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That forces us to ask the question, however: is the field constrained for logistical reasons, i.e., they think it will make the racing a better product with a smaller field, or artificial reasons, i.e. they think it will make for more team cachet and team politics like F1?
Also Sam is now running ohlins out of his own choice possibly which would suggest something went tits up with SRAM maybe ……but he is still running SRAM brakes and drive train so who knows….
That bike is a stock Demo Race with a custom paint job
Sad to say, but not matter how great a rider was, at some point that phone stops ringing. And, when times are tight, that point will probably come sooner..
8 rider is what I’ve heard, two kiwis and judging by Tuhoto riding a Zerode currently I would expect him to stay. I think Oli Clark will be on the roster too
I was wondering where Hrastnik was at in all this, she seemed to have slipped under the radar so far and is the only top 10 racer on the ladies side other than Cami that hasn't had an announcement yet. Also hoping Widmann gets scooped up by someone who needs a couple more points.
Going to be honest, I hate it, but the points are making team rumors a bit more fun this year to see how everything fits together as things are announced.
Kaos on Orbea FMD
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DE1qfVfNNZ_/?igsh=cmpzY2xsbGJ5Y2Jn
Looks like they’re announcing the full team today, presumably starting with the obvious ones.
not expecting many/if any surprises for their announcements today.
For fucks sake Trisquelo, give it a rest man.
I thought for a minute I was imagining that he was posting, deleting, posting, deleting, ad nauseam the same post.
Trisquelo is a great argument for why we need to have concussion protocols and good helmets.
Daprela burner account?
Tuhoto, Farina, Trummer, Dickson
And i wonder if Zerode riders Valentina Roa and Sébastien Holguin will add to the team
Still no news of Juanfer Velez, didn't see him ar Intense Factory racing présentation..
Commençal -LesOrres teasing...
(Artiste Pierron?)
https://www.instagram.com/p/DE0GIwGNMt1/?igsh=OTh5Ymc5MzV0eXUz
Tahnee and Phoebe Gale also now confirmed for FMD.
Darragh Ryan confirmed on FMD
Hopefully, a certain factory racing team won't be able pick up a rider, and won't have enough UCI points to make it into the top 20, but I won't count on it.
Gates sponsoring 4 teams - Aon, Atherton, MS Racing and Intense Factory Racing
fine print says 100k goes to "the first elite racer, male or female, to win a UCI Mountain Bike Downhill event" - women race first on race day. if there's a double belt-drive win, does the female rider get the 100k or does gates hand out $200k? could happen!
More Race Teams Bet on Gates Belt Drives for 2025 UCI Downhill Season – €100K Belted Purse Remains Up for Grabs
DENVER (Jan. 15, 2025) – Gates (NYSE: GTES), a global leader in belt drive technologies, has announced official partnerships with four elite race teams—Aon on Gamux frames, Atherton Racing, MS-Racing, and Intense Factory Racing for the 2025 Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Downhill Mountain Bike season. These partnerships mark a pivotal moment in the sport, showcasing the game-changing advantages of the Gates Belt Drive systems in high-performance racing.
"Being part of bringing belt drives into professional downhill racing has been an incredibly rewarding experience. Working with Gates has been fantastic—together, we’ve learned so much throughout the 2023 and 2024 race seasons, and we’re thrilled to continue this partnership into 2025. Everyone on the team has poured so much effort into this over the past few years, and it’s exciting to see how belt drive system technology and downhill racing continue to grow." said Dominic Tinner, co-founder of Gamux.
The partnerships will push the limits of research and development, with these top teams rigorously testing Gates Belt Drive systems in some of the world’s toughest downhill racing conditions.
"We at Atherton Bicycles are thrilled to announce that we’ll be racing the 2025 UCI season powered by Gates Belts,” said Dan Brown, founder and owner of Atherton Bicycles. “Our manufacturing methods allow us to prototype and reiterate designs very quickly, ensuring we take learnings from the test track straight to the product. This technology has allowed us to develop a first prototype in just two months. Huge thanks to the design team, including Dave Weagle, for pulling this one together so quick! Gates has a long-standing reputation for innovation and excellence in product development, giving us the confidence to make this pivotal switch. We’re eagerly looking forward to an exciting race season with Gates as our trusted partner."
