Old School Mountain Biker wins Gold in China

[GoldenEraMTB]

There where alot older MTBer in the field who have been racing long before Absalon.

For instance (and oldest of the pack)
The Dutchman Bart Brentjens

He won Gold in Atlanta 96 and World Champion in 96 when Absalon was just starting to race.
Got Bronze at the Olypics in Athens

And before 96 he was first overall in the Worldcup

Bart in atlanta:

Sadly he didn't finish this time, because it was his last major race.

Still a good victory by Julien,

He was just coming on toward the end of Tinker's dominance, Ned Overend, so yeah...I definitely remember him...perhaps one of the first Euros to take it to the americans in mountainbiking....great mention.

Sadly, I have not followed crosscountry in a long while, and was not aware that he was in the race or that it was his last...you would think that the telecast team would have mentioned him.

It's even more probable that Bad Bart has some retro rides in his collection

 

[lou74]

our own (uk) oli beckingsale has been racing since 90,91, i know cos i used to race againt him regularly back then.

 

[Mad Cow]

Why then, after how much lobbying, etc., to have BMX included in the games, to have some sort of hybrid, mixed-media course that the contestants would not be familiar with? Or am I out of touch and this is normal?

The story is that the IOC asked "young people" what they wanted in the Games.... "Skate boarding" came the reply. Piss off said the IOC we don't want any more asthetic "sports", what else?

"If we can't have skate boards we want BMX" said the great unwashed youths.

Of course they meant freestyle not BMX racing but (see above).

So they commissioned an "expert" to "freestyle up" BMX racing. Bigger berms, bigger jumps, big start ramp and then they decided that it would have to be cruisers as little wheels would look too much like kids bikes and eight riders is far too busy, lets cut it down to four.

Great Idea we all said (well not really), except that's now mountain biking and it's called 4X :roll:

So they relented on a few things but still turned out this bastardised hybrid, supposedly TV friendly version of Olympic BMX..... that gets won my a downhiller, nice one ACC

Did love Shanaze's attitude though... Death or Glory sure as hell beats the "were only here to get some experience before 2012" attitude that prevailed before the Games. Thanks to Cooke, Hoy, Wiggins, Pendelton etc for reminding Team GB it is OK to want to win.

 

[GoldenEraMTB]

Why then, after how much lobbying, etc., to have BMX included in the games, to have some sort of hybrid, mixed-media course that the contestants would not be familiar with? Or am I out of touch and this is normal?

The story is that the IOC asked "young people" what they wanted in the Games.... "Skate boarding" came the reply. Piss off said the IOC we don't want any more asthetic "sports", what else?

"If we can't have skate boards we want BMX" said the great unwashed youths.

Of course they meant freestyle not BMX racing but (see above).

So they commissioned an "expert" to "freestyle up" BMX racing. Bigger berms, bigger jumps, big start ramp and then they decided that it would have to be cruisers as little wheels would look too much like kids bikes and eight riders is far too busy, lets cut it down to four.

Great Idea we all said (well not really), except that's now mountain biking and it's called 4X :roll:

So they relented on a few things but still turned out this bastardised hybrid, supposedly TV friendly version of Olympic BMX..... that gets won my a downhiller, nice one ACC

Did love Shanaze's attitude though... Death or Glory sure as hell beats the "were only here to get some experience before 2012" attitude that prevailed before the Games. Thanks to Cooke, Hoy, Wiggins, Pendelton etc for reminding Team GB it is OK to want to win.

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