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So with the Gwin/Intense announcement earlier today I think the only riders we haven't heard from are the Atherton's and Phil Atwill.
Will be interesting to see how Brayton get's on with the Nukeproof - also think we may see Sam Hill at at least one round this year.
So who looks like they've made good/bad moves?
Will Danny Hart be able to take the momentum forward and get some wins for Saracen?
And what will the Atherton's be riding? - Orange, Merida, Nukeproof, Sick! (if they get enough funding and delivery...) or something that looks like a Trek Session?
What ever it is it will (apparently, so I'm led to believe) be 29'er all the way.
Athertons to Marin isn't it?
Saw on Rachel's Instagram she was out riding on a Cube. could mean nothing though as I think it may have been a rental e-bike?
not sure it's Marin though
Been seen with Marins apparently.
I was told that they were going to be with a German car auto maker in a new team and riding a catalogue frame (merida name was mentioned) but for all I know I could've been strung along
When was the last time Intense won a World Cup? Was it Kovarik at Fort Bill in 2002? That's a long dry spell. I know Vanessa Quin won the world champs on one (M3?) in 04 or 05 or something.
How many rounds until the drought is over?
Atherton’s are going to Cube. Do Marin have a DH bike?
I think Intense will do well, not just because they’ve got Gwin, they’ve got a very strong team there.
I’m not expecting huge things from the Athertons this year, maybe Gee will continue his form from the end of last year, maybe not. Rach by her own admission has taken it very easy over winter so far, but virtue of the small female field she’ll be top 3, but I don’t think it’s going to be the Rachel show all season.
There were rumuors of Phil Atwill riding for Cube. If the Atertons are riding cubes where does that leave him.
Did I read the Pinkbike release about Gwin properly, did he say he owned the team ?
Or can I not read properly ?
@Trimix no you read correctly - doesn't say if it's that team or another one.
“I’m stoked to begin this new chapter of my career with Intense Bicycles and my fellow teammates Jack and Neko. I’ve been buddies with the owner Jeff for a while and having the opportunity to work together now is super cool. We share a lot of similar passions and our love for racing and riding-developing fast bikes has been a big part of both of our lives. As a rider and team owner, I’m excited to run such a legendary race program. We’ve put together an awesome group of people and I’m looking forward to the years ahead.”
Does read that way.
Stoked to see Intense potentially back on the podium especially with Jeff back in control, they've been in DH since the beginning.
Fairly sure Gwinn has owned the team for a bit, so rather than factory running it he runs it for the factory, let's see how the All American Dream Pt 2 goes!!
So it looks like Gwin owns the IFR team - good interview with him on PB, hadn't realised that YT pulled the plug on everything.
[u][b][url= https://www.pinkbike.com/news/aaron-gwin-on-his-break-with-yt-and-becoming-a-team-owner.html ]Aaron Gwin interview[/url][/b][/u]
Where does it say the Athertons are going to Cube?
Local rider Marine Cabirou has signed with Scott, hopefully she will break into top 3.
Where does it say the Athertons are going to Cube?
Nowhere. Athertons will be doing their own thing this year.
That's what I thought!
Nowhere. Athertons will be doing their own thing this year.
Own thing as in not riding WC?
So it looks like Gwin owns the IFR team – good interview with him on PB, hadn’t realised that YT pulled the plug on everything.
Aaron Gwin interview
I think a few of us said words to the effect that they'd drop him at the end of the contract "mission accomplished" style when he signed for them. You can't blame them really, he demands a LOT from title sponsors, money and resources. YT needed to finalise their transition from "cheap online bike maker" to "desirable brand" which they've done in spades.
Intense want to do a similar job to re-establish the brand, if Gwin wants to keep his Million Dollar contract and personal Kit Sponsors etc then he shouldn't expect to be treated like 'one of the family'.
Athertons will be doing their own thing this year.
They've been doing their own thing for years, even the non-Atherton team mates race for Atherton racing, but I'd bet they'd still want a title sponsor because they've got nothing of their own to sell?
We shall find out in the few days, just expecting something different - could be a rocket into the industry :p. Interesting to see who they partner with for other bits as no longer with Shimano & the Hope thing ended somewhat acrimoniously before the the season was over too...
What happened with Hope then?
When do the team lists have to be submitted to the UCI? Thought that was fairly soon?
Hope dropped them.
UCI lists have been done already IIRC. But they don't have to publish them for a while.
Always admired the Atherton clan for the way they go about their racing. With all the building they've been doing at Dyfi, and the impression that Gee might be approaching the tail end of his career, I wouldn't be surprised if they were almost sponsoring themselves for a season and running something like a Marin or Cube under a different brand name (almost like in their Muddy Fox days). To be honest Rachel could probably podium on a bike from Sports Direct most weeks.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they were almost sponsoring themselves for a season
Team Dyfi Bike Park perhaps? Must be nearly ready now...
