Freecaster to launch 2012 Pro DH Series?

Author: | 3 October 2011 | 50

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Just about to head out the door when we spotted this bombshell news on the webber.

The German website http://www.mtb-news.de is carrying an interview with Raymond Dulieu from Freecaster with the news that they will run a Pro DH series in parallel to the UCI World Cup series!

Raymond Dulieu has states: “…in 2012 there will be a Pro DH type series, which is initiated by Freecaster and will include as before the World Cup supported by Nissan intended.”

More news when we get it!

Freecaster to launch 2012 Pro DH Series?

Ray and Rob Warner. Photo: Christophe Bortels

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50 Responses to “Freecaster to launch 2012 Pro DH Series?”

  1. Competition is healthy and probably overdue. This will hopefully help develop elite level DH racing at a world level or might just serve to show that the UCI ain’t so bad after all.

  2. “Parallel to the World Cup series.” Does that mean that they expect the World Cup racers to compete in two series? Or would it be like a development series to bring up local, not yet WC status riders. I had a great time at the (not sure what year) WC in Teluride Colorado when I got to race the same track as the top Pros. Do the WC’s usually have an amature event?

  3. Hmmm, very interesting…

  4. Nice one Freecaster, feck the UCI

  5. Photo: Christophe Bortels, not http://www.mtb-news.de

    Thanks :-)

  6. Agreed, Christophe Bortels took this photo, he shit almost the same with Rob and I ;-)

  7. shot*

  8. I expect it’s going to come down to who has the best prize fund..

  9. yes virginia, there might be a santa claus.

  10. fuck the uci!!!!! :) about time

  11. Some additional details on the story dug out by mtb-news.de (kudos for that):
    - they plan an amateur race the day before the big one, and the top10 of the amateurs are fit to compete the next day against the pros. Pretty neat idea.
    - prize funds are said to be twice the amount of the worldcup events
    - the series is planned as an addition to the UCI DH worldcup, with dates that do not conflict with the worldcup
    - Trek World Racing and the Athertons are said to be the only ones (of the big names) not having agreed to participate in this series – would be a bummer.
    - the Crankworx festival is rumoured to be included in the package as well, but nothing is confirmed yet

    Well, if they now work out a working cooperation with the European Fourcross Series, everything is fine with me. Sans UCI ;)

  12. Yeah rebel cup!!!

  13. sweeeeet!

  14. As far as I know this is not some brand new race series, but just an extension or expansion of the Nissan European DH Cups from last season, organised by X-Free from Belgium. They have the calender planned for next year already, Spain, Malmedy in Belgium, Sestriere in Italy, Oz en Oisan in France etc… So nothing new per-se. But if they can attrack even more big names and ad some more global rounds, aswell as double the prize money it will be nothing but good for the sport. UCI World Cups, iXS seris growing, this expansion of the Nissan Euro series, nothing but good things! Actually makng money for all the passion, risk and dedication we put in!

  15. A European website that I’ve heard of reporting on MTB current affairs? This all sounds promising. Really hope they can tie in the 4X too if possible. Pretty sure Freecaster realise the potential goldmine that 4X represents to the media. For less info go to http://www.rockywho.con

  16. oh sick, oh sick, oh sick!!!

    bye bye UCI….

  17. Hell, if they throw in some beers and a free burger the prize funds will be better than the UCI’s efforts.
    .
    If I was manager of a big team, I’d be calling Mr Dulieu everyday and looking what the withdrawal fees are from the World Cup. Big risk, but a big opportunity too. Plus the UCI needs a kick up the arse

  18. The snowboarding community successfully did this when they became dissillusioned with their governing body…I wonder, which riders, if any, would be brave, or stupid(?) enough to completely boycott the uci in favour of this series? 2012 will be an interesting year for sure…

  19. Trek world series and The athertons not doing it?

    If it really says what it is then this will destroy the UCI and Trek and the Athertons will have no choice because they will be destroying their name along with it.

    Support freecaster who got an unfair kick up the arse from the UCI.

    They also have Rob warner as a commentator to top it off, Who doesnt want that?

  20. Good on freecaster to really get behind DH as a whole, there may not be the money for them to get the right from the UCI. So them joining up with Nissan to get a decent series running, with the internet coverage too, is a real boost to the scene.

  21. Freecaster gets my backing and my pay to view if needs be

  22. big ups to nissan also

  23. Fantastic news!
    Have heard SantaCruz and CG Brigade are in.

    Not sure why the Atherton’s and Trek aren’t though… seems a bit short sighted if you ask me.

  24. best part about this?
    only 30 of the weekends top racers make the sunday show.
    all killer, no filler.

