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2024 World Cup XCC-XCO

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#1,622 ·
madfella said:
How about some predictions for Paris. Can anyone beat Pidcock?
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I say no way. As predictable as it seems, PFP and Pidcock for the wins. I think Nino will end up with a medal, one last time. Maybe.

I'd love for another US medal though I must admit. If either has a chance to be beaten, I'd say PFP could. But Pid? Man, when he wins, he's not even going full speed most of the time, that's what's scary. I don't think he's gone full deep at any of the mtb races he's won in the last few years. But who knows, he could get injured or something.

Do they do bet making odds on MTB like mainstream sports?
 
#1,625 ·
calgarydave said:
Does anyone here know if the XCO course in Paris would be accessible (to walk, not ride) to the public a month prior to the big show? I will be in Paris June 15-21 and would love to go check it out.
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I watched a short documentary on the location. It is an old quarry that became a landfill. It's the highest point in the area or something like that. I believe it is still private property. It is going to be turned into a park that will be open to the public in 2025.
 
#1,626 ·
Hey. I totally forgot.

During the Nove Mesto (na Morave) broadcast, Bart Brentjens mentioned a "test day" at the Paris track "next weekend" (which would have been yesterday).

I will head over to the .fr websites and look for gossip.

P.S. I am one of the cool kids because I didn't forget to to tack on the "na Morave", ad nauseum.
 
#1,627 ·
Blackies Pasture said:
Hey. I totally forgot.

During the Nove Mesto (na Morave) broadcast, Bart Brentjens mentioned a "test day" at the Paris track "next weekend" (which would have been yesterday).

I will head over to the .fr websites and look for gossip.

P.S. I am one of the cool kids because I didn't forget to to tack on the "na Morave", ad nauseum.
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I think middle of last week the nations qualified for the olympics had the opportunity to ride the course, but it wasnt a race. I know Blevins and Amos went there but it was more of a scouting opportunity than a real event afaik.
 
#1,628 ·
madfella said:
How about some predictions for Paris. Can anyone beat Pidcock?
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I doubt anyone will be able to dethrone Pidcock, but I would like to see Gaze (or one of the more "pure" mtbers) give him a run for his money or finish ahead of him. I like Pidcock, but can alos appreciate the victory going to someone who lives, breaths and sleeps XCO rather than a mega talent.
 
#1,629 ·
If I were going to Vegas to place a bet it would be Tom and Pauline, but on race day I will be rooting for anyone but either of them.

For me, I want to see one of the women win that are battling for everything and racing every Elite event that is scheduled.... Alessandra, Haley, Savilia, Jenny, Jolanda, Becca, any one of them rather than Pauline who has never won the World Cup overall because she cherry picks races while others race them all.

Tom? Just not a fan of his personality. Come on Nino, Chris, Victor, ...
 
#1,630 ·
Pids seems like butthole. Trying to be humble but makes him seem even more arrogant. Talented, yes but... Whatever
I want my American ladies to do great and l think Haley will. But l want Pauline to take gold. The goat needs the gold!
Pauline-gold, Haley-silver, Puck- bronze. Thats my prediction.
 
#1,631 ·
NM was a super interesting men’s race. Pidcock was crying about the pace of lap 1 being so hard, and then commented something along the lines of “maybe they learned their lesson.” As in, he taught them a lesson with his attack (learning and lesson were definitely in the quote).

For sure, Nino was the only one who could go with TP. And it was impressive how strong they looked. But it’s also hard to say how much of an impact factors such training cycle for the games, illness going around the circuit and Olympic qualifying had an impact on performances. Although he didn’t necessarily sound convinced he could have kept up, Nino mentioned Olympic selection and not blowing up as a factor in letting TP go. We know others were sick/exposed (specialized). If I were selected, as some riders were, I’d absolutely be prioritizing my peak for Paris.

Then TP is perhaps targeting top 5 in the GC at TdF this year? Doesn’t that finish a week before XCO in Paris? How his tour and recovery go are big questions.

On the one hand, NM suggests TP as heavy favorite with a healthy Nino as the only one with potential to challenge.

On the other hand, there’s a lot of words to say it’s hard to say.

For sure the TdF seems a huge X factor to me. Perhaps some of the others can comment on the likelihood of being able to recover - most especially conditioned on how the race goes. I.e., if he loses the race early, he can perhaps use it for training like MVDP last year ahead of road words; but if he’s pushing for the GC late into the tour?
 
#1,632 ·
I wouldnt be surprised if Rodriguez (or even G. Thomas) starts to outperform Pidcock on the GC (intentionally or not) and Pidcock then resigns to support and stage hunting. Every Tour preview I've seen recently lists Rodriguez as their principal contender which makes more sense to me. Anyways, the reason I think it's relevant is because if Pidcock is no longer in the race for GC, that will free him up to take it "easy" and treat the race more like an intense training block, perhaps with the odd stage hunt here and there, rather than a full-focus race for every second. He has mentioned that a grand tour is perfect prep so sounds like as long as he manages the load and recovery well, he has potential to nail it.

