2026 Team Rumors

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Team Rumors
Lacanuck24 9/8/2025 8:46am
9/8/2025 8:46am
Lacanuck24 wrote:
In this current format of team/rider eligibility, no chance of locals racing year one. IF someone is inspired and has deep enough pockets to go get...

In this current format of team/rider eligibility, no chance of locals racing year one. IF someone is inspired and has deep enough pockets to go get some UCI points, then maybe in year three, a slim chance at year two. There's little to no support for local riders. I'd put my money on one of two local juniors if they hit the gym and move abroad to train and collect points since they've both already outgrown the local parks.

If it were ten years ago, there were two riders who'd be able to line up in Pro. One, Park Jun Sung actually lined up for one or two races. There used to be videos of him at a GT team camp going full send with Brook Macdonald, but without any real support, he took an offer to race Keirin and make a living.

The local race scene is on life support now. Apparently, the riding community isn't big enough to make a race series profitable enough. I hoped that would change when one race series took over the operation of one of the parks, but it hasn't turned out that way. A friend has been working on organizing juniors to go race in Japan to gain some experience since there isn't much left domestically. 

 

There are thousands of kilometers of good riding in Korea. Unfortunately, Trailforks only has like 1-2% of the trails listed, and it's hard to find info if you don't read or write Korean. It's E-bike country for very justified reasons. The scene is small but passionate, growing all the time. The fixie epidemic really hurt for a while, but there's finally a growing number of groms/teens getting into riding.
 

Maxipedia wrote:
Hello, one quick question: what is the point of having a goddamn World Cup race in a place that doesn't have an emerging scene that wants...

Hello, one quick question: what is the point of having a goddamn World Cup race in a place that doesn't have an emerging scene that wants to evolve? Is it money laundry, or what? As a local I'm sure you must have a better idea than us others.

I mean, it totally made sense for Poland to step it up, as they are constantly progressing in MTB since many years now. Same for Slovenia or Croatia. Something has to add up, as this is very expensive, beginning with the fee you have to pay to the UCI to the rest of the logistics involved.

I wish you guys all the best!
Mx

There is a growing scene here. While things were regressing about 12-15 years ago, the last 7+ have seen major growth. We went from zero bike parks to five (two government-funded), loads of trail centers, a few "official," but most not so official, and government-funded pump tracks. The number of riders has been increasing, yet the mountain bike race scene has been dying. But that's more of an issue with event organizers seeing gran fondos as exponentially more profitable. Riders would love to have a proper race series again, rather than just a few events a year, and this is a good potential catalyst for it to happen. There are more than enough willing participants to have one, especially with the rise in the number of groms and more teenagers finally not getting caught up in the fixie epidemic.

So yes, there's a scene here. A developing, passionate scene. The scene here is much like China, as Brian Cahal said, small compared to Europe or North America, but passionate. China's scene is bigger, though, or I'd assume it is.

Yes, hosting a World Cup is expensive. There's been plenty of talk about the cost of hosting an event and wishing for more outside money to flow in. From what I understand, the event organizer has managed to get most, if not all, of the backing for the event from non-industry sources. Is that a bad thing? Isn't that the kind of thing that many people hoped for, or will it turn into comments about selling out? 

Korea is a cycling-crazed country with crazy road and touring scenes. Hopefully, it's time for more attention on mountain biking. The country is 70% mountains. Unfortunately, people like me are too lazy to upload anything to Trailforks, and none of the locals use it, so maybe 1-2% of the trails in the country are mapped there. Trust me, the trails are here. 

In all of Asia, it's probably one of the most prepared countries for an event like this, infrastructure-wise, plus, Korea is shockingly convenient for English speakers and even has pretty easy access to western food or food that westerners will be cool with. There's a Costco 20 minutes from the airport on the way to the resort. 

On a side note, if you're a "26 ain't dead" person or collector, you could potentially have a fantastic time in Korea if you're willing to do some legwork. The Han River bike path has an interesting collection of 26's still rolling around. Random shops still have brand new 26's and parts. Some of the things I've seen: an original Dean Ultimate Ti hardtail, Yeti 303dh, Tomac Buckshot 00, and 26" Marzocchi Bombers all new on display. Random shops feel like stepping back in time.

45
Maxipedia
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Maxipedia 9/8/2025 10:07am
9/8/2025 10:07am
Lacanuck24 wrote:
There is a growing scene here. While things were regressing about 12-15 years ago, the last 7+ have seen major growth. We went from zero bike...

