Especially these days it might seem like a thorny issue to deal with, but the conclusion of the international season is the time for reflections, including that on the tracks
The paths of this modern Downhill they are increasingly complex, technical and tremendously difficult; to the point that even among men, if we exclude the first fifteen, very often almost everyone has difficulty dealing with them. It has been an open question for some years, which often sees riders also take a stand against the dangers of the same. But today I would like to focus attention on a different issue which concerns the possibility of diversifying the tracks between men and women and for the youth categories.
As mentioned, it often happens to see athletes from the rear having difficulty in attacking the passages of this discipline.
If we look at the women's field, the problems become even more evident even among the top riders; not to mention the youth categories, where, net of a few phenomena, many would not yet be ready to face them actively.
Do not misunderstand me, who faces the Word Cup deserves all my esteem, but as in downhill skiing, women and men compete on different routes; with the juniors who, with very rare exceptions, have circuits dedicated to them, wouldn't it be appropriate to think of a similar solution also in mountain biking?
Sofia Goggia is not perceived as less strong even if she runs on tracks designed for women.
For a sport that aims with the next season to reach the general public, trying to get out of the niche of only practitioners and enthusiasts, this element certainly does not play in favor. A fact that does not only concern the image, because the credibility of the women's and youth movement is at stake; both in terms of the perceived value of the athletes and the number of participants. How valuable is a world competition with 17 finishers, who have gaps between them that today are similar to those of an XC race?
If I compare Sofia Goggia's vision of a descent to one of our Farina, the first appears as a super athlete, while the second a little less, even if the commitment and sacrifices can be comparable. This is because the tracks on which the skier must compete are designed for the physicality of the girls, thus being able to highlight their skills; while the Mondrake rider has to fight on routes designed to enhance those of men, almost always stronger from a physical point of view. It follows that the women's competition is often not very spectacular and involving, decreasing, in the eyes of the spectator, the value of the discipline and of the athletes.
Also a question of numbers
As mentioned before, in addition to the image, there is a discussion of numbers, both intended as gaps and as a starting grid. How can a race against time appear in the eyes of an average spectator in which between the first and fifth there are on average more than 5 "and at the World Championship in Les Gets the tenth took 20" and in Val di Sole 25 "?
The real risk is that the whole system will be diminished in its validity, with the possibility that even the value of the winner will be diminished by the reasoning that 'basically ran almost alone'. While tight competitions, with close gaps, albeit on less extreme tracks, it would certainly give more prestige to the winner too.
What will happen in the future?
We do not know what will happen in the coming years. The maturation of MTB is now an established fact, the cross country has reached a respectable global dimension in both men's and women's fields. Making the discipline spectacular has increased public interest, even if it will be necessary balance a little show and safety.
In the descent, my feeling is that from an athletic point of view there has been a great leap in quality; the dynamism of the riders and their whistle denote a preparation at the highest levels. Surely the media coverage guaranteed by Red Bull has contributed to this growth, even if perhaps the push towards the show at all costs has produced tracks a little over the top, even in the male field. Let's see what will happen from 2023, or rather from 2024 with the new ownership.