I sometimes wonder about the pacing at NM too and if the race would have unfolded differently. Many of those who paced it and made-up spots later in the race and finished well. Then again, that might just be their riding style (Guerrini, Azzarro, Forster etc)
 
Discussion starter · #1,633 ·
Yeah...that snarky comment "maybe they learned their lesson''...if this was basketball when I was growing up, or baseball still in present day, that guy would hard foul or plunked by a 100mph fast ball right next at bat. Talent or not, even I wanted to slap him when I heard him say it.

Nevertheless, Pidcock does not seem to me like the guy who will win a Grand Tour. He can climb, sprint and rouleur with the best, but he is none of those and is yet to prove himself in a GT. Even Egan Bernal seems more poised to place higher than Tom. Gold in Paris?Yes, I consider him the fave, but honestly don't want him to win.

Oh, and I believe Jenny can beat up PFP straight up, even with the NMNM set back. Yes, I went Vegas with her.
 
#1,634 ·
carlostruco said:
Yeah...that snarky comment "maybe they learned their lesson''...if this was basketball when I was growing up, or baseball still in present day, that guy would hard foul or plunked by a 100mph fast ball right next at bat. Talent or not, even I wanted to slap him when I heard him say it.

Nevertheless, Pidcock does not seem to me like the guy who will win a Grand Tour. He can climb, sprint and rouleur with the best, but he is none of those and is yet to prove himself in a GT. Even Egan Bernal seems more poised to place higher than Tom. Gold in Paris?Yes, I consider him the fave, but honestly don't want him to win.

Oh, and I believe Jenny can beat up PFP straight up, even with the NMNM set back. Yes, I went Vegas with her.
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Not much from Pidcock has shown he can outperform the Ayuso's, Hindley's, even Bernal to your point. He just hasn't shown something that makes me believe he could ride a 3 week GT and contend, TT isn't there, etc. But not sure how much of that is a lack of focus, he is surely talented. However, would like him to just smash one days and stage hunt vs trying to turn himself into a GC guy who will never be.

I'd like to see Gaze, Koretzky, and Blevins (American hopium) have a good day but think it's Tom's to lose
 
#1,635 ·
Looks like some Pidcock fueled drama is coming out in the Netflix Unchained Season 2
www.globalcyclingnetwork.com

'Cut the cameras' - Tour de France: Unchained series 2 exposes discord within Ineos Grenadiers

Early showings of new Netflix documentary series have revealed a leadership struggle between Tom Pidcock and Carlos Rodríguez within British team
www.globalcyclingnetwork.com www.globalcyclingnetwork.com

I guess every sport needs its heros and villains. In cycling there aren't that many personalities that go against the grain so I guess Pidcock fills that void
 
#1,637 ·
RexRacerX said:
NM was a super interesting men’s race. Pidcock was crying about the pace of lap 1 being so hard, and then commented something along the lines of “maybe they learned their lesson.” As in, he taught them a lesson with his attack (learning and lesson were definitely in the quote).
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Pidcock is just telling the truth. Most of those that pushed the pace so hard in the first lap were soon out the back. They definitely got their pacing wrong.
 
#1,638 ·
Stonerider said:
Pidcock is just telling the truth. Most of those that pushed the pace so hard in the first lap were soon out the back. They definitely got their pacing wrong.
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We can't have people telling the truth - it rubs people up the wrong way. But as I keep saying, and people don't understand - he's from Yorkshire, that's how they are; they're blunt and to the point....
 
#1,639 · (Edited)
Exmuhle said:
We can't have people telling the truth - it rubs people up the wrong way. But as I keep saying, and people don't understand - he's from Yorkshire, that's how they are; they're blunt and to the point....
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Telling the truth without necessarily rubbing people the wrong way is certainly a skill, but it's one that much of society seems to have cultivated - though not in all of Yorkshire, apparently. (As an aside, I work daily with someone who grew up in the center of York and he does have this skill, but he also has to rely on more than athletic ability for a living.)

I also know people who like to claim they "just say it like it is," yet often seem to revel more in rubbing people the wrong way. In any case, I'm not trying to claim TP is such a person. For sure the "teaching the[m] a lesson" quote was notable, but more so was the fact that TP and Nino could conceivably drop everyone with a fast start followed by a big attack.

To me the biggest lesson while watching was: no mater how hard you go, you won't be able to go with me (and Nino). But, like I said, there are so many different circumstances - most especially at NM - that it's hard to judge how well the form at NM will predict Paris.

Edit: [typo]
 
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