  25. good news and only early days so trek and the Atherton’s could change there minds. mabye a sum of cash could go treks way. the series is a waste of time with no Aaron Gwin, and also gwin has talked about a new style of world cup racing so he is probably super keen for this

  26. This will be very very good indeed! BUT will they let dirt.mpora and bike companies film the track?? I hope this doesnt mean the end to all the movie goodness? Because freecaster doesnt really work with my internet? Did they include topless cheerleaders?

  27. Yeah! F*ck the UCI for producing the best World Cup season yet in 2011 (not just my opinion either) and F*ck the UCI for producing the great sport and TV coverage that Freecaster showed you on its website for 3 years! Oh wait a minute.. Something doesn’t add up…. Enough with the mob mentality guys. It’s getting tiring.

  28. My first reaction to this was yeah great good on em, but thinking more about it a split field is a weaker field. How will this affect the national series, you only have to look at the british national champs this year there was some big names missing that because of crankworx. And if riders race both uci world cup and this new one then injuries could get to be more of a problem. Would the national organisations recognise results in this new series for world champs , i doubt it. I should say i am by nature a pessimist.

  29. @Diggler I agree with you, the mob mentality is a bit OTT, however a breakaway series sounds like a fantastic idea to me. Nothing like a bit of competition to make participants pick up their game.

    I’m very amped that Freecaster is doing this, but I’m somewhat concerned that it will dilute an already niche market. Time will tell I guess.

  30. @teamrumours didn’t mention this on did they?

  31. @Dirt HQ, Billy, Mike…
    Can you please get some solid info for us on this. Maybe an interview or some words from the UCI….something solid from Freecaster and something from a major team.

    This is all a bit vague at the moment and only adding more fire to a blaze of rumour.

  32. If Billy would cover these events, I hope Lauren Daney will ride too.

  33. I am pretty sure this is just an expansion of the Nissan Cup – which in 2011 was a great series. I do not know why people are saying ‘death of the UCI’ though as surely you will need a UCI License to enter?!?!

  34. After having spoken to a WC DH team manager, things look a lot less promising regarding this Nissan-Freecaster gravity series:

    a. I have been told that in fact not just Trek and the Athertons, but most teams have decided not to participate in another international DH series due to the costs involved. There was a due date by the end of last week, and until that support for the new series was scarce.

    b. I have been told that the organizers of the Nissan-Freecaster thing do not seem to care a rat sh*t about the existing iXS European DH series – they even put their races on competing dates and on venues to be decided in the same country deliberately, which imho is a foul move.

    c. Lots of teams do cherish the work done by iXS to establish the European Downhill Cup – so much that they rather stick with the existing series than go for the big, colourful promises of a new one.

    So everything sounds a lot less splendid once you talk to more people involved. It even looks like the new series might never take off – or just as an expanded Belgium DH Cup.

  35. More races is awesome! If Villopoto and Dungey can race moto 20 times in one season so can DH racers. And moto is WAY more hard work than racing DH.
    I don’t think that many WC teams are prepared to promise they will race this series the first year. But if it turns out to be a super good series in 2012 they will race it in 2013 I’m sure.

  36. The reason trek world racing won’t be racing the series is that Martin whiteley is the guy behind the UCI trying to destroy 4x and if DH follow like 4x in their own world series things will back fire on the UCI …

  37. Hahahaha, You ^^^ Sire, are an idiot

  38. *sir

  39. I searched and searched but could not find this story mentioned on Rocky Roads…

  40. I think it’s a great idea and it doesn’t matter if all teams don’t compete this year. If the footage of the UCI is lame and the Freecaster series much better (it’s gonna be) then the big teams will jump ship. All teams want advertising and exposure. Freecaster is the best way at the moment.

  41. i would pay freecaster for the footage of there own DH/4X series… the have rob warner for f**ks sake :D

  42. Big Al – The UCI always provided the footage. Freecaster was the conduit through which most of the world was able to watch it.

  43. No the reason TWR aren’t attending is because they have both XC and DH on their team… Flying different riders/mechanics/driving trucks another 8 weekends a year? Slightly expensive….
    The Athertons on the other hand are probably tied in by sponsorship deals…. but hey what do I know.
    Press Release would be nice.

  44. Sounds like an exciting idea, but some of the details concern me. If you are allowing 10 amateurs in the final, why only 20 pros? The top pros are on a whole different level, if they stick with this format I’ll be surprised if any amateurs make it into the top 15 all season. In the final, they should take 50 pros and 10 ams, and allow enough time between starts so that fans can see the entire run of the fastest 20 qualifiers. If they only take 20 pros in the final I’m afraid not alot of pros will show up like at a World Cup race because of the relatively slim chance of qualifying. There are alot of things to consider, but this looks promising.

