Kinda hoping that flat for Pidcock gives him a little red a$$ and he decides to race Big Sugar next week as a result……
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cybb3fMuND2/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Video of the sprint in that post….
Getting away from the top 3, Cole and Savilia have had a hell of a year too.
So weird that they hadn’t made Cole a US champ kit.
There’s not that many opportunities for him to wear it.
They’ve only had weeks to do it….
Hayley Batten locks up the women’s race with a dominating ride!
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CybdY3kunrs/?igshid=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==
Guessing Tom’s post race interview would go a little something like this if asked if he is racing Big Sugar next week… 
Surprised by Payson’s 9th. He looks fatigued and I wonder if he’s feeling the effects of Gravel World’s. He rode really hard there by the looks of it.
Look forward to hearing about this race from the athlete’s perspective.
Any TR users race?
That’s about where he has been running this year…
Sea Otter DNF
Unbound DNF
Crushar 10th
Leadville 9th
Cheq 4th
The Rad 27th
On his best days, he can get near the podium. But on an average day, 9th seems about right.
Yeah, that makes sense. I was just thinking he still seems to have more MTB chops. Or at least that’s what he presents on IG etc.
I thought this would lean into his strengths a bit more.
He has been racing and traveling a lot in the last few weeks……Durango Derby followed by The Rad followed by Worlds and now Little Sugar.
I think he does, but everyone that finished ahead of him are also among the best MTB racers in the race. There were no roadie gravel guys up there in my opinion - everyone in the Top 10 had proper MTB creds.
Agree with both your points. He had a great race. I don’t think it’s a result to smirk at by any means.
Another observation, after looking at more IG posts/stories popping up.
Surprised how many of the pro’s used hydration packs.
Were there no hand-ups/aid stations?
It’s a lot easier to drink from a pack when on singletrack most of the time.
For sure.
I still see a lot of the fastest XCM racers going for bottles though as they have teams/helpers giving them a fresh one at certain points and you can halve or more the amount of weight you’re carrying
I think it really just comes down to the course. Despite that one clip on IG of them going through a field, I heard the vast vast majority of the course was on singletrack and the climbs were short and punchy, so not the kind where you would settle in and grab a drink…without getting dropped? Seems like the UCI marathon courses, and xco for that matter, always have lots of chill sections in them whereas this wasn’t made to race that way. Two bottles in your cages or on your back is the same amount of weight. Center of gravity is raised, but still I would use a pack too so I could still ride exactly the same as I’m drinking. It is worth the penalty and those uswe packs feel like nothing on your back I think.
I don’t know the course, but I imagine there were still fire roads linking different trails together etc, and some of the smoother trails are also a bottle grabbing option.
I’ve always been a hydration pack user for the same reason, and no need to stop and refill, but I’ve recently set up my bike so I can ride with no pack and it’s a far, far better sensation. I thought the same as you that it wasn’t a big deal, and it’s not, but it’s not the same it turns out
XCO they’re never going to use a pack. They don’t even carry co2 or any spares. One bottle, probably only a third full, to get through a part lap.
XCM the courses seem to vary, some like Snowshoe and World Champs were technical the whole way. Others like Cape Epic and Swiss Epic have a lot of road climbing etc. It always seemed like the pro’s prefer a bottle set up.
They really nailed the design on the USWE packs. I’ve had camelback and osprey hydration packs for biking, hip bags, and some other attempts at lightweight vests/packs from the running side. The Outlander is so much better that I’ve put it on when I don’t even need it. It doesn’t fully disappear with a full 2L, but at 1.2 and below it almost feels supportive to my back a bit like kinesiology tape.
This probably belongs in the XC equipment thread instead, but the new Evoq vest I’ve found to be even more invisible. Which is crazy because it has much more pockets etc.