Marianne Vos racing MTB's this year.

[Rivet]

Should be an interesting year.

[ewarnerusa]

Agreed. She obviously has a terrific engine. And clearly she's got skills from CX that should carry over. I think she was a junior Dutch MTB champ, so it's not like she hasn't turned a MTB pedal in anger before. Can't wait to see!

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk 2

[lgh]

Should be interesting. Obviously a gifted rider.

Larry

[faxe]

She has already won her first (Beach) Mountainbike race. She finished at 15th place overall 3 seconds behind Bart Brentjens.

Movie from Dutch Television: Vos en de zin van het fietsen - NOS Sport

[limba]

Ladies, it just got a bit harder to get on the podium.

[Puxa!]

We'll have to see how she does on MTB.
When Nys said he was going to race some MTB to qualify for the Olympics, some people thought that he was going to kill the competition, some others said that it was going to be very different.
Time proved the second option. He is a skillful CX rider, but when confronted to a MTB course, he kind of fades. In courses with man made rocky sections, like some rock gardens at Dalby or olympic's Hadley, he just dismounted and walked the downhills.
Can't imagine how he'd do at the wet rocky sections of MSA, or even rooty Offenburg.
Not saying that Vos is not going to do it well in XC, but that's very different to CX or road. Anyway, sounds like a promising season

[ewarnerusa]

She has already won her first (Beach) Mountainbike race. She finished at 15th place overall 3 seconds behind Bart Brentjens.

Movie from Dutch Television: Vos en de zin van het fietsen - NOS Sport

Cool rigid 29er.

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk 2

[briscoelab]

Nys walked because he didn't want to get hurt for CX season (and because he knew he could easily qualify for the olympic team by just riding smart).

He (and the other top CX guys) ride some sketchy, crazy fast descents, on their CX bikes that a LOT of us would hesitate on... even if we were on our MTB.

Vos will be awesome to watch. She isn't the strongest technical rider, but that can be developed. She obviously has the strongest engine in all of women's cycling. She can win at road, CX, and track. Having her in the MTB scene will only be a positive influence.

Plus, watching her struggle early on will be fun to watch Not something you often see.

[ewarnerusa]

We'll have to see how she does on MTB.
When Nys said he was going to race some MTB to qualify for the Olympics, some people thought that he was going to kill the competition, some others said that it was going to be very different.
Time proved the second option. He is a skillful CX rider, but when confronted to a MTB course, he kind of fades. In courses with man made rocky sections, like some rock gardens at Dalby or olympic's Hadley, he just dismounted and walked the downhills.
Can't imagine how he'd do at the wet rocky sections of MSA, or even rooty Offenburg.
Not saying that Vos is not going to do it well in XC, but that's very different to CX or road. Anyway, sounds like a promising season

I believe he was walking the sections on the London Olympic course because he had a flat/mechanical and eventually pulled because of it. His CX tech skills are regarded as among the best in the world, so it's hard to believe that he takes chicken lines or walks in MTB. I've never seen him walking tough sections out of fear, that shocks me but if it's true it's true. I know he raced Worlds at MSA and did not so well. I know he fades after about an hour, which is not at all surprising since CX is a 1-hr race. I wouldn't think Marianne would have that problem because her roadie engine is so strong.

[Puxa!]

That could make sense, but I saw pics of Nys training the London course, walking the rocky sections, and I'm trying to remember what the explanation of the pics said, but I think it didn't say anything about flat. Probably I'm wrong, so many pics and race reports, and sometimes I get all mixed up

Well, I found this, and is a bit of each: Nys Ends Mountain Bike Season Earlier Than Planned | Cyclingnews.com
Talks about injuries, not wanting to risk the winter season, and difficults in the tech zones.
So yes, probably not totally out of his element in MTB, but saw him walking more than others.

[Ojos Azules]

We'll have to see how she does on MTB.
When Nys said he was going to race some MTB to qualify for the Olympics, some people thought that he was going to kill the competition, some others said that it was going to be very different.
Time proved the second option. He is a skillful CX rider, but when confronted to a MTB course, he kind of fades. In courses with man made rocky sections, like some rock gardens at Dalby or olympic's Hadley, he just dismounted and walked the downhills.
Can't imagine how he'd do at the wet rocky sections of MSA, or even rooty Offenburg.
Not saying that Vos is not going to do it well in XC, but that's very different to CX or road. Anyway, sounds like a promising season

Did you even watch any of those races ?
He suffered from mechanicals or flats in every race, usually in the second part of the races. It was the same scenario - start from the last row, move up about 50-60 places, coming into top 20 and then problem, forcing him to abandon. Had to start over and aver again, whole summer.
He finally managed to qualify in the last chance he had, European XC Championship, just before Olympics. That was his first trouble-free race and he came in top 10.
At the Olympic he run down the rock garden only in first lap because of the bottleneck, and moving up some 20+ places in the process, before another flat later in the race.

