2024 TEAM RUMORS

Making me think the things about her on cube aren’t true unless cube is having a big component switch up

looks like Magura rotors and calipers to me

Josh Carlson rumored to be signing with Trek and racing e-bikes

Sram Code calipers 100 %. 

And that's where I think the Unno team's funds come from

Reece Wilson on one of them 6dev helmets or something like that. Can't remember the name really. Considering 100% sacked kade off cus of his MSA helmet issue, but interesting seeing Reece and apparently Loris running these.

Cool but kind of a bummer.  I was looking forward to seeing Asa stay in Renen.

6D helmets are popular in the moto world, supposedly one of the safest helmets out there but who knows what really works. Having briefly owned a 100% aircraft i have a hard time thinking the World Cup riders in them feel safe wearing them. Maybe a good enduro helmet but they’re so light and pretty uncomfortable unless you have a tall, narrow head. With the speeds we’re getting to maybe we’ll start seeing more wc racers switching to moto helmets.

Greg off the Syndicate official, announced on the Santa Cruz Instagram.

Syndicate just posted a "farewell to Greg" post on Instagram. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/C0cKmngRkg-/

Guess that makes it official. Bummer

Officially official:

It's kind of mind blowing to me if he really does move to Norco, given how he was basically given free reign on the new V10 development (and didn't like the HP proto), plus all the other component changes.  For someone as picky as him, that's a massive amount of change.

Greg’s replacement rumoured to be a junior female rider 

I may be alone in this but I see a big silver lining here. Greg moving on from Syndicate means he's still going to race, which of course I love seeing. 

Aimi Kenyon did pretty well on an SC for the PB Racing team, could be a step up to get on the factory program.

It would be surprising aswell because thought norco was trying to go for an all Canadian team?

Maybe the price of SC bikes will come down a bit now

Not serious but you have to imagine his salary was pretty significant.

I thought the Fox deal had less to do with him and more to do with the Syndicate regime change. He always seemed to have his own sponsor deals like Gwin. Maybe he goes back to O’Neal?

GOAT back to Honda Racing Corporation gearboxes?

More importantly, a friend suggested Pon change the name to Santa Cruz Factory now, Syndicate is dead. 

Wow. Not sure how I feel about this one. 

GM moving to a totally new platform and team could throw someone who's as meticulous as him into chaos. But on the other hand this could be the kind of massive chage that could revitalize him to take a couple more P1s on the way out.

One goat leaves

The next is growing his horns in the same pit tent

Still in shock, can't believe it.

Having pretty mixed feelings abouts all this tbh... But it also raises some questions in my opinion:

1. Will this affect Peatys role at the Syndicate? Looks like he's the only one left from the good old days. 

2. Is there any relation to what was happening around Roskopp a year (?) ago?

3. Is this a major marketing fail? Imagine all the exposure the GOAT will drive to a brand on what is maybe his farewell tour. Plus the Syndicate always had these family vibes and people loved it. Loosing GM somehow feels like they loosing a huge part of their heritage and of what they managed to keep of the spirit they once had.

4. We're they planning to release the news by now or were they forced by all the rumors? 

The you tube channel moved over to Santa Crus bikes at the start of 2023 so it has looked as though corporate branding had already started once RR was pushed out the door

Is there going to be some cheeky change of team names or something? This seems kind of unreal 

I wonder if the reason for Greg leaving is related to Peaty being in charge - the working relationship between Kathy S and Greg was always strong and with Rob going, Greg has looked someone disconnected this year. He has hardly been in the Dialled productions for most of the season, his social media has been more about his life outside of racing where as in the past it was almost the complete opposite.

I question if it is a marketing fail though - while Greg resonates with those of us who have followed DH for a long time, what is his market cut through like compared to the likes of Jackson, Vali or any of the other early to mid 20s riders when it comes to a younger audience - for the average marketeer, young is new, exciting etc and is even proven to appeal more to an older audience who believe that by doing something that is marketed as youthful, they are percieved as youthful too and not the broken middle aged riders many of us refuse to admit we are.

Regarding heritage - if Greg had gracefully retired, I think they would have made an ambassador role for him but his desire to keep racing when there is cheaper new talent to be had at a time when PON is trying to stem losses with job cuts will be more appealling