A DUEL TO THE DEATH* & THE DEATH OF DUAL
A brief look back at the history of gated MTB racing
There aren’t many forms of racing that are more exciting and spectator-friendly than dual slalom, where competitors ride head to head and bar to bar, ripping round berms and scrubbing jumps. Dual is almost as old as mountain biking, with the first races held as long ago as the late 1980s. Between 1998 and 2001, it was a staple discipline of the World Cup series and even top downhillers would be seen lining up in the gate. The sketchy nature of the tracks set the stage for some wild moments, with bold overtakes, ambitious double-ups and wincing crashes, encouraged by cheering fans. Brian Lopes (below right) was the man to beat, taking three out of four overall titles, with fellow American Eric Carter just behind. Multitalented Frenchman Cédric Gracia was always up in the mix, throwing suicides and one-foot tables on his way to the podium, and Aussie Wade Bootes’s aggressive style earned him a World’s gold in 2000.
In 2002, 4X racing took over from dual, with double the number of racers in each heat, competing on the same track, not in separate lanes. But in 2012, that too was dropped by the UCI. The difficulty was always in building a course that was fun to ride, offered overtaking opportunities and wasn’t too much like a BMX track. Also, as downhill got more serious, pros started focusing on just one discipline. These days, 4X has a small but devoted following, with a British series and European Pro Tour. There are a handful of twos-up gated races on the calendar, too – the main ones being at the Sea Otter Classic and the Crankworx events, which offer a rare treat to see top names from across the sport battle it out. This year, the revived Malverns Classic is hosting a dual race, which promises to be great fun, from both sides of the tape.
Big races aside, dual is simply a great laugh. It’s probably the best form of mates’ racing, and a field with some poles in the ground is all you need for a bit of good old-fashioned fun.