Why isn't Keegan Swenson racing UCI MTB Marathon champs?

[Old School]

Why isn't Keegan Swenson racing UCI MTB Marathon champs?

Anyone know the answer?

[fa63]

Probably because he doesn't race UCI Marathon World Cup races during the season (or any other UCI races) and therefore doesn't qualify for the World Champs.

[Old School]

thanks. I was thinking a rider could be "selected"?

[dmitrik4]

This seems like a question for Keegan

[KonaSS]

It is a good question, but definitely a question for Keegan. He did pursue these a few years back IIRC. And his partner and a teammate is racing it.

You don't have to qualify. You could be selected by your national federation. Not going to look it up, but guess that vast majority of the US team has not raced an XCM this year.

https://usacycling.org/article/usa-c...pionships-team

[old fat man]

More money in the non-UCI, non-USAC Lifetime grandprix events perhaps?

When was the last time he didn't win one of those?

[trener1]

I have no answer but just wanted to point out that he did race gravel worlds last year so it's not like he never does any UCI races.

[fa63]

Good point.

I also didn't know realize someone could be selected without participating in any races, so I stand corrected on both fronts

Originally Posted by trener1

I have no answer but just wanted to point out that he did race gravel worlds last year so it's not like he never does any UCI races.

[.RJ]

Originally Posted by fa63

Probably because he doesn't race UCI Marathon World Cup races during the season (or any other UCI races) and therefore doesn't qualify for the World Champs.

2 women that I've ridden a bit with will be racing marathon worlds and they probably do fewer UCI races than Keegan - mostly mtb endurance/stage races.

[EB]

Apropos of this, there is an interesting interview with Matt Beers in Pinkbike covering this topic of Marathon XC vs Gravel:

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/interv...of-gravel.html

Matt sort of went the opposite direction as Keegan with his seasons the last few years, jumping into gravel to create more profile for himself. I like his perspective on marathon XC as a sport - it’s too bad it’s fallen so far off the radar in the US.

[prototoast]

No inside information for me, but it would be logical for him to be peaking for the gravel world championship, which is significantly higher prestige than Marathon MTB.

[mickey.d]

Originally Posted by prototoast

No inside information for me, but it would be logical for him to be peaking for the gravel world championship, which is significantly higher prestige than Marathon MTB.

Neither championship has any real marketing value.
We don’t have uci marathon in america because we have like… 5 uci commisares in the entire country, and we haven’t had a new commisare clinic since like… 2016. There is also an age cap of 60, after which the UCI won’t let you serve.

If you run UCI races in the USA(I’ve helped run about 25), you almost always have to import at least one commisaire from somewhere else in the america’s. You are on the hook for flights, rental car, lodging, food, etc.

Long mtb races exist in America. So do short ones, USAC has just never invested in creating international-level off-road racing in this country.