    The pros who compete in both series will be getting serious training that will make them faster in the long run. I hope they have the guts to call the winner of the entire series the DH1 World Champion! My money is on Minnar.

  45. Ultimately, it’s the teams that decide if this is going to work or not.

    Big teams like Trek are in a tricky situation. The bigger road cycling events mean much more to them than downhill ever will in dollars any way.

    The amicable solution is that if the UCI admits that they don’t actually want downhill. I don’t believe they do.

    Downhill mountainbiking really doesn’t have much to do with ‘cycling’, the only thing in common really is the number of wheels. If everyone can agree on that, then I think a well managed split could suit all involved.

    I’m sure there’s a lot of discussion with the teams in the background at the moment. Dirt need to send out their best people to blow this story wide open! :)

  46. Wow, there’s a lot of ‘experts’ here talking about what my team will or will not be doing, yet none have spoken with me?! Love the internet. Firstly, this rubbish about Trek not caring about DH because of their role in road cycling, biggest crock ever. Get over it ‘raddog’. I know these people and they are super passionate and supportive of all TWR has done for the brand. They don’t invest in carbon DH without a lot of thought. Secondly, about this series by Freecaster…I own the team and Trek sponsor it…no decision will be made because of Trek’s involvement in road, never will. This proposed series is just the European Cup under another name. They wanted us to commit to another 8 races on top of the World cup, and other events we normally do, and to do that by September 30th. Apart from Santa Cruz, NONE of us were ready to do that. We all want the UCI World Cup to be the premiere property, and we want to see it be the best it can be. having said that, there is room for a secondary series, and teams are free to choose which they prefer to do, iXS, Euro Cup, Pro GRT etc. Freecaster’s contract with the UCI runs out at Dec 31, but as far as I know, they haven’t said if they are not renewing. That could still happen from what I’ve read lately. So please stop hating on TWR and Athertons for not going with a series most people know very little about. We have the salaries and careers of athletes and staff to think about and our sponsors, and there are no people more passionate about DH than those that own and run these teams. Things will become clearer in the coming weeks, but for now, we are still exploring all the options.

  47. Don’t you just love it when the internet warriors get sent to bed by someone who actually knows what they are talking about.
    Brilliant!

  48. Whether or not the UCI or the teams like it, the brands will go where they get the most exposure – Which will probably be the Freecaster Series. All it would take is a media boycott by Dirt, Vital and Pinkbike on the UCI WC to fuck it up completely – and if said companies are gonna be blocked or charged to film and/or report from the WC, then that’s what is effectively gonna happen.

  49. @captain23: Not for a second was I suggesting that the folks at Trek or TWR lacked commitment or passion. The point I was trying to make is that a company like Trek might be compromised in making any decision that would negatively affect it’s relationship with the UCI. Admittedly, I’m not in a position to state this with authority. Yes, I’m an internet warrior speculating on a forum….

    A lot of the speculation is due to a lack of information received. The current perception is that the UCI don’t really care too much about downhill. The lack of publicity given in the UK press with regards to the World Champs and Danny Hart’s amazing run has annoyed the fans. If the UCI is responsible for publicizing these events then they’ve clearly done an extremely poor job.

    The rumor mill has led us to believe that a break away from the UCI may be on the cards. That’s exciting news to any downhill fan. I think the fans would really like to know what people involved in the sport feel about the current situation. Does TWR feel change is required or inevitable for instance? You guys must be annoyed at the lack of the mainstream press coverage the sport gets? Ultimately this will obviously affect your bottom line.

  50. Key thing that’s being missed here. This proposed series is NOT an alternative to the World Cup. It is just another series….just like there is the iXS Cup, the Pro GRT in America, and like there has been many others like Maxxis Cup etc. The only difference is that this organizer wanted all teams to commit before he went out to try and find the money to do all these great things like big prize money and Freecaster coverage. Without a big sponsor, that probably won’t happen. Freecaster are still talking to the UCI about covering next year’s World Cup. So there is no talk of a ‘breakaway’ as that would be shortsighted. The UCI World Cup has 20 great years of history and prestige built into it. Rob Warner I know would rather commentate the World Cup than anything else as it has that prestige. Sure, the UCI may not be running it perfectly, but do you don’t throw away your bike because it has two flat tyres do you? The frame is not broken, the bike just needs some work. So yes, there is room for a secondary series, or a bunch of them, and the teams will choose which races to go to, but this new series is not an alternative to the World Cup. No-one really thinks that, not even the guy organizing it.

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