all this started. (okay, I cared a little...)
As the sport has grown up, it seems like this has gotten worse...and worse...and worse, to the point you'll see various sprinter vans rolling around weeks before even a BME or similar, often with some of the higher caliber riders. (riders that would smoke the field anyway, trying to gain an edge on their closest competitor)
On one hand, I get it. They have a job, go win races. A hack like me has to work all week, mow his yard thursday night before arriving for Friday's sanctioned practice. I maybe get a look at each stage and boom, I'm racing. I dig it. Obviously, if the event is near my home town, I have a huge advantage. We'll never equalize this.
However, it feels like there should be a "gentleman's agreement", "honor", "pride", something that says "eh, I'm going to roll to an event just like everyone else and not try and gain an advantage". I know certain riders like Marco could smoke me even if I had 100 looks at a trail and he had 0. These are the types of racers I most respect. Marco is more likely to be found fishing if he shows up early, not poaching trails. If a race feels rigged, its harder to want to compete in them.
When I reflect on the bigger picture, I realize why this seems a problem; it really is unique to enduro racing, a sport that is generally held on publicly accessed trails and emphasizes descending (unlike XC, which is also often on public trails). DH racing, especially at the top level, is very often on closed courses, which was *certainly* the case when I was growing up. Slalom was this way. Other forms of racing, such as Supercross, Hard Enduro, Enduro (moto), snowmobile hill climbing etc are basically no practice, on-sight and go.
I realize there are races like Trans-FILL IN THE BLANK. Which is rad, and nearly impossible to make a series out of. Enduro in the US will remain a sport on public trails.
Is it cool to game these unwritten rules and try to make a place your "home" weeks in advance of a race or should this be looked down upon? Is this good for the sport, or not?
Curious the collective's thoughts. The power of social pressures can be vast, hence, this thread...
The big difference however is doping is behind closed doors, obviously shameful, obviously full of social pressures to NOT do.
This one is right in front of our faces, and if we all decided "eh, that's not cool" or could maybe better define the line here, the social pressure would be enough to keep it relatively in check.
"Recos" were a huge problem in France a few years ago, races were intended to be run blind, and organisers often opened up 1-2 fresh cut tracks per round specifically as race stages which were supposed to be unridden until the race. A couple of locals would always find them (by local I mean, people who didn't need to drive to get to the trails) which I felt was fair enough. A lot of us might go a few weeks (3-4) before hand to ride the previous year's course, this was considered borderline, but at the same time, i'm not going to stop riding my favourite spots because a race will happen a month later... Most venues were within an hour's drive of my house by the way. It is important to understand that tracks here are extremely technical, specifically as they are very narrow, very low visibility and have ridiculous switchbacks, so riding the course gives massive advantages.
Then the top juniors started all out cheating: their parents would shuttle them to tracks during the week before races, and some of them started beating some pros. Pros got super angry, but soon just started doing the same shuttling or camping out at venues days before events. This was clearly written as against the rules, and a few big names got named and shamed, but no one ever got disqualified/penalised.
About 2-3 years ago the organisers gave up and just allowed Recos, a few of us held out, out of principle, or simply had jobs and families. Suddenly I dropped from being a top 30 rider to often getting places in the 60s. This year the only race I did I couldn't break into the top 100 of the only race I could enter which I had to travel a bit further to, this was a different championship which never had Reco bans. Another thing that drives me insane is outside assistance, with a lot of the juniors riding with no bags, tools or even water and meeting their parents at the end of each stage for help.
The step that really disgusted me, is that once recos became allowed, some riders would turn up the day before the race on e-bikes to ride the course effortlessly. Basically "pay-to-win".
I know it sounds like i'm some kind of baby boomer, but I'm only 35
Really soured my whole approach to racing, to the point that I just can't get excited to train or take racing seriously anymore.
The one thing that slightly lowers the curve on the playing field is the weather. Heat and rain can totally change the tracks and the racers strategies.
I like "blind racing" events and thats what most of my enduro race experiences had been since I was only able to get to the race the night before.
But even if it was in the rulebook that NO "trainings" were allowed, a whole lot (a third at least) of riders came friday and rode the trails. The organiser the first... And I was a little disgusted BUT...
I shared a chairlift the day of the race, between two timed trails, with a tall and talented guy I don't remember his name but his philosophy enlightens me some years later. He raced in french championship, and didn't do a single on-place training, he rode blind everytime he raced. And didn't care at all. He knew he lost few places, but that's how he liked it. Blindly charging trails. 'cause that's what "real" mtb is in fact.
Maybe it's true, maybe he convinced himself he rode blind because he had an excuse not to put a foot on podiums (just like I did when I rode hardtails in DH races ). Anyway, I keep his words in my head. In substance : "do what you like and don't care about the rest".
Obviously the organisers can't prohibit racers to come and ride near the race trails. Where it becomes edgy is when trails (enduro or DH...) are closed and riders go on it anyway... Another touchy aspect is the guy who knows the shapers/organisers who help them to know exactly where the race will be...
I suppose what I was hoping is a noteworthy EWS dude would jump into this and get behind it. It has to come from the top. It has to be from someone who goes "yeah, this is how I'm going to race going forward and I feel its better for the sport, I/we encourage everyone to do it like this".
It'd have to be defined a bit better, too. But ultimately, like I said, the social pressure is big. If it becomes "uncool" to try and game this, show up early, etc. it'll cut down on it.