I wouldn’t be surprised if they were almost sponsoring themselves for a season and running something like a Marin or Cube under a different brand name
I was told that they were going to be with a German car auto maker in a new team and riding a catalogue frame (merida name was mentioned)
Today's video on Pinkbike from GoPro has them clearly riding Treks. Obviously it was filmed at some point in the past but even the thumbnail is mid-whip-POV where 'trek' is clearly visible...
Non-bike-brand team, but still riding the Trek bikes?
Non-bike-brand team, but still riding the Trek bikes?
Possibly, they have reach beyond the bike biz, they've been sponsored by Jeep for years (I think) maybe Jeep will pay to have their brand on the downtube of a Trek. They'd probably be limited to off-the-shelf frames and parts though (I know they all say they ride off-the-shelf frames).
Have Trek announced a team for 2019? They've usually got the biggest pitch in the paddock, doubt they're going to just quit.
Have Trek announced a team for 2019? They’ve usually got the biggest pitch in the paddock, doubt they’re going to just quit.
Trek have Kade Edwards, Charlie Harrison, Reece WIlson and Ethan Shandro.
Possibly, they have reach beyond the bike biz, they’ve been sponsored by Jeep for years (I think) maybe Jeep will pay to have their brand on the downtube of a Trek. They’d probably be limited to off-the-shelf frames and parts though (I know they all say they ride off-the-shelf frames).
Not been on Jeep for a while now. They arn't on Treks.
Have Trek announced a team for 2019?
Yes, four riders including the young Scottish lad Reece Wilson.
I've always felt that Intense and DH is a bit like Ferrari and F1 racing; you can have one without the other, but the two are better together. Intense is a brand that (always used to be) about racing and whilst Shaun Palmer was definitely the right man to launch the brand into the world back in the day, I think Aaron Gwin is the right man for the job today. All power to them.
Essentially, Gwin is mirroring Peaty's set-up with the Syndicate/Santa Cruz venture. Okay, Peaty no longer races, but the parallels are there and it does seem to work.
Hopefully, this will make for a very exciting DH World Cup season.
I heard a rumour that the Athertons would be riding for Merida but using a rebranded Specialized Demo frame.
I’m sure this pic looks like the Dyfi.
Could be wrong though.
I'm going for their own brand...
To be honest Rachel could probably podium on a bike from Sports Direct most weeks.
In that case then I think they'll team up with Mike Ashley and be Sports Direct Muddy Fox Factory Racing team.....
To be honest Rachel could probably podium on a bike from Sports Direct most weeks.
I think you need to look at the muddy bso's in shite direct and the ladies who have beaten her in the last few years 😉
Be interesting to see where it lands for them. The world cup stuff is still rotating around her so how long gee goes might not be his decision.
So Sick Mick and Tracey Hannah have stuck with Polygon.
Good team video!
4pm. Maybe Team Robot* is going to drop some news....
*Not the OG.
F*ck i'm good!
Glad Robot haven't died. Pretty exciting development but I really wish they'd named it something else.
It sounds a bit too much like an LBS.
Still, if they bring the R130 to market at a more mainstream price then I'll be straight over for a test ride.
Awesome news. Rider owned companies FTW.
is there a mountain bike (frame) company that wasn't first owned/set-up by a bike rider?
"rider owned" always seems such lame claim to me.
All the bikes that ever really stood out to me at the time they were introduced (eg K9 Industries) were operated by riders who were engineers. That's why the BTR Pinner rides so nicely and well setup for a short travel bike, Tams a decent rider and a motorsports engineer to boot.
Riders don't always get what makes a good bike, you need good engineers to translate what they feel to a bike design.
Don't think it's been mentioned.. looks like Tahnee has a new sponser:
I can't wait for the season to start.
Tahnee just likes her MX5 thats all.
So YT are rocking up with a mob of erm.. one??
But it's ok because they're holding auditions along the way for future team mates.
[URL= https://m.pinkbike.com/news/the-yt-mob-to-focus-on-the-future-of-the-sport.html ]YT Mob to focus on the future - Angel Suarez as sole rider[/URL]
Odd one that, they didn't want to fork out for Gwin again but did they not even try to get anyone else on board? And what about Vali Holl?
"Odd one that, they didn’t want to fork out for Gwin again but did they not even try to get anyone else on board? And what about Vali Holl?"
Holl has frame support from YT as before for 2019 but not a Mob rider currently- or is slated to be for that matter. Martin Whitely commented on a discussion on Pinkbike that the plan for the true 'Young Talent' model had been in place since October of last year and has been a significant project to get moving. It corroborates Gwin's admissions that he was told the night after the World Champs that his services were no longer required. One has to think that his salary becoming liberated played a part in this new approach. I certainly haven't seen any team before holding open auditions globally for their team roster. Angel is a phenomenal rider, looking forward to him in 2019.
Yeah but hadn't they also told Gwin that they were wrapping up the team and not having a factory team in 2019?
In other news:
[url= https://www.pinkbike.com/news/cube-global-squad-launches-2019-team-roster.html ]Phil Atwill & Gaetan Vige join Cube[/url]
Good to see both these guys back this year.
Angel is cuter than he is a phenomonal racer (currently).
Mr W always did seem to have a fondness of young talent