mich lin Posted May 22, 2006 Report Share Posted May 22, 2006 Compare the scores! Women's world champion Laia Sanz had a big impact on the US pro class. Her scores would have given her solid finishes in the US Pro class against America's best male riders. Her great results against America's best underscores the need for a complete overhaul of the US women's championship. Unless US lady trials riders are allowed to move up the men's ranks at the NATC championship and still retain the US ladies title. We will never see another American Women's world champion. It should be obvious that any lady rider wanting to be world trials champion needs to ride at a US pro class level. Not even the US expert class comes even close to her level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian r Posted May 22, 2006 Report Share Posted May 22, 2006 She's a great rider, no doubt. If she had been in the US Pro Class she would have been in 5th on Sat and 4th on Sunday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spinner Posted May 22, 2006 Report Share Posted May 22, 2006 She would have done even better if she hadn't yelled every time she recieved a point on Sat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mich lin Posted May 22, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2006 Spinner, what do you mean? 4th and 5th, not so bad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan bechard Posted May 22, 2006 Report Share Posted May 22, 2006 What he means is, that if you subtract out yellow card points, her score would be better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spinner Posted May 22, 2006 Report Share Posted May 22, 2006 (edited) Correct you are Al She should have recieved one more on section 10 first loop, she rode through the blue gate then through the green gate and recieved a 5 then proceeded to yell then her minder started to yell. 4 of the 5 judges in the section called the 5 the only one who didn't was the punch judge, we asked him why he did not pull the yellow card he said " She was not yelling at me she was yelling at you guys!" Edited May 22, 2006 by spinner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mich lin Posted May 22, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2006 Still not clear on the yellow card issue! Did she miss a split? Then given more points because she yelled at her minder? So your saying she may have been 4th in the US Pro class both days if not for the gate and yelling incident. Hey, anybody would be mad at missing a gate! Imagine if you were a professional and made such a novice mistake, how mad you would be at your minder and yourself? I'd be fuming, wouldn't you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirhc Posted May 22, 2006 Report Share Posted May 22, 2006 Tell us more, how many yellow cards did she get. Was she yelling at the checkers? and was she yelling in English? Like I tell my kids it doesn't matter how good you are you have to be a good person first Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spinner Posted May 22, 2006 Report Share Posted May 22, 2006 NO MICH-LIN SHE WAS YELLING AT THE JUDGES, HER MINDER WAS YELLING AT THE JUDGES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!a BIG NO NO. She did not miss a split but when through a green or 125 gate to make the line easier.if she wantrs to ride with the boys she should expect equal treatment! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian r Posted May 22, 2006 Report Share Posted May 22, 2006 Like I tell my kids it doesn't matter how good you are you have to be a good person first Right you are Chris! That's why some of us cheer for the folks we cheer for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan bechard Posted May 22, 2006 Report Share Posted May 22, 2006 Chris, I am not sure how many etc. she recieved, nor do I want to say what happened as "Fact" as I was listening to the radio traffic, not actually part of the deal. (I was on 12) My understanding of the incident on 15 Sat was that she rolled backwards noticably while trying an extremely slippery snotty hill, and the team of experienced observors there called her a 5. She was less then pleased and as I heard it (second hand) was very vocal in her argument. Then after still recieving the 5, she flat out roosted the puncher of the section, which kind of sealed the deal on the yellow card coming out. I am not aware of the other instances, or what happened. She did not question the calls we made on the section I was observing. While all of us understand that this is these folks livelyhood, and that it is a trying and emotional time, I know the group of folks that was observing / punching that section well, she recieved an honest and fair call, and was given every opportunity to accept it gracefully and move on. I am certain that the yellow card was not handed out lightly. I must say that on the whole, on my section, the observing etc. went fairly smoothly. I had one call that a rider (Young Man, 125 rider from the UK) questioned, but he did it well. I called him a 2 as he pushed, then lifted his foot, and replaced it higher and pushed again. He felt that he had not moved it, and felt he should recieve a 1. I confirmed that the other observer (Barry Florin) had seen it as I had, and we gave him a 2. I am certain that he was not pleased with that, but handled himself admirably in my opinion, stated clearly how he felt without it being "argumentitive" and accepted his score as the way it was going to be after I told him. Fortunately for us, that was the worst of the arguments on the section I was on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mich lin Posted May 22, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2006 Having ridden all over the world, I believe that US observers are the fairest and best on the world championship series. I'd put may fate in their hands before any other group of observers anywhere in the world. To bad about roosting the observers! I believe the card was justified in that case! In her defence she just had a tough week in Scotland, having a head on collision with a car on the second to the last day. Which put her out and caused her severe injury. As far as I know the US round was her first event back, she must be still recovering from her horrible crash. The other factor with female athletes that people forget is their hormone cycles! Often thier worst time is right at the biggest events, something male athletes don't have to deal with. Taking these factors into consideration, I'd give her a lot of leadway. You have to admit, she rode well in the USA, finishing 4th and 5th in the US Pro class. Maybe even two 4th places if she had not been carded? She also beat some top name US male Pro riders. That's amazing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dman Posted May 22, 2006 Report Share Posted May 22, 2006 (edited) What big impact? Affected the pro class how? In my opinion, you should be a nice person first. None of the observers would have known she was in a car accident and to see someone make a mistake and come out fuming and yelling makes a rather bad impression. I mean the fact that my family drove through the night 16-17 hours and we all got less than 6 hours of sleep over 2 days and then having to ride the national the next day doesn't really give me the right to be all pissy and yelling at observers. I treat them how I want to be treated. The other factor with female athletes that people forget is their hormone cycles! Often thier worst time is right at the biggest events, something male athletes don't have to deal with. !!!!???!!!! Your very sensitive aren't you? Edited May 22, 2006 by Dman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cota kid Posted May 22, 2006 Report Share Posted May 22, 2006 (edited) I don't know why riders, tend to be Spanish, yell at observers when they've been penalised. No observer in his right mind is going to reverse their decsion especially in front of a crows. I saw it in Nigran this year and it was actually quite funny. We sided with the observer and shouted cinqa. Edited May 22, 2006 by Cota Kid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mich lin Posted May 22, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2006 Of course I agree with you Dman! I've been on both sides, observer and Pro rider! I've had some really bads calls at critical times even in National and World Championship competition that have had long term effects. So beleive me I understand the emotions she faced. I don't beleive I've thrown a tantrum in a section, at least I hope not. If I did, I've got a mental block about it. There is no excuse for that by American standards for the sport. If I have, please accept my opology right here and now. Remember however like I mentioned before the world round. European riders will do just about anything to shave points. Even argue with officals. That's why I'm a firm believer in professional observers for the world championship, that travel with the rounds. I also remember City Trials claiming that Sanz was points shaving during the last US world round. If I remember correctly, he got a lot of heat for it. Maybe now Citytrials has been vindicated a little. Groucy or not, Sanz rode well and showed a lot of US brand name pro riders the way around the course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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