Its probably all a pipe dream with so much bike park stuff in a race these days, but I'll keep dreaming. The ultimate would be a race that is within like 100 miles of a place like Bozeman. Nobody knows the location. Vans shuttle the racers to private land and the race then goes off.
Unrealistic, but it'd make racing a lot more "worth it" to me.
Maybe if some of the best riders were more vocal it would change the culture a bit, IDK. There seems to be a bit of an omerta like road racing, there aren't many riders that speak up publicly. It's a tight knit group that doesn't want to burn bridges so nobody really gets shamed too badly, even when guys get caught and penalized for doing stupid stuff.
I know there are some racers at the top who see things similar to the way we do, I just wish they'd be more vocal, and I wish we as a community could define the etiquette a bit better.
1.) People with more resources and less integrity will always have an advantage in competition.
2.) It's amusing that mid pack pro means suckage, you're in the 99th percentile of all mammals on a space rock who can ride bikes.
3.) It's nice to have a low number next to your name on a piece of paper and maybe even get a cheap trophy but there is probably more actual reward in learning how to not define our (GO TEAM 35!!!) middle age self worth by performance on a toy
One big difference I've noted is in Ireland, where I currently live, riders are lot more respectful and try not to ride the trails 2-3 weeks before the race. Ireland is small, compared to Spain and France, so more or less you can go anywhere with 3-4h drive and check the trails.
Racing mountain bikes is truly a young mans game.
Edit to add: Not to burst your bubble, but I don't think there really is anywhere in a 100 mile radius around Bozeman that people don't really know about. Your best bet is probably local, grassroots enduro races and not events like the BME.
Pre-riding and doing tons of course recon I think cheapens the race experience. Enduro should be about setting up your bike, mindset and fitness to handle whatever comes and then just go out for the adventure of it.
Last BME I did in Aspen, most of the other Masters guys had all been there for at least a week and ridden everything over and over. I showed up the evening before as that's often how it goes with work and young kids. I had a great time and was top ten but I really wondered why I was racing when I could have just used that same amount of time and money to fund a little riding vacation. Haven't raced since. I do miss some of the racing vibe but don't really miss the stress and having kids have made me question the risks that racing seems to promote, at least for me.
Rules are Rules, and no one outside of this is cheating.
From EWS Rulebook 0.6.4
At all Tier 1 and related events, all Special Stages must be kept closed to racers following the course
map release until Official Training commences. This is to allow the organisation to mark and prepare
each Special Stage. Any racer found riding on a Special Stage outside of Official Training will be subject
to a penalty including disqualification. This restriction is not applicable to Tier 2 Enduro Series and Tier
3 Qualifier events unless specifically stated in the individual event rules or Race Book
What I am specifically against is riding the week of the race, often with a view to opening new lines or even finding shortcuts. As Jeff said, the biggest issue is that there are no role models: juniors and amateurs started this here, but Pros have all been caught, and i'm talking EWS winners, thanks to their vans being parked at the trailhead or strava (which I find particularly brazen)
I kinda disagree with this though:
"It's nice to have a low number next to your name on a piece of paper and maybe even get a cheap trophy but there is probably more actual reward in learning how to not define our (GO TEAM 35!!!) middle age self worth by performance on a toy"
A huge issue of being in your 30s these days is specfically being defined entirely by your job and family situation. As your serial killer avatar Bateman's movie kinda touches upon, where his entire self worth is based on having the nicest business card. It is surely healthy to "diversify your bonds" and feel some pride from your job, family but also from passions like bikes/racing. That last one really gets thrown out the window when hours of training at the crack of dawn or on the home trainer in the evening amount to almost nothing versus just turning up on friday+saturday to shuttle or ebike the entire course. And it isn't like I couldn't take a day off or turn up on my own ebike saturday, but it is a simple matter of ethics as Jeff brings up at the top.
The devil's advocate in this case for me is that pre-riding allows a lot of communities to live from bike tourism, a huge factor in the EWS rounds in Italy for instance. So from a sport growth and sustainability aspect there are strong counter arguments.
What I always wanted enduro to be was 3-4 hard, raw, mostly cut-for-the race stages that were all pedaled. This won’t happen this side of private land. It’d also take a gargantuan amount of work. It’d even work if the stages remained more or less but the land owner shut them down outside of racing.
I’m on my phone so will address the existential crisis we’ve identified later
Unrelated, but I’d also like to see someone run with an omnium race. Aka one weekend where everyone who enters has to race xc, slalom, and 2 dh races. One bike. Tire swapping only allowed. Placing tallied via points not time. Basically like collegiate nationals with a slight twist.
I think you're slightly missing the point.
I would never argue that time spent racing or training is inferior to material pursuits. Time spent with friends and family? Vastly superior. For a lucky few; riding, racing, and family are all the same.
I was more getting at intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation and it seems we agree extrinsic motivation bad, intrinsic motivation good. Hacking at Paul Allen with a chrome axe, best.
I started back into racing years ago with Enduro and much like most I got sick and tired of how it was turning into a multi-stage DH race. I really enjoyed the back country events that had no shuttling and required lots of riding to practice thus weeding out the punters and limiting the pre-riding.
At this point I just spend my time riding and not standing in a lift line or worrying about eeking out seconds so I can win a pair of socks or a water bottle.
I ride these trails almost 7 days a week anyways so can't really complain lol. Locals are king.
Definitely not for the Enduro purists out there but it gives the local businesses a good (and needed) economic bump, particularly if the race is done during the lean season for tourists (like a ski park hosting a race during summer).
There are very very few organizers in this part of the world who can literally afford blind enduros, unfortunately.
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