[sprocketjockey9]

I'm pretty sure she can handle herself

Lotsa room on those shelves for some World Cup XCO trophies

[Manicmtbr]

I'm pretty sure she can handle herself

Lotsa room on those shelves for some World Cup XCO trophies

Sweet Mother of Jesus that is a ton of awards!

[nya]

She has already won her first (Beach) Mountainbike race. She finished at 15th place overall 3 seconds behind Bart Brentjens.

Movie from Dutch Television: nos.nl/video/461175-vos-en-de-zin-van-het-fietsen.html Vos en de zin van het fietsen - NOS Sport

well that is not XCO and there weren't any women elite riders so it doesn't say much about how she will do in elite XCO races

[WR304]

Apparently the Mountain Bike World Cup events will be shown on RedBull.tv again this year.

UCI Mountain Bike World Cup 2013 | Red Bull Bike

The first race isn't until 18 May though.

[nya]

Apparently the Mountain Bike World Cup events will be shown on RedBull.tv again this year.



The first race isn't until 18 May though.

that sucks, because redbull likes to delete races which dont have enough viewers, so I cant watch older races, ... will have to cheat their web and download them

[faxe]

At dutch radio she told yesterday evening that her first race will be in march at Cyprus. SHe also told that she is not expecting to participate in many mountainbike race this year.

Allthough there were no top elite riders at the beach race she won she left some good riders here like Laurens ten Dam for example.

[nya]

good riders here like Laurens ten Dam for example.

does he race XCO? I dont have him in my DB and I should have all elite XCO riders there

[ewarnerusa]

does he race XCO? I dont have him in my DB and I should have all elite XCO riders there

Laurens ten Dam

[faxe]

Like you said a beachrace is not XCO. Laurens ten Dam is a professional cyclist riding for Blanco Pro Cycling. He finished 8th last year in the Vuelta.

[iwanttolookatpics]

Like you said a beachrace is not XCO. Laurens ten Dam is a professional cyclist riding for Blanco Pro Cycling. He finished 8th last year in the Vuelta.

Yeah exactly, he was probably riding round at 110bpm at this time of year. The Vos hype train needs to calm down a bit.

[Rivet]

The Vos hype train needs to calm down a bit.

"Hype" really?

Stage Races

Giro d'Italia Femminile

General Classification (2011, 2012)
Points Classification (2011, 2012)
Mountain Classification (2011)
10 individual stages

Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin

Points Classification (2009)
Young Riders Classification (2009)
8 individual stages

Emakumeen Bira (2008, 2011)
Holland Ladies Tour (2009, 2010, 2011)

Single-Day Races and Classics

Olympic Road race (2012)
World Road Race Champion (2006, 2012)
National Road Race Champion (2006, 2008, 2009, 2011)

National Time Trial Champion(2010, 2011)

GP Ciudad de Valladolid (2011)
GP de Plouay (2012)
La Flèche Wallonne Féminine (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011)

Open de Suède Vårgårda (2009, 2011)
Ronde van Drenthe (2011, 2012)
Rund um die Nürnberger Altstadt (2007)
Trofeo Alfredo Binda-Comune di Cittiglio (2009, 2010, 2012)

Other

UCI Women's Road World Cup (2007, 2009, 2010, 2012)

Remember, she is just 25 years old.

And to those that thinks she can't drive a bike, WRONG. MTBers who have never done other disciplines come off sounding like idiots every time they talk about how great MTB'ers are at bike handling but everyone else sucks. There are fantastic bike drivers in every discipline, to be a cyclocross world champion you have to have some serious skills.

[briscoelab]

Agreed Rivet. Anyone mentioning Vos and "hype" in the same sentence has no clue about bike racing or her abilities. She's the real deal. She's easily the most successful and talented female cyclist of all time and one of the most talented cyclists of all time PERIOD.

If she chooses to focus a bit more on MTB, she will do just fine.

Besides, as a fan of cycling, who wouldn't want her involved? Some more media attention and excitement is always a good thing. Especially when lots of teams and sponsors are pulling out of the WC level.


But, as always... haters gonna hate. I think some people are just jealous she has enough WC jerseys to make a king size comforter out of them.

[douglas]

It all depends on her MTB skills - I mtn bike with a guy that raced US Nationals and Worlds (age group) and I easily can drop him in the woods (and I'm just a Cat 1 mtn biker)

[Le Duke]

She's arguably the best all-around cyclist of all time, regardless of gender. Her engine and drive to win are unparalleled in women's cycling. Grand Tours, Classics, cyclocross, track and now MTB.

Yes, she might struggle with the technical side of things at first, but if she puts any sort of effort into it, you might see the podiums significantly altered. I wouldn't be surprised to see her on the top step of a WC this year.