2024 TEAM RUMORS

Between the lines of your post is an unfortunate reality about Danny — the most memorable thing he will ever do in his career was over a decade ago, and is in fact largely about Rob Warner’s announcing, not Danny himself.

As an aging racer with diminishing results, anything he can do (aside from coming back with another 2011-World-Champs-style performance or multiple World Cup wins) is going to be overshadowed by *that run.* Sponsors don’t really get to cash in on that retroactively, either. It was done on a Giant, and always will have been done on a Giant.

With a few team changes over recent years, he hasn’t been able to establish a solid brand (again, aside from the World Champs run) and while other riders are nearly synonymous with a bike or team, Hart just isn’t.

Meanwhile, I’m sure he (or his hard to work with father) thinks he’s still worth quite the pretty penny. It sucks, but I understand why sponsors don’t think they’ll get their return on investment out of him.

Value is a funny thing, especially in these times.
To downhill and it's history Danny and Greg are worth every penny and more.
To an Excel profit/loss spreadsheet on an accountants desktop of course not.
Does that mean they should ride for less??
That's something only they could answer.

I think a key thing for riders who are out of contract at the moment is for them to be able to quantify their worth. 
 

if they think they should be on 100k a year then quantify it. Then a brand can actually see their value and if there is to be a return on the athlete.

Teams are just sports marketing, as said before in times of recession and downturn of trade, marketing budget is first to be cut.

simple business economics, hard luck for those riders who’s contracts expired in 23.

You make a great point here. Some core assumptions below but here's where it stacks from an ROI perspective for a brand I reckon:

- Rider salary: 100k

- Logistics, travel, accomodation: 30k

- WC mechanic: 40k

TOTAL: 170k cost

Then let's assume 10% net margin at the bike brand in a "normal" year (gross margin less staff costs, taxes, VAT, shipping costs to dealer/distributors, warranty percentage "hold back" etc).

To break even on their contract and so prove they're good value, the rider needs to demonstrate 1.7M of attributable (or at least anecdotally convincing) sales uplift vs standard. Just to break even.

Obviously there's nuances and brand positivity/net promoter score impact too, but unless athletes (or their managers) are playing a pretty sophisticated game these days, it's going to be harder to justify salaries. Not saying that's right, just a reality.

Also a key reason I think we need more agents as proving an athlete's worth is a fundamental part of the skillset of a sports agent.

Would be good for Kathy Sessler to be Greg’s new team manager for 2024 , any idea what she is up to now?

Sram drivetrain, fox suspension. Only brand I can think running that is atherton but doubt she's on atherton. Cube run raceface components and they are sram cranks. All cube bikes have raceface cranks

Oh, but I beg to differ! I was on the hill that day in Champery and it was a very very special moment. I yelled my lungs out and could not believe my eyes and neither could the vast majority of the people on location. Of course, the Freecaster commentary of Rob and Nigel shaped it for posterity, but it's superficial to suggest that Danny owes his career just to that broadcast and that's that. Come on!

Danny was a prodigy riding the UK scene for Balfa/Appalache and then delivered everything his talent promised as a kid. Not only spectacular riding but also results. Don't forget 2016 and the Worlds in Val di Sole, don't forget the year after, with his 3 consecutive wins. Don't forget he has always been instrumental when it comes to development of bikes and, just like it was said before, generated credibility for the brands that he has ridden for. Dead honest, I consider Cube one of the most boring brands in the world, but even I started looking at their DH bikes' prices during the first year of Danny's tenure with them. 

I'm not a member of the World Cup circus and I am sure that who is knows reputations better than me, but to say Danny ”hasn't established a brand” is just too far fetched.

Cheers.
Mx

 

She's 65, pretty sure she is enjoying retirement in SoCal with the other sun baked grandmas dressing like they think they are still 18.

Looks like Brook is also without a team for next year. 

damn, bruh.  what about us 57 year old men that try to ride like we're still 18??  

Anyhow, Greg seems to put a lot of importance on people he trusts to help keep a stable environment.  I see him thriving on a team with he and an upcoming junior rider and his sponsors, kinda like Gwin.

Kathy is one of the nicest humans I was fortunate to meet on the World Cup circuit. Always smiling, always took the time to listen, regardless who you are. Genuinely nice. I strongly believe that people with a demeanour like hers are an important part of what makes our sport different, special and approachable, close to the fans. Just had to say that.

Mx

Brook is off MS..... WOW, did not see this coming. By his personal IG post it seems as he is now without a team for 2024 

Okay, when I said this, I didn't mean fuckin' Danny and Brook

I agree with you, Greg puts a huge focus on the trust he puts in the people around him and the support they give creating a competitive environment that pushes him to 'that' level. The guy is a superstar but more than that he is just an all round lovely human with time for anyone.

He deserves the structure and equipment for him to thrive!

https://www.instagram.com/p/C1fflzNswW2/?igsh=OTlkeHV6OXlxdDhr
 

The union off santa cruz and some other brands

Union to GT. 
 

Jack on the Numbers podcast said his team was working on GT as a frame sponsor but then it fell through. GT athletes also recently received an email about some new, exciting announcements coming up about new partnerships with athletes in Europe. 

She is going to Norco with Greg. 

I got the sense from the docu-series that they’ll still have a team and Ben is not racing to focus more on the team. 

Maybe a bit of a dead horse now, but Gwinny no longer tagging IFR. 

Marini off Commencal-Muc-off

I Know its a bit offtopic but could someone tell me the story of Kade and the 100% / Fox helmet? Thanks 

2024 will certainly be an interesting year. Old riders will be missed and new ones will be celebrated.

I wonder if the UCI will recognise the trend and take countermeasures so that the sport is not put at risk due to inconsistency. The semis should definitely be cancelled. They bring no added value and the risk of injury is simply far too great. But above all, there is strong competition coming with IXS and some of the bodywork series. I would laugh my head off if a bike manufacturer took matters into their own hands and launched a counter product.

E.g. Enduro DH on old WC tracks. Shooting down the Maiskogel in Kaprun on enduro bikes with a maximum of 150cm travel on the normal hiking trails would be total madness. Mammoth Mountain Eliminator too. So Enduro but not in stage format but as a DH race. Without a starting limit, for everyone. Qualifying on Saturdays, race for the top 60 on Sundays, with a big party etc. Back to the roots

I think it was explained in the making up the numbers pod. Kade is an Red Bull athlete and therefore obliged to wear a red bull helmet in all competitions. 100% only provide a limited amount of red bull helmets to kade for the season. When he crashed in snowshoe, he totaled his last helmet and they could not provide a new one in time for the race. Jackson offered his Fox reb bull helmet as a replacement but 100% denied that. So he was not allowed to start because he didn't have the sponsor correct helmet.

Be careful or they'll be accusing us of making up lies again (based on their own insta posts).

Tarmo Ryynänen, the people’s champ of Pinkbike Academy, getting a team spot for 2024 enduro? LBS has been sponsoring him along with other brands. He did quite well this season, spent the 2023 winter off season as conscript with Onni Rainio in the ”athlete school” of Finnish military. Will be interesting to see where he lands and what will achieve with a proper off season.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C1g9iz-sQza/?igsh=aGFzZXI0d2NzbGo3

Elliot jamieson off norco

Well it's January 1st here in Kangaroo Country.... spill the beans.

Ugh, Cathro and family flooded out if their house 

He also has this to say about PBR:
"It’s also the end of Pinkbike Racing as we currently know it which is incredibly sad in many ways but I will hold many great memories of those two wild years"

Happy 2024 to all of you