# Why hardly any mtb racing at Olympics?



## Ludwig (17 Aug 2008)

Given that mountain biking is one of the most popular participation sports in Britain, far more popular than road and track riding, why is there hardly anything at the Olympics? We have the deadly dull track racing and the turgid road events but about one or two token mtb races. It is nearly impossible to take up track or road racing even if one wanted to but mtb-ing has mass appeal. Another lost opportunity and politics and vested interests etc coming ahead of common sense.


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## Tim Bennet. (17 Aug 2008)

Another lost opportunity?

We can't even raise world standard teams for the mtb events there they have at the moment. Again in Beijing there will be no GB women's mtb team, despite some desperate effort by BC to find and train decent riders over the past 10 years. Mass participation maybe, but it would seem that they might like hanging around the cafes at prepared mtb centres talking the talk, but youngsters don't want to put in the graft to actually race.


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## mr Mag00 (17 Aug 2008)

deadly dull track racing ??? 
perhaps you shouldnt be watching it from inside your own small colon!


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## mr Mag00 (17 Aug 2008)

I think you will find liam killeen is world standard and oli beckinsale is not far behind.


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## Tim Bennet. (17 Aug 2008)

> I think you will find liam killeen is world standard and oli beckinsale is not far behind.


I also think you'll find neither of them is a women.


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## John the Monkey (17 Aug 2008)

> BMX is on Thursday I think. That'll be interesting to watch.



Looking forward to it - I have no idea what it's like at all (other than that the bikes are quite small).


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## bonj2 (17 Aug 2008)

apparently it's in ESSEX in the london olympics, so isn't really mtbing at all.


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## Losidan (17 Aug 2008)

John the Monkey said:


> Looking forward to it - I have no idea what it's like at all (other than that the bikes are quite small).



you are in for a treat. massive jumps, huge speeds and we have a real chance of winning the womens..
BMX racing today is NOT what the old perception of it is.
I cant wait


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## Renard (18 Aug 2008)

Mtb ing hasn't the same variety of events as some of the track events and the road only had the race and the TT. The XC races are on fri and sat. Other than DH and maybe 4x what are you looking for?


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## srw (18 Aug 2008)

Ludwig said:


> Given that mountain biking is one of the most popular participation sports in Britain, far more popular than road and track riding, why is there hardly anything at the Olympics? We have the deadly dull track racing and the turgid road events but about one or two token mtb races. It is nearly impossible to take up track or road racing even if one wanted to but mtb-ing has mass appeal. Another lost opportunity and politics and vested interests etc coming ahead of common sense.



1. It may amaze you, but Britain's national interests do not count in the selection of Olympic sports.

2. Track cycling is, in any case, the only sport in which we are clearly the best in the world.

3. MTBing does not have long-term mass appeal - it is briefly fashionable. Olympic MTBing is not about titting about on bikes, which is what is popular in the UK on MTBs.

4. It's stupidly easy to take up road cycling - all you need is a bike and a road. Most people have the second going past their front door. It is much more difficult to take up mountain biking, as most people don't live on a mountain.


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## andy_wrx (18 Aug 2008)

Yes, I picked-up on this bit about 'it's popular in Britain so why isn't there more of it at the Olympics'.

But anyway I'm puzzled quite what Ludwig thinks moaning about it on a cycling forum is going to achieve.

Much better to contact the Olympics directly.

Write to Jacques Rogge, The Olympics, Geneva, Switzerland.

He might be a bit busy in Beijing for a week or two but are bound to respond when he gets home.


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## User482 (19 Aug 2008)

srw said:


> 1. It may amaze you, but Britain's national interests do not count in the selection of Olympic sports.
> 
> 2. Track cycling is, in any case, the only sport in which we are clearly the best in the world.
> 
> ...



1. We have some of the very best MTB downhillers in the world - both men and women. Steve Peat, the Athertons, Tracey Mosely and many more. Rachel Atherton is the current World Champion. Steve Peat is a 3 time world cup winner. Sadly we're not as good at XC, particularly the women.

2. MTB has been a mass participation activity for over 15 years - hardly brief. And Rough Stuff was happening for decades before that.

