ENDURO TEAM NEWS: Before we go into the downhill details, a brief update on enduro team news. Brief indeed, as there isn’t much to report! From conversations we’ve had with enduro team owners, riders and sponsors, it sounds like there will be at least five factory setups (i.e. teams supported by big global bike brands) at all the races.
However, it seems several major manufacturers are reigning in their budgets or won’t be represented at all. With fewer spaces on teams, some high-profile riders are left in a tricky situation. It sounds like several top racers could be representing bike brands solo (without a team structure around them) or might not even make it to all the EDR races. More on that in a future bulletin. Anyway, we’re almost at the good news. But not quite:
SMALL TEAM SYNDROME: Dorval-Commencal, Madison-Saracen, Zerode Racing, Union, Continental-GT, among others, have all announced they won’t be racing downhill World Cups (or, er, existing) this year. Several downhill teams have mentioned increasing World Cup costs and rule changes as reasons for their demise; others are plainly victims of the current bike industry crisis. Some big brands have streamlined team rosters or replaced expensive lineups with cheaper raw talent.
On a tangent and situated somewhere between enduro and downhill, super-skilled Antoine Vidal says he won’t be racing in 2025 and will ‘concentrate on other things’. Sad times – we hope to see him back on the scene soon.
DOWNHILL SWAPSIES: That’s the slightly grim stuff out the way. With the start of the year comes a stream of signings and, even better, brand new teams. We’ll stick to downhill news from here as there’s quite a bit to get through (Vojo has a comprehensive XC moves feature in French).
It’s musical chairs as Benoît Coulanges moves to Scott, replacing Marine Cabirou who goes to Canyon while Intense Factory Racing gets Mille Johnset. The YT Mob adds Andreas Kolb to its superstar lineup, but it’s unknown if anyone will fill his space on the Continental-Atherton team. Meanwhile, the Santa Cruz Syndicate expands, adding two rapid juniors with Ellie Hulsebosch and Felix Griffiths. Canada’s Jewett brothers, Jakob and Dane, both jump from Pivot Factory Racing to Giant Factory Off-Road Team for the new season (Remy Meier-Smith has left Giant but hasn’t announced his new team). Norco Race Division adds Danny Hart, Bodhi Kuhn and Erice van Leuven to its elite ranks, and Lina Frener as a junior. FMD Racing, the Seagrave family’s team, has a new title sponsor in Orbea and the lineup expands to include Martin Maes and Darragh Ryan.
MS Racing changes bike sponsor from Intense to relatively small New Zealand brand Zerode but goes big in expanding its rider lineup with three new riders – Gloria Scarsi, Valentina Roa Sánchez and Sebastian Holguin.
Commencal Muc-Off hasn’t announced any changes yet, but with most other big teams having confirmed their riders, it seems pretty sure the rumours will come true and Loris Vergier will join the team, having recently left Trek Factory Racing (see below). Having said that, there are other top-ranking riders still in sponsor limbo. (We saw Camille Balanche in Finale Ligure last week, but we can’t tell you what bike she was riding yet.)
TEAMLINING: Trek shed a lot of its gravity talent at the end of 2024, including letting go of Vergier, Kuhn, Reece Wilson and Hattie Harnden. Things looked a bit down, but the American brand has just announced an exciting new lineup with Matt Walker (UK), Lachie Stevens-McNab and Ollie Davis joining Sacha Earnest on the elite team and Chris Hauser and Ella Svegby joining as ‘development riders’. What a set of riders!
CHANGING OF THE GUARD: It feels like there’s a quiet revolution happening. Goodman Santa Cruz, the French bike shop-run team that punches above its weight (thanks to its owners’ relentless hard work), adds Thomas Estaque and Lisa Bouladou to its ranks. Aaron Gwin is hinting at ‘exciting news to share soon’, presumably about his Gwin Racing team. Frameworks Racing steps up the ante with the addition of Anna Newkirk. Commencal-Schwalbe by Les Orres, multi-time Enduro World Series winner Cécile Ravanel’s team, adds Antoine Pierron, Austin Dooley, Matilda Melton and Bode Burke to its lineup.
Possibly the coolest thing from this off-season though is Reece Wilson’s new team, AON Racing. Wilson brings together emerging technology (well, as far as downhill is concerned) with a host of innovative partner brands and kit (mostly still to be announced) including, as per Wilson’s team launch explainer video, belt-driven, gearbox-shifted Gamux bikes with something secret under cover where the rear shock sits. Wilson will be joined by five other downhill racers and, well, we also bumped into most of them in Finale last week but won’t spoil the surprise. Edit 17/01/25: The other riders are Heather Wilson, Harriet Harnden, Monika Hrastnik, Henry Kerr, Stan Nisbet.
DANGLING CARROT: AON will be capable of winning races, but will they get the €100,000 Euros bounty being offered by Gates, the belt drive manufacturer, for the first rider to win an elite DH World Cup on a Gates belt-driven bike? Several other teams (well, their riders, who will get the payout if they win) will be fighting for the funds, including Atherton, MS Racing and Intense Factory Racing, according to Gates’ Wednesday press release. Note to belt drive users: always read the small print.
BEST FOR LAST: Finally, probably the greatest news is that Sam Hill has signed with bike shop Empire Cycles and it looks like we’ll see him back on a downhill track on a bike of his choosing, starting with Red Bull Hardline Tasmania in February. Buckle up! Or should that be belt up?