There is a growing scene here. While things were regressing about 12-15 years ago, the last 7+ have seen major growth. We went from zero bike parks to five (two government-funded), loads of trail centers, a few "official," but most not so official, and government-funded pump tracks. The number of riders has been increasing, yet the mountain bike race scene has been dying. But that's more of an issue with event organizers seeing gran fondos as exponentially more profitable. Riders would love to have a proper race series again, rather than just a few events a year, and this is a good potential catalyst for it to happen. There are more than enough willing participants to have one, especially with the rise in the number of groms and more teenagers finally not getting caught up in the fixie epidemic.

So yes, there's a scene here. A developing, passionate scene. The scene here is much like China, as Brian Cahal said, small compared to Europe or North America, but passionate. China's scene is bigger, though, or I'd assume it is.

Yes, hosting a World Cup is expensive. There's been plenty of talk about the cost of hosting an event and wishing for more outside money to flow in. From what I understand, the event organizer has managed to get most, if not all, of the backing for the event from non-industry sources. Is that a bad thing? Isn't that the kind of thing that many people hoped for, or will it turn into comments about selling out? 

Korea is a cycling-crazed country with crazy road and touring scenes. Hopefully, it's time for more attention on mountain biking. The country is 70% mountains. Unfortunately, people like me are too lazy to upload anything to Trailforks, and none of the locals use it, so maybe 1-2% of the trails in the country are mapped there. Trust me, the trails are here. 

In all of Asia, it's probably one of the most prepared countries for an event like this, infrastructure-wise, plus, Korea is shockingly convenient for English speakers and even has pretty easy access to western food or food that westerners will be cool with. There's a Costco 20 minutes from the airport on the way to the resort. 

On a side note, if you're a "26 ain't dead" person or collector, you could potentially have a fantastic time in Korea if you're willing to do some legwork. The Han River bike path has an interesting collection of 26's still rolling around. Random shops still have brand new 26's and parts. Some of the things I've seen: an original Dean Ultimate Ti hardtail, Yeti 303dh, Tomac Buckshot 00, and 26" Marzocchi Bombers all new on display. Random shops feel like stepping back in time.

Thanks for the detailed reply! Very interesting! It seems it goes the other way round, than other places. From my understanding, the logic is: make a big World Cup level event and THEN grow the sport, with the exposure and leverage it generates. Plus the government is funding infrastructure, which is super cool. Am I understanding this right?

I don't understand the crypticism regarding the ”future Korean multinational sponsor”. Why can't people say what they assume it is and what's the connection? Is it Daewoo? Is it Samsung? Is it Hyundai? These are honest questions, it's a goddamn rumor thread; assumptions must pe OK here. Smile

Mx

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Primoz
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Primoz 9/8/2025 11:51am
9/8/2025 11:51am
lev wrote:
That’s really interesting to know.  It does make you wonder how/why Korea got a round of the World Cup then?  You’d think that the local scene...

That’s really interesting to know.  It does make you wonder how/why Korea got a round of the World Cup then?  You’d think that the local scene would be big enough to justify (might be the wrong word) it being held there.  I know there’s lots of snow there, so am assuming this race will be in a ski resort, which I also guess is a bike park in their summer? 

sspomer wrote:

securing the location may have to do with a rumored multinational conglomerate sponsor from the area founded in 1938. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung
image 434.png?VersionId=ZNwr52oFSGPUbSE1bLgYdYw88YT2USG

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veefour
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veefour 9/8/2025 6:47pm
9/8/2025 6:47pm Edited Date/Time 9/8/2025 10:34pm
Lacanuck24 wrote:
In this current format of team/rider eligibility, no chance of locals racing year one. IF someone is inspired and has deep enough pockets to go get...

In this current format of team/rider eligibility, no chance of locals racing year one. IF someone is inspired and has deep enough pockets to go get some UCI points, then maybe in year three, a slim chance at year two. There's little to no support for local riders. I'd put my money on one of two local juniors if they hit the gym and move abroad to train and collect points since they've both already outgrown the local parks.

If it were ten years ago, there were two riders who'd be able to line up in Pro. One, Park Jun Sung actually lined up for one or two races. There used to be videos of him at a GT team camp going full send with Brook Macdonald, but without any real support, he took an offer to race Keirin and make a living.

