It’s World Cup race season! The primary cease of the sequence is in South Korea with a very new observe for the world’s elite DH racers. And, aside from having to determine the observe, some have taken concern with one of many different racers making an attempt to qualify for this weekend’s festivities.
Enter: Hardtail Man (as many web commenters have dubbed him).
Sure, there’s a racer competing in a World Cup DH race on a hardtail. Or, not less than attempting to. Now, I’m not going to say his identify or hyperlink to his socials, and also you’ll quickly perceive why.
A latest submit from Wyn Masters knowledgeable his followers that he received’t take part on this weekend’s race anymore. Why? A crash left him with a “distal radius fracture and extreme AC joint separation that can require surgical procedure again dwelling.”
And what precipitated the crash? Effectively, in response to Wyn, there have been a number of components, all of which he summed up in his submit:
“1. The B-line round a bounce like this could by no means rejoin on the touchdown when riders leaping the leaping are going 40+kmh.
2. The Marshall ought to have been positioned higher on the bounce to cease this example.
3. The observe time was shortened and delayed so riders had been in a rush to get vital observe on such a course.
4. Riders have to take extra care and ensure they don’t pull out on somebody, this shouldn’t be their accountability in my thoughts although the course marking shouldn’t permit a state of affairs like this.”
Wyn was making an attempt to clear one of many main jumps on the course. Nonetheless, riders utilizing the B-line, which related to the bounce’s touchdown, had been beneath. Wyn noticed the rider on the touchdown and averted him, however the outcome was a probably season-ending crash.
However these 4 factors Wyn mentions don’t appear to be the one issue. Plainly Wyn probably encountered Hardtail Man.
Framework’s Asa Vermette, who certified first on the World Cup race, additionally had a run-in with Hardtail Man, passing him on his qualifying run. Later, Wyn interviews Asa, the place they each point out the racer on a hardtail.
Within the video, Wyn and Asa chat about Hardtail Man and the way Asa needed to cross him on his qualifying run. They affirm it was the identical Hardtail Man (not that there are lots of different hardtails within the race) who slowed one other rider down, inflicting Wyn to crash.
So, there appears to be two sides to the controversy. First, many argue the obvious points with the observe and observe officers. These had been fairly properly summed up in Wyn’s submit.
Others felt that the accountability fell on the UCI for permitting a hardtail within the first place. In no world is a hardtail going to go remotely as quick as a World Cup racer on a correct DH bike. Commendable effort? Certain. However secure? That is the place individuals, together with a few of the high racers, really feel just like the UCI ought to have stepped in.
Nonetheless others level to Hardtail Man as the issue (which is why I’m not tagging him on this submit). Whereas some suppose his World Cup hardtail endeavors are superior, many people have known as his participation “egocentric” and “unsafe.” The rationale? The web treats Hardtail Man’s World Cup participation as a solution to get “clicks and views” fairly than a critical race entry. Merely put, Hardtail Man was minutes slower than the highest qualifiers.
Whether or not it was his intention or not, Hardtail Man completely acquired loads of these clicks and views. One commenter on one among Wyn’s posts even stated, “loopy how a man on a hardtail went from sensation to a villain.”
I’m bummed to see Wyn out of World Cup races for the foreseeable future. However, truthfully, I perceive all of the arguments and factors of view right here. Sincerely questioning, BikeRumor commentors, what do you suppose?