3. You don't need a mountain, you need some off-road tracks. Plenty of people live near those.


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## stopher83 (19 Aug 2008)

Sorry I have just made a topic about BMX at olympics and if i had just read this post it may of just given me the answers i needed

-----------------------------
http://www.uk-cycling.org


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## barq (20 Aug 2008)

User482 said:


> 1. We have some of the very best MTB downhillers in the world - both men and women. Steve Peat, the Athertons, Tracey Mosely and many more. Rachel Atherton is the current World Champion. Steve Peat is a 3 time world cup winner. Sadly we're not as good at XC, particularly the women.
> 
> 2. MTB has been a mass participation activity for over 15 years - hardly brief. And Rough Stuff was happening for decades before that.
> 
> 3. You don't need a mountain, you need some off-road tracks. Plenty of people live near those.



I pretty much agree with all that. Perhaps downhilling will eventually make it in as an olympic sport - maybe it needs to be established for a bit longer. XC isn't currently very fashionable among young people so I'm not holding my breath for the next generation. Once certain people get over the whole 'gay/jey boy XC' thing the better!

On your last point, I think 'mountain bike' is a misnomer because like you say it doesn't require mountains (or even significant hills). I have a vague memory of it originally referring to a specific model which I think someone like Gary Fisher tried to trademark.


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## Renard (22 Aug 2008)

Disappointing that the womens XC isn't on telly ATM. MAybe they will show it later?


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## mr Mag00 (22 Aug 2008)

the mens is v early tomorrow morning?


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## Renard (23 Aug 2008)

On ATM. I reckon any chance of a medal evaporated within the first minute and a half though.


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## barq (23 Aug 2008)

Good come back from Liam Killeen. Reminds me so much of 2004.


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## summerdays (24 Aug 2008)

I thought the TV coverage of the mens race was rubbish... yes I was interested in the leader, but I was also interested in the other participants to see how they coped with the trickier sections of the course. And the slow motion shot that they repeated at least 3 times really annoyed me when they could of been showing the actual race.


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## barq (24 Aug 2008)

I agree. It focused far too much on Absalon. Obviously it was a great performance, but we got very little sense of what was happening further back in the field.


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## Steve Austin (25 Aug 2008)

As someone who has ridden XC bikes for as long as they have been around, i think MTB racing is dull as dishwater to watch. And as such it will never get more than one event. 
DH racing 'could' be interesting, but watching folk plummet down a course at breakneck speed isn't really much of a spectator sport either.

I like the idea that as we have lots of MTBers in the UK we should have a world champion, or be as good at MTB as track cycling. We didn't become the best at Track overnight, so MTB needs some time. Of course we need to find someone with enough talent and ability to be able to compete at the top level as well.


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## coldash (25 Aug 2008)

I like doing XC but I think it's one of these sports that just doesn't televise well. Maybe the courses are too good at separating the best from the rest and turn it into a TT, or the courses are too narrow to encourage side-by-side racing, or the trees get in the way of good camera coverage but whatever it is, for me, it doesn't have any appeal as a (TV) spectator sport.


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## AndyM78 (28 Aug 2008)

How about making a kind of 2 wheel triathlon where the competitors would do an mtb event, a downhill event and maybe a cyclocross event. some would shine in a certain event where others struggle only to turn it round on the next. Loads of scope for tv and spectators? Don't fancy doing one myself though!


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## Losidan (29 Aug 2008)

AndyM78 said:


> How about making a kind of 2 wheel triathlon where the competitors would do an mtb event, a downhill event and maybe a cyclocross event. some would shine in a certain event where others struggle only to turn it round on the next. Loads of scope for tv and spectators? Don't fancy doing one myself though!



or swap the dh for 4x? Good for tv too which bmx has defo proved


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## Losidan (29 Aug 2008)

coldash said:


> I like doing XC but I think it's one of these sports that just doesn't televise well. Maybe the courses are too good at separating the best from the rest and turn it into a TT, or the courses are too narrow to encourage side-by-side racing, or the trees get in the way of good camera coverage but whatever it is, for me, it doesn't have any appeal as a (TV) spectator sport.



xc racing is very different from when I dabbled in it about 15 yrs ago. There used to be loads of obstacles and unrideable sections built into a lap. Slinging your bike on your shoulder and running was a necessity. I dont doubt the riders are more skilled these days but the courses are different too and I think it detracts from the spectacle...


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