The local race scene is on life support now. Apparently, the riding community isn't big enough to make a race series profitable enough. I hoped that would change when one race series took over the operation of one of the parks, but it hasn't turned out that way. A friend has been working on organizing juniors to go race in Japan to gain some experience since there isn't much left domestically. 

 

There are thousands of kilometers of good riding in Korea. Unfortunately, Trailforks only has like 1-2% of the trails listed, and it's hard to find info if you don't read or write Korean. It's E-bike country for very justified reasons. The scene is small but passionate, growing all the time. The fixie epidemic really hurt for a while, but there's finally a growing number of groms/teens getting into riding.
 

Maxipedia wrote:
Hello, one quick question: what is the point of having a goddamn World Cup race in a place that doesn't have an emerging scene that wants...

Hello, one quick question: what is the point of having a goddamn World Cup race in a place that doesn't have an emerging scene that wants to evolve? Is it money laundry, or what? As a local I'm sure you must have a better idea than us others.

I mean, it totally made sense for Poland to step it up, as they are constantly progressing in MTB since many years now. Same for Slovenia or Croatia. Something has to add up, as this is very expensive, beginning with the fee you have to pay to the UCI to the rest of the logistics involved.

I wish you guys all the best!
Mx

FWIW I'm quite excited at the thought of a race in South Korea and I may well attend. 

Putting that aside your sentiment is easy to understand (for me at least) when we live in a world where Saudi Arabia has just won the bid to host the 2029 Asian WINTER Games and F1 races are held under floodlights because it's too hot to race that location during the day. $$$$ is increasingly all that matters, everything else is secondary. Especially common sense (we need to change that expression, it becomes less common by the hour). 

I see WBD trying to implement changes and excusing them as being good for the sport, regardless of whether they are an improvement or a step backwards. IMO anything they do is with shareholders in mind, not the sport or the fans.

When I hear Ric talking sincerely in the commentary about how hard it is to get into the sport I wonder what's actually passing through his head when he works for the company who's overseeing seems to have been largely about making things harder?

https://snowbrains.com/harsh-criticism-rises-regarding-the-asian-winter…

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nwhc
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nwhc 9/8/2025 7:06pm
9/8/2025 7:06pm
Lacanuck24 wrote:
In this current format of team/rider eligibility, no chance of locals racing year one. IF someone is inspired and has deep enough pockets to go get...

In this current format of team/rider eligibility, no chance of locals racing year one. IF someone is inspired and has deep enough pockets to go get some UCI points, then maybe in year three, a slim chance at year two. There's little to no support for local riders. I'd put my money on one of two local juniors if they hit the gym and move abroad to train and collect points since they've both already outgrown the local parks.

If it were ten years ago, there were two riders who'd be able to line up in Pro. One, Park Jun Sung actually lined up for one or two races. There used to be videos of him at a GT team camp going full send with Brook Macdonald, but without any real support, he took an offer to race Keirin and make a living.

The local race scene is on life support now. Apparently, the riding community isn't big enough to make a race series profitable enough. I hoped that would change when one race series took over the operation of one of the parks, but it hasn't turned out that way. A friend has been working on organizing juniors to go race in Japan to gain some experience since there isn't much left domestically. 

 

There are thousands of kilometers of good riding in Korea. Unfortunately, Trailforks only has like 1-2% of the trails listed, and it's hard to find info if you don't read or write Korean. It's E-bike country for very justified reasons. The scene is small but passionate, growing all the time. The fixie epidemic really hurt for a while, but there's finally a growing number of groms/teens getting into riding.
 

Maxipedia wrote:
Hello, one quick question: what is the point of having a goddamn World Cup race in a place that doesn't have an emerging scene that wants...

Hello, one quick question: what is the point of having a goddamn World Cup race in a place that doesn't have an emerging scene that wants to evolve? Is it money laundry, or what? As a local I'm sure you must have a better idea than us others.

I mean, it totally made sense for Poland to step it up, as they are constantly progressing in MTB since many years now. Same for Slovenia or Croatia. Something has to add up, as this is very expensive, beginning with the fee you have to pay to the UCI to the rest of the logistics involved.

I wish you guys all the best!
Mx

veefour wrote:
FWIW I'm quite excited at the thought of a race in South Korea and I may well attend. Putting that aside your sentiment is easy to understand...

FWIW I'm quite excited at the thought of a race in South Korea and I may well attend. 

Putting that aside your sentiment is easy to understand (for me at least) when we live in a world where Saudi Arabia has just won the bid to host the 2029 Asian WINTER Games and F1 races are held under floodlights because it's too hot to race that location during the day. $$$$ is increasingly all that matters, everything else is secondary. Especially common sense (we need to change that expression, it becomes less common by the hour). 

