Zermatt 2020 EWS E Bike racing has arrived.

[Gary]

If you're talking about world leaders during the pandemic lots of words spring to mind. "naive" isn't in the top 5.

 

[Gary]

Hope you're okay now.

Thanks. And yeah as OK as I'll ever be ?

 

[Mr-EPIC-3]

Maybe Martin just took it a little easy on the 1st stage of the year and 2nd stage he started to turn it up.

Jesse a great racer (Top 10 EWS), but had there been 6 stages I would put my money on Martin

 

[FlowDough]

I think they are asking too much with this opening season EWS-E.

6 stages (mostly short but with lots of transition riding) meaning 3 batteries per rider, probably 4, to ensure race day batteries are charged while doing some final practice. Less stages or transition (same as EWS) and more riders from Pro teams or DH/XC racers might be able to compete. Do we gain anything from knowing the EWS-E riders put in the miles on transition stages? they will always be managing batteries to allow full power on the stage, seems pointless to do extra transition distance over stage distance.

Also a climbing stage so difficult one slip-up will totally ruin your race, i think a less tech stage but with tech option to take risks for bonus would be more comparable to the downhill stages and more interesting to watch.

I think it's likely that more EWS pros will cross over and try e bike racing at the next EWS races just to get in more practice time some of the trails. Should give the sport even more exposure and interest, and I think it will keep growing with every race. I won't be surprised if EWS E bike racing actually eclipses regular EWS racing in the next few years, I actually expect it to happen. I also noticed the comments on pinkbike were pretty supportive for the race, a sign that EWS E bike racing is being viewed as legitimate and interesting by the mountain bike community. Who would have imagined that 1 year ago after the FIS e bike racing debacle?

The climbing stage is definitely the most interesting aspect of this format, and there are lots of opinions about it already. I noticed in his interview that Nico thought that there should be an alternative easier climbing stage in case bad weather made it difficult to climb. I actually like the idea of the climbing stage being crucial and making it difficult for everybody, I would love to see a race where only 1 person cleaned it in the rain and everybody else struggled.

I noticed in one of the interviews that the EWS organizers are envisioning the climbing stages to be the primary stage where fans gather to watch so I'm sure they will be trying to keep them interesting.

 

[STATO]

The climbing stage is definitely the most interesting aspect of this format, and there are lots of opinions about it already. I noticed in his interview that Nico thought that there should be an alternative easier climbing stage in case bad weather made it difficult to climb. I actually like the idea of the climbing stage being crucial and making it difficult for everybody, I would love to see a race where only 1 person cleaned it in the rain and everybody else struggled.

I noticed in one of the interviews that the EWS organizers are envisioning the climbing stages to be the primary stage where fans gather to watch so I'm sure they will be trying to keep them interesting.

For me (watching) the uphill shouldnt be so technical that a minor slip would mean 30seconds lost. For certain include technical options lines where that can happen for a potential benefit, but they should be options. On DH sections you can take a big risk to gain 1-2seconds, or you can be conservative and balance what you attempt over the stage, but at pro level there is never anything that ridden conservatively will lost you 30 seconds in 5meters.

I want to see racers choosing lines where they want to gain or maintain time, not failing because someone thought to send them up a near unrideable hill because it would be funny to watch them fail. Some of the best moments of DH racing is seeing riders choose lines to try and gain an edge or play safe at one point to push elsewhere. Seeing them try and succeed in something challenging is amazing, seeing them fail because the course went through a bog and fail due to bad luck not skill sucks (fort william bog a few years ago for example, spoiled the race).

Of course accidents will lose time anywhere, but i dont think a minor slip uphill totally changing the race makes for good entertainment for us.

 

[Gary]

had there been 6 stages I would put my money on Martin

Martin knew fine how many stages he was racing.