The Gates Belted Purse Prize Continues for 2025
Gates is also continuing its trailblazing €100,000 Belted Purse contest for the 2025 race season. This incentive rewards the first elite racer, male or female, to win a UCI Mountain Bike Downhill event on a Gates belt-driven bike. Designed to spotlight the unique performance advantages of a belted downhill bike, the challenge aims to inspire teams and athletes to embrace this revolutionary technology.
"We look forward to seeing how belt drive mountain bikes compete in the UCI series this season," said Chris Sugai, general manager of Mobility at Gates Corporation. "With the changes in the competition structure, the playing field is smaller, and the competition is tougher. Working with these great race teams will help us improve our belt drive systems."
This season, the adventure continues with the Gates €100K Belted Pursuit Challenge, highlighted by an exclusive video series that captures the durability, performance, and behind-the-scenes stories of belt drive technology in action.
Belt Drive Technology Leading the Charge in Micromobility
Gates Belt Drive technology is transforming personal and micromobility solutions worldwide. From bicycles and electric bikes to scooters and motorcycles, Gates’ innovative belt drive systems offer grease-free, rust-free, and low maintenance solutions tailored for high performance and durability. The Gates Carbon Drive system stands out as the market's best high-mileage bicycle drive, delivering exceptional reliability for urban commuters, mountain bikers, eBike riders, and casual cruisers alike.
By partnering with top downhill teams, Gates brings its materials science and engineering expertise to the forefront of the sport, challenging traditional chain-driven systems and inspiring a new era of innovation in competitive cycling. For more information about Gates Belt Drive technology or for official €100K Belted Purse contest rules, visit www.gatesbeltdrive.com. #GatesMTB100K #GatesBeltDrive
About Gates Corporation
Gates is a global manufacturer of innovative, highly engineered power transmission and fluid power solutions. Gates offers a broad portfolio of products to diverse replacement channel customers, and to original equipment manufacturers as specified components. For more than a century, Gates has pushed the boundaries of materials science to engineer products that exceed expectations in many sectors of the industrial and consumer markets. Our products play essential roles in a diverse range of applications across a wide variety of end markets including industrial on-highway, industrial off-highway, mobility and recreation, automotive, energy and resources as well as diversified industrial. Our products are sold in more than 130 countries across our four commercial regions: the Americas; Europe, Middle East & Africa; Greater China; and East Asia & India. More about Gates can be found at www.gates.com.
Maes confirmed with FMD Orbea
I dont know what is worst, Trisqueto's retardation and solipism or this kind of passive agressive, ill intented, communist informant post. If you have a feud a least be open about it, even better, go and tell the person in his/her face, but to write a post hoping that "someone" has a bad day is madness really.
I guess this also sort of confirms MS racing being on Zerode frames this year?
Unless some other belt drive frame becomes available for them?
New column and new sheet are added to the spreadsheet to account for only finals points counting towards team ranking. I missed that detail before, but I've gone through all the names in the recent PB article and then for any of the high ranking riders or riders on high ranking teams I tallied their points without qualifying points from the UCI website. Feel free to fill out the lower ranking riders too, but at the moment the top 15 seems stable pending team announcements.
Alright, back to having a little bit of fun...
In a surprise to many, the #3 Phoebe Gale rumor turns out to be false. She is sticking with FMD as predicted by... the Orbea FMD press release.
However, #1 is still going strong with Atherton confirmed on Gates. Come on Dan, time for a come back! Get that bag!
Also Darragh Ryan, Phoebe Gale & Oli Zwar.
Where were we discussing race numbers? I’ve just seen an email with the Specialized numbers:
Bruni #29
Iles #99
Williams #17
4 teams struggling for sponsorship and money tie in with a belt drive company
That’s the real headline
https://www.vitalmtb.com/forums/hub/2025-world-cup-rider-plate-numbers
Damn, Finn, that's practically sacrilegious in Canada to wear the 99.
So MS-Intense on Gates gearbox like john Hall proto?? https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9B1F51Na4U/?igsh=MWJvcDQwNHVzNHQ0cQ==
No
https://www.vitalmtb.com/community/filmsmith/blog/01/06/2025/entry/129246
Matt Walker & Chris Hauser confirmed trek factory via race registration for Tennessee National.
Such a good catch! and what's Future Frameworks???
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