Tensions continue to mount between racers and WBD
World Cup mountain bikers continue to protest against race organizers’ decision to reduce podium ceremonies from 5 to 3 riders. Nino Schurter and Lars Forster were each handed 800 Swiss Franc fines for storming the podium on Sunday, but numerous riders continue to push Warner Bros. Discovery and the UCI to reconsider their position.
For his part, Forster isn’t bothered by the fine.
“I can cope with the fine,” the Swiss Thömus maxon racer said in a statement to media. “Because it was a very successful campaign that generated a lot of attention. Such a fine won't stop us from continuing to fight for our interests. Because we will divide the fines among all athletes, we can continue until Warner Brothers takes our concerns seriously and hears our voice.”
Maxwell supports protests
World Cup winner Samara Maxwell told Ryan MTB that 5 person podiums are unique to mountain biking because they unite riders in an otherwise individual sport.
“The mountain biking community is pretty special, right, because we all have so much respect for each other,” Maxwell said. “You're out there fighting for yourself, and I think that we want to celebrate success together. We want those younger riders like myself to be able to get that opportunity to stand on the podium with a top four or a top five because that's a massive result.”
Expanded podiums have their roots in the mid-90’s when a local race organizer wanted to shine light on a breakout ride from young Aussie rider Cadel Evans, who would go on to rise through the mountain bike ranks before switching to the road and winning the 2011 Tour de France.
In addition to Maxwell, numerous other riders have pointed out that standing on the podium is a huge boost to young riders and even teams with less cash and exposure than the bigger factory teams that often win the day.
“It's just hard to feel like a big power has kind of just come in and disregarded the sport,” Maxwell said of Warner Bros. “It feels like they don't understand the sport or really care about the athletes and our opinions, which is hard when it's our sport, and it feels like they've just kind of come into our area and just change the rules, you know, as they see fit.”
Warner Bros. took over the broadcast and event production rights for the World Cup circuit—also known as the World Series—ahead of the 2023 season.
In a previously released statement, Warner Bros. and the UCI argued that the switch was made in a transparent process after consulting with riders and teams, but the protests have made clear that the athletes feel blindsided.
UCI rider representative Rebecca Hendersen has been vocal about her opposition to the changes, telling Pinkbike that the statement was not accurate.
“WBD failed to mention that the riders present at the meeting where the rule change took place were opposed to it. It is documented in the meeting notes,” Henderson said.
Henderson continued: “At every possible moment we have communicated that we are against this rule change. To have the riders come together and sign a statement to WBD about this suggests how strongly we feel about it. Remember this is across both XCO and DH disciplines. In the history of the sport, I have never heard of this happening. (I'd happily stand corrected). But does this not send a great message of how significant this is. To push us so far that we have to take such an action.”
The open letter published last week was signed by more than 100 XC riders and later even more DH riders signed on to it.
Blevins calls for unity
Specialized’s Christopher Blevins signed the letter, but he indicated to Ryan MTB in an interview that he is open to working together with Warner Bros. in a positive manner.
“I always take the mindset of looking for where we're on the same team, where the shared opportunities are,” Blevins said. “Ultimately, we 100% want the sport to grow, and that's 100% what Warner Bros. wants. I think that we need to look towards that mindset of working together on growing the sport, because we all love this sport. Everyone who works in this space does.”
“I don't want there to be animosity towards any governing body or anything, because at the end of the day, we have to be collaborative. It's a small sport, you know, and Warner Brothers has a huge opportunity.”
Blevins added that some of the company’s changes have been noticeable, such as call-up protocol and an increased number of staff members compared to previous broadcaster Red Bull. The Specialized rider said he feels like Warner Bros. is committed to preserving the unique sporting properties and legacy of XCO racing.
“They've only been here for two years, and however it goes the next two years, when it adds up into five, ten years, that's the timeline that I think we should be thinking about,” he said
Second weekend in Araxá may bring more tension
Comments from Henderson, Forster, and Maxwell suggest the riders won’t back down from their side of the table.
“It's extremely disappointing they are choosing not to overturn the decision for the good of the sport,” Henderson said. “This is not working together. We are being overpowered and there is still no logical reason why.”
The World Cup is staying in Brazil for its second round of the series. Outside of the racing, we may see additional protests from riders.
Could riders storm the podium again? It will be telling if race officials give any additional warnings ahead of the races and podiums or try to bar riders from the podium stage. On Sunday, an official tried to stop Forster from getting on the stage but didn’t get to him in time.
“We continue to believe that we will achieve our goal of preserving the five men/women podium,” he said. “All athletes stand together and with our rider alliance we have a strong common voice that stands up for the tradition of mountain biking and for the concerns of the athletes and teams.”
If there are protests, another thing to watch will be how TV crews handle it. Will the cameras cut away, and how will the commentators react? Both parties work for Warner Bros., so while they are often sympathetic to riders, they aren’t independent observers.
As Maxwell looks to back up her debut World Cup ride last weekend, she says the podiums will continue to be a point of discussion.
“We've definitely not given up the fight,” she said. “The teams feel the same way. Riders feel the same way.”
What happened to the previous compromise - where right after the race there was the informal 3-person podium, then the 5-person podium on stage. The sport is trying to grow and getting more brands, more jerseys, more sponsors and more people to be represented on stage seems important. If I was a sponsor and all I saw was Specialized up there (which was very impressive!!!) I'd want 2 more spots to highlight the people I was supporting.