Going to the world champs and need to find something to do to pass the time between DHI practice sessions? Why not go and watch the XCO. Of course this is a downhill magazine, so in the interests of enhancing your XCO viewing pleasure we provide this guide to all things XCO.
Definition.
XCO is the UCI abbreviation for cross country. The UCI is French. I don’t know what exactly each of the letters stand for, however I am assuming that the French word for “cross” starts with an X and the French word for “homo” starts with an O. Ahh, what a predictable pot shot… Actually the XC racers coming here are some pretty incredible athletes, and after all this is the worlds champs, so the XCO is definitely worth a look just for the sheer human struggle of it all.
Post race celebration.
Unlike rugby which, lets face it, is full of cuddling, XCO competitors are much more standoffish and staunch post race, a bit like that episode of Will and Grace where Jack and Will have that tiff over who’s going to wear what to Grace’s birthday bash at the Rainbow Room. After a big race XCO competitors often celebrate by having half a hamburger and a small piece of cheese.
Seriously for one moment though: Being an XCO racer is tough. Watching the joy of winning shine through their exhaustion is actually kinda inspiring.
Drugs.
The first high profile drug cheat in world XCO was Filip Meirhaeghe, the favorite to win the Athens Olympics. Unlike road cycling it is uncertain as to whether you have to be on drugs to race XCO, but you sure have to be on drugs to watch it. XCO competitors often carry their bike through rough sections, to avoid falling, as a fall can cause a cut, and when you’re cut all of the EPO flows out. The UCI runs so much drug testing these days that this year they disqualified the entire Tour de France, but the general opinion is that mountainbiking is pretty clean.
This XC racer has taken too much drugs.
Mass Start.
The best thing to watch in XCO is the mass start. All of the competitors sprint off the line trying to get to the start of the single track in the leading bunch. It’s pretty hard to make up places when you’re trapped 40 riders back with no room to pass. Also, when you are in the front you can employ some of the “tricks of the trade”: Think about your own riding. Think about how annoying you can be to the rider behind by doing things like slowing down at the very top of steep hills. You get the idea.
Cheering.
One thing that every competitor needs is cheering fans. Of course at the world champs there are people from all around the world, so best you learn some foreign phases that you can shout:
German: “Gehen Sie! Dünne Ballerina!“
French: „Allez! Ballerine Maigre!“
Chinese: “Dig it in dancey boy, come on dig it in, think of freddy, that’s right dig it, dig it. You’re looking good. You’re looking hot. Dig it in.”
By the way, that last one wasn’t really Chinese.
A popular XCO cheer is “nice package”. Apparently the term refers to their overall combination (or “package”) of bike handling skills and fitness. Feel free to shout it on the hill.
The Riders.
Despite our DH prejudices you have to admit some of these riders can really ride. I guess it is almost impossible to spend that much time in the saddle without developing some real skills. Case in point is our own Kashi Leuchs who in a previous life was a pretty handy DHer.
The women’s favorite is Gunn-Rita Dahle-Flesja. When I was a kid growing up in Africa I caught a nasty case of gunnrita dahleflesja from eating rotten crocodile meat. If there is one XCO racer that you should check out it is Gunn-Rita. She is completely dominant and at the height of her powers. A bit like Muhammad Ali in the Rumble in the Jungle. In fact Gunn-Rita has been quoted: “No Viet Cong ever called me nigger” although I think this may have been a misprint. Floats like a bee. Stings like a butterfly. A extraordinary must see racer.
The men’s favorite is Julien Absalon from France, although Swiss rider Christoph Sauser will give him a run for his money.
If you can’t remember any of these racers just stand at the side of the track shouting “Go Gunter”, cause most of the other spectators won’t know anyone either.
So there you have it. Watch the drama of the start, the emotion of the finish, marvel at that handful of riders who go up hills as fast as most people ride down them, and remember despite the fact that they may dress bad, and party like pixies, almost every one of them on the hill is giving all in the struggle for the rainbow stripes. These guys love rainbows.
NZRIDE REPORTER: MIKE CARDEN
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