The EWS as a series is kinda pointless this year for individual riders so every round will be contested by riders wanting to win that round (*as apposed to being super consistent and racking up points for the overall)

This is like listening to idiotic blinkered football fans crying into their pints in the pub going over "what if" and "if only" scenarios after the game.
Jesse won the race fair and square. FFS just give the dude the full credit he deserves, eh?

 

[TheBikePilot]

Martin knew fine how many stages he was racing.

The EWS as a series is kinda pointless this year for individual riders so every round will be contested by riders wanting to win that round (*as apposed to being super consistent and racking up points for the overall)

This is like listening to idiotic blinkered football fans crying into their pints in the pub going over "what if" and "if only" scenarios after the game.
Jesse won the race fair and square. FFS just give the dude the full credit he deserves, eh?

Your man Lewis Buchanan came in a respectable 42nd. He was just getting on with business..

Bernard Kerr on the other hand was whining no end about it all...

 

[Mr-EPIC-3]

Martin knew fine how many stages he was racing.

The EWS as a series is kinda pointless this year for individual riders so every round will be contested by riders wanting to win that round (*as apposed to being super consistent and racking up points for the overall)

This is like listening to idiotic blinkered football fans crying into their pints in the pub going over "what if" and "if only" scenarios after the game.
Jesse won the race fair and square. FFS just give the dude the full credit he deserves, eh?

Yes Jesse won and great for him, but like I said if I was a betting man, my money would have be on Martin.
Let be honest what is the point of having an EWS Enduro with 2 stages, shit they should have just ran one stage and called it a DH race

 

[Gary]

With respect. WGAF what you think.

The reason Zermatt had to be shortened to a two stage race was for rider safety.
Eg. mtn rescue/medic helicopters could not run in those conditions.

 

[TheBikePilot]

Yes Jesse won and great for him, but like I said if I was a betting man, my money would have be on Martin.
Let be honest what is the point of having an EWS Enduro with 2 stages, shit they should have just ran one stage and called it a DH race

If it's like the Mega, they don't mountain rescue you the same way. It's usually a helicopter straight off the bat. The World Cup DH got heavily critisiced for it taking 2 hours to get a chopper to a rider.

I'm sure it was not a decision taken lightly and even to get two runs in that crap was an achievement. A great shame, who would have thought it in August..

Next round Finale which is a bit less elevation..!

 

[Mr-EPIC-3]

With respect. WGAF what you think.

The reason Zermatt had to be shortened to a two stage race was for rider safety.
Eg. mtn rescue/medic helicopters could not run in those conditions.

True WGAF what I think. I am not signing the checks for these racers. But if the EWS Org knew weather conditions were not good why didn't they just talk to the racers and tell them we needed to wait a few days in order to have safe and proper racing conditions.

Weather Conditions for Zermatt, looks like they picked the worst day to have the race:/
Thank God that they ran the EWS-e race day before.

 

[Gary]

You really do have no clue what is involved in organising a mountainbike race.

Please just stop typing

 

[Mr-EPIC-3]

You really do have no clue what is involved in organising a mountainbike race.

Please just stop typing

Yea U R right, time for me to stop typing and go for my daily eMTB ride.

Cheers!

 

[Slowroller]

Bad bois, bad bois, whatcha gonna do when they come for you....

3 Competitors Removed from World Championships eMTB Start List After Bikes Fail UCI Checks - Pinkbike

EPowers motors have failed to meet the UCI's standards.

www.pinkbike.com

 

[RickBullotta]

Bad bois, bad bois, whatcha gonna do when they come for you....

3 Competitors Removed from World Championships eMTB Start List After Bikes Fail UCI Checks - Pinkbike

EPowers motors have failed to meet the UCI's standards.

www.pinkbike.com

LOL. Stefano Varjas seems like the Michele Ferrari of mechanical doping...

 

[B1rdie]

These ones would start cheating even before the race begins. ?

 

[Slowroller]

I'm pretty sure it's ok to call Lance a cheater even on an ebike.... lol