How an invisible rock deflated the hopes of Mathis Azzaro at Lake Placid

This rock hates tires

The rock was almost invisible to the naked eye. Poking out of Lake Placid’s loamy soil and covered in shadows, racers during the elite men’s XCO race almost certainly did not see it. 

This rock was unforgiving. First it was Mathis Azzaro whose real wheel was punctured and hissed out air and tire sealant, dropping him out of the top 3. A few moments later, it was another rider who fell victim to the rock but I couldn’t tell who it was. 

I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the culprit of other flats, and Azzaru flatted again a few laps later. I’m not sure if it was due to the same rock, but there’s a good chance that it was. 

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I was standing trackside right in front of the race ending rock when Azzaru flatted during his second lap. Here are a few observations on how the smallest of factors can derail a World Cup race performance. 

First, the track. This section was on the dark, loamy downhill that riders hit after completing the main climb on course. This was a fast downhill section, with compressions and ruts to navigate. The specific slope that the rock was on is straight so riders carried good speed before ducking between two trees and navigating a left hand turn before tilting into the steepest part of the downhill. 

The sharp culprit itself was just before the two trees, poking out of the topsoil and hidden in the middle of a rut. 

I’m quite confident that the rut was not there earlier in the week and developed as hundreds of racers practiced and raced the track. The course was raced by the U23 women and men on Saturday, and then by the elite women on Sunday before the men set off for the final race of the day. As the rut formed and got deeper, the dark soil gave way to the top of the tire-shredding rock. 

Can you spot the rock poking out in the image below?

There is also an interesting point here about how this XCO course was designed. This specific downhill section looked like the builders cleared a section of forest and let racing lines develop naturally. That is to say: there was no established trail there before the event. 

This shows how a fresh track can develop new challenges as it beds in. If riders saw the rock during training they would have prepared for it, but I don’t think they saw it before they were racing. 

The second factor is the general race speed. In an XCO race, riders hit the climbs full of gas, gasping for air by the time they’re at the top. Then there’s no time to play it safe on the downhill, steering on the thin edge between traction and disaster. The sheer speed and aggressiveness is tough to comprehend until you see it in person. 

The racers rely on instinct and the lines they mastered during practice. In this case, as the rock began to appear out of the soft soil, there was no time to make micro-adjustments to your line. Combine that with the dark light in the forest and little contrast between the dirt and the dark brown color of the rock, and it’s a deadly combination. Deadly to tires, at least. 

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A post shared by @mathis_azzaro

The unlucky riders like Azzaro rode straight over the rock, instantly puncturing their tires. Most riders seemed to ride just to the right of the rock, likely unaware of the sharp threat lurking in the dark. 

Luckily, there was a tech zone not far away, but it was just far enough to lose time and places. Once you’re there, your fate is in the hands of your mechanic and how fast they can change a wheel. 

After Azzaro’s first flat, the Frenchman fought his way from 31st position back to the front group of the race. Unfortunately, the second setback was too much to make up, though he did gain back some places, ultimately finishing in 11th.