Claudio Caluori’s preview videos have been sorely missed from this season’s UCI World Cup Downhill racing. Who should step in to his shoes?

>>> Watch and wince: Claudio Caluori does cyclocross

For many people, Claudio’s course previews are the best thing about World Cup Downhill racing. The combination of information and entertainment that they offer is pretty great all things considered. Some folk who never even watch the DH racing itself, always made sure they watched Claudio’s previews.

And for those that did watch the racing, Claudio’s preview was always a great, and much anticipated, start of the racing coverage proper.

We haven’t seen a Claudio-cam since he had a crash with serious consequences during his preview of the Croatia track. This crash sent him to hospital… twice. After an initial hospitalisation Claudio was released from hospital only to continue to suffer headaches and other troubling symptoms. To cut a long story short, he had bleeding on the brain and needed serious surgery ASAP. Hence his non-appearance for course preview videos.

We’ve had Gee Atherton step in a couple of times to a couple of course previews, which have been perfectly fine but missing a couple of crucial things: Claudio’s commentary and following – or trying to – a World Cup racer down the same track at the same time.

Who should step in to Claudio’s considerable shoes?

Well, how about Ben Cathro? Check out this online petition…

Petition at change.org

“Ben Cathro is a World Cup standard downhill mountain bike racer, elite MTB coach and popular Youtube user. Claudio’s narrated course previews have been greatly missed. Ben is the perfect replacement for this highly popular world cup build up media feature, combining exceptional riding skill with fantastic technical insight, course narration and screen presence. #cathroforcoursepreview”

There’s only one World Cup round left admittedly, but there is also the World Champs. Why not give Cathro at crack at it?