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A Fred's-Eye View: Prizes and points for NORBA; Sounding off on mechanical assistance

Published: Mar. 3, 2006

Cross-country pros rejoice, your prayers have been answered.

USA Cycling is putting up more than $33,000 this year so that the NORBA National Mountain Bike Series can actually award prize money in the pro men’s and women’s cross-country races for 2006. And with the prize money also comes the awarding of UCI points. The NORBA series has awarded neither since 2002.

Here’s the skinny:Prize money and points will be available at six of the seven NORBA National races in 2006. Because the NORBA No. 5 in Sonoma, CA (July 14-16) conflicts with the Canadian national championships, it will not offer prize money or points.Four NORBA National races (No. 3, Mt. Snow, Vermont; No. 4, Park City, Utah; No. 7, Brian Head, Utah; No. 7, Snowmass, Colorado) will have UCI C1 status. This means the races will pay out $5,800 in prize money between the pro men and women’s cross-country field. At C1 races, UCI points will awarded to the top 15 riders, with the winning rider taking 60 points.Two races (No. 1, Fontana, CA; No. 2 Banner Elk, North Carolina) will have UCI C2 status. Those races will pay out $2800 between the men and women’s pro cross-country field. UCI points will be awarded to the top 10 riders, with the winning rider taking home 30 points.

Now, when compared to a World Cup event, which awards UCI points 60 deep and 250 points to the race winner, the NORBA points awards might sound a tad skimpy. But new rules within the UCI’s Olympic selection criteria have made UCI points a coveted commodity once again, and this year every point counts toward the Beijing Games in 2008. For the 2004 Athens Games, the number of riders a country could bring to the Olympics was based on the UCI points total for that country’s top three male and female riders. Only points accumulated the year before the Olympics counted toward a rider’s total. The U.S. got a late jump on the chase for UCI points for the 2004 Games.

Since no UCI points were being awarded at NORBA races, the athletes had to travel abroad chasing the points at World Cup events, and thus ended up with only enough UCI points for two men’s and one women’s spot for the Games. You can watch the frustrating series of events that led to the 2004 Olympic team in the film Off-Road to Athens.

For the 2008 Games, the UCI has changed the rules. Now, the country’s Olympic spots will be determined by the number of UCI points earned in the two years leading up to the Olympics. So in 2006 and 2007, earning as many UCI points is key for anyone hoping to attend the Games in Beijing.

A number of domestic pros are heading to Europe to undertake full World Cup racing schedules. But with the NORBA series awarding UCI points as well, you can bet those who have a serious goal of attending the ’08 Games will be hitting the NORBAs as well. After all, top U.S. pros have a better shot at placing in the top 10 at a NORBA than finishing in the top 20 at a World Cup. With the presence of prize money and UCI points, a whole new breath of importance has been breathed into the NORBA series. It’s a big victory for U.S. cross-country mountain bikers.

I received more than a few letters regarding Shimano offering neutral mechanical assistance on the 2006 World Cup cross-country circuit. Thank you for your submissions. Here are a few letters that brought interesting points of view to the discussion.

Remember the not-so Good Ol’ Days

Your posting reminds me of an old magazine article featuring Dave Wiens of Team Diamondback as he remembered the “old days.” Wiens recalled one of his first races in Colorado when he wore a big fanny sack including tools, tubes, and a spare rear derailleur! If nothing else, that reminds us of the days when it was honorable just to finish, but that was when most courses were 32-mile loops. Nowadays, courses are 6-mile cloverleaf tracks and a thrashed derailleur is equivalent to a DNF.I am in favor of support, whether it is supplied by the team or a neutral provider. In fact, I was surprised at your mention that Julien Absalon received support in Livigno, Italy last year while repairing a flat. I will be so heretical to suggest that it would have been better if he had received an entire wheel change.If “old-schoolers” are unhappy with such developments they can begin organizing flat-tire fixing competitions and chain link replacement races so those who excel as such endeavors can showcase their own unique talents.
Jeff Copsey
Los Osos, California

Keep it ‘Core

I agree that self-sufficiency is at the core of mountain-biking and mountain-bike racing. This is one of the things that differentiates it from the more sterile road cycling. Riders had to get to the finish under their own power and resourcefulness. I remember racers being DQ’d for borrowing a tool or receiving assistance. I’m not really surprised at this new development though. It seems like race courses have gotten smoother and less technical over the years. Shouldn’t every race course have at least one log and climb that may be faster to run up? What’s next? Are racers going to start waiting for the competition when they have a mechanical? How about paved trails and a railing along the outside? Oh wait, that would be a track.Bottom line: mechanics should only touch the bike before the start and after the finish.
Kris Bonello
Oceanport, New Jersey

Can’t Fix a Flat? You’re Screwed

I like the spirit of self-sufficiency in the sport of mountain biking. If you can ride fast you might win a race but if you can't fix a flat, you're screwed. However, as soon as you put the word "professional" in front of the words "mountain biking" all bets are off. It's no longer the grass roots sport it once was. It's for money and as we all know, sponsors want their money's worth. We shouldn't complain about having professional mountain biking changing in this way. Nobody seemed to complain when we made mountain biking a professional sport so I don't see what the big deal is.
Rusty Sena
Los Angeles, California

Remember Tomac and Neddy?

Technical assistance for XC races is just weak! I guess I am one of those guys who are old school and anyone who is around my age can remember the battles between John Tomac and Ned Overend. Two different body types and definitely two different types of riding style. My fav being Tomac because he would just giver' and let the cards fall were they may. As to Overend, the utmost respect for an individual who should have gone to the road worlds, possibly earned us a medal, and who could have easily won multiple mountain stages in the Tour. But if you think about it, if technical assistance was available in the 90s, Tomac would have certainly won more races! What other XC racer has won both National HC and DH, along with the XC event, in the same year? None. Keep the mechanics back in the tents where they belong and let the best overall rider win.
Terrance Grant
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada

The Right Direction

I think the UCI is going in the right direction with tech support and now neutral support. I'm a hardcore 'cross racer and obviously feel a little slanted toward this. The UCI is in need of changing the face of mountain biking. It needs to be exciting again and I think this is a good way to start in that direction. Why should a rider whose team spends tons of dough lose out on the chance for victory or even a personal best just because of some dumb old school rule? That's ridiculous! I think it's good for the sport and even better for the racers, especially the ones who aren’t supported by big budget teams. It's time to stop looking back on old archaic rules and move forward. Hell, we're even allowed to wear black socks now. Imagine that. There will always be old shoolers rolling over in their graves, but the future is here and support of any kind is a welcome addition to a sport that needs help. I'd even like to see a Mavic motocross bike following the leader, but we'll save that rant for another day.
Jer Walker
Farmington Hills, Michigan