2025 Race Talk

He's in the same boat as Sam Hill, with SRAM and Rockshocks pulling the rug out from under them at the beginning of this season. 

How bad are things at SRAM that they pull support for the most prominent enduro racer out there? Even ignoring the race results, Jack has by far the best content and following. Seems crazy.

Often times it’s easiest to cut ties with a few seasoned and well paid employees rather than let go a slew of lesser paid ones.  

SRAM is just fine.  Trimming fat after the bike industry slowdown and political and therefor economic instability.  But when so many companies rely on your product that gives you a lot more wiggle room to weather the storm.  Including trimming marketing budgets.  Rockshox will sell infinitely more oem forks than aftermarket.  And I doubt jack moir or Sam hill’s suspension is on the minds of that many product managers.  

1. He never said they "pulled the rug out from under him". The did not re-sign him after the '24 season. That would be normal sponsor behavior. 
2. Most deals that SRAM (like most brands) does are 2-3 year deals. They, like everyone, see the writing on the wall. That '25 is likely the last EWS season. It was on life support last year and now, with a bunch of big names/teams gone, it will lose even more eyeballs. Jack, Richie and Jesse are the only guys in the EWS commanding big paydays anymore so it was an easy decision to trim the fat as someone said. 
3. As I have said all along, Jack liked SRAM stuff, but he was also paid handsomely to run it. He lost that contract and is now being paid to run Fox/TRP. Everyone seemed to think that YT's "un-caged" program meant these guys were not sponsored by the brands they ran. That said, the other people on the YT team probably have minimal sponsorship dollars coming in. But jack undoubtedly was making a sizeable pay day from SRAM and that's been replaced by a smaller one from Fox. 

"Ethan Craik looks like..." 

Any updates on Ronan Dunne? It's been very quiet 😐

Hopefully there will be a nice Capra to buy on YT again,colours & equipent over Years are🥱

Yeah gutted for him, even if he makes it back for the first race he will have lost a lot of the wind under his sails, all the pros in NZ were saying he was crazy fast going into the season.

He's so easy to like. And such a bro.. but that could be part of the issue. Laps on laps on laps at the park 4 months before the first race isn't how I would expect the very best (and most professional) to prepare.

Been back in the gym training. Think I saw him post a riding clip

For those in Australia the UCI World Series is packaged into Stan Sport for 2025. 

$15 AUD a month for Stan Sport on top of the $12 AUD basic Stan package ='s $27 AUD total a month.

Alternatively ! Get all your mates together and split the costs - I believe with the expensive option you have access to 5 screens at a time.. so roughly $6 a month - this requires friends though so I can’t take advantage of this hack

Sam Hill said... SRAM didn’t even return an email or phone call when he was try to put a bike together most recently. Seems pretty disrespectful to athletes   (and champs) that helped push your products for many years. It’s one thing to not resign a rider. It’s another to just ghost them like they never existed!

They probably put some dork ass roadie sales guy in charge or something. My short time in and around the bike industry revealed that the wrong dudes are usually in charge of the cool stuff. Mind boggling. 

Course preview with Alex Fayolle from the Brioude DH Cup in France, short but fun track (and lots of World Cup shredders on the start list):

Brioude DH Cup results

https://yaka-chrono.com/results/2025/DHBrioude/

Oceania Championships held on the weekend saw the juniors dominate in both Male and Female categories. Tyler Waite again showing form and taking the Oceania overall Jersey as well as Indy Deavoll taking the overall female title. The top 3 junior males had the fastest times of the day. The track was drying also so the elites possibly had a faster  track come race run.

You’ve just described most industries

The new Crankworx speed and style replacement has been announced. 4X is back! Almost. With inflation they could only afford 3X with some corporate marketing language to spice it up. 

https://www.crankworx.com/news/mystery-solved-crankworx-full-tilt-takes-the-stage-in-cairns/

Bitchin seeing some 3x action!  

Making advancing rounds the race for 2nd, instead of the race for the first corner might help to get rid of the holeshot/block to the finish racing that plagued most dual and 4x tracks.

I can hear 2nd place's collarbone snapping as Bootes trucks them in the final turn.
Watched that guy just nuke people off virtually every NORBA National course he ever rode over the years.

Some unfortunate track news for ya - https://www.cyclingweekly.com/racing/uci-track-champions-league-cancelled-after-four-years 

€500,000 prize pot and produced by a team of up to 300 people on site, who managed the event, its broadcasting, and the light shows... for TRACK CYCLING?