I see WBD trying to implement changes and excusing them as being good for the sport, regardless of whether they are an improvement or a step backwards. IMO anything they do is with shareholders in mind, not the sport or the fans.

When I hear Ric talking sincerely in the commentary about how hard it is to get into the sport I wonder what's actually passing through his head when he works for the company who's overseeing seems to have been largely about making things harder?

https://snowbrains.com/harsh-criticism-rises-regarding-the-asian-winter…

My family is pumped were are heading over from Oz for it 

8
lloyd506
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lloyd506 9/8/2025 7:24pm
9/8/2025 7:24pm

How has 2026 team rumours already derailed into opinions about 2026 venues? 
Quickest forum derail? Maybe somebody can start a new forum derail poll. 

4
luisgutrod
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luisgutrod 9/8/2025 11:08pm
9/8/2025 11:08pm Edited Date/Time 9/8/2025 11:13pm
Maxipedia wrote:
Hello, one quick question: what is the point of having a goddamn World Cup race in a place that doesn't have an emerging scene that wants...

Hello, one quick question: what is the point of having a goddamn World Cup race in a place that doesn't have an emerging scene that wants to evolve? Is it money laundry, or what? As a local I'm sure you must have a better idea than us others.

I mean, it totally made sense for Poland to step it up, as they are constantly progressing in MTB since many years now. Same for Slovenia or Croatia. Something has to add up, as this is very expensive, beginning with the fee you have to pay to the UCI to the rest of the logistics involved.

I wish you guys all the best!
Mx

us-centricity is an issue, not attacking you at all. You'll be surprised on how thriving MTB is in Indonesia or Malaysia (to name powerful less known markets).. but people just dont know.. Even Philippines is a HUGE market & scene, but has way more issues and is less developed and not likely an MTB market to be heard of in the west that often.

Did you know Intense factory racing has now an Indonesian lady in the roster ? Yes, that american brand..

Some moves to new venues are a combination of economic power, readiness and market strategy..

I would be more concerned with middle east doing mountain biking stuff (they already got the BMX flatlands world championships secured for a few years btw).

7
Lacanuck24 9/9/2025 12:37am
9/9/2025 12:37am
Maxipedia wrote:
Hello, one quick question: what is the point of having a goddamn World Cup race in a place that doesn't have an emerging scene that wants...

Hello, one quick question: what is the point of having a goddamn World Cup race in a place that doesn't have an emerging scene that wants to evolve? Is it money laundry, or what? As a local I'm sure you must have a better idea than us others.

I mean, it totally made sense for Poland to step it up, as they are constantly progressing in MTB since many years now. Same for Slovenia or Croatia. Something has to add up, as this is very expensive, beginning with the fee you have to pay to the UCI to the rest of the logistics involved.

I wish you guys all the best!
Mx

luisgutrod wrote:
us-centricity is an issue, not attacking you at all. You'll be surprised on how thriving MTB is in Indonesia or Malaysia (to name powerful less known...

us-centricity is an issue, not attacking you at all. You'll be surprised on how thriving MTB is in Indonesia or Malaysia (to name powerful less known markets).. but people just dont know.. Even Philippines is a HUGE market & scene, but has way more issues and is less developed and not likely an MTB market to be heard of in the west that often.

Did you know Intense factory racing has now an Indonesian lady in the roster ? Yes, that american brand..

Some moves to new venues are a combination of economic power, readiness and market strategy..

I would be more concerned with middle east doing mountain biking stuff (they already got the BMX flatlands world championships secured for a few years btw).

There are definitely many growing mountain bike scenes across Asia. Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, like you said. Singapore has a huge community, while Thailand and has some amazing trails. I've heard unfortunate rumblings that I hope aren't true, that MTB is in decline in Japan.

To get back on track with team rumors, it turns out Korea will get a few spots as the host nation. There's a local embargo on news of a team being put together to try and get all the spots. The selection process is probably gonna be awkward and controversial. Good to know that there'll be some local riders to excite the crowd during Qualis

5
1
RadAxSmirch 9/9/2025 1:23am
9/9/2025 1:23am Edited Date/Time 9/9/2025 1:40am

The host country B Team rule no longer exists, but there would be a wildcard option fulfilling the criteria fairly easily as home country based and the profile of any yet to be named non industry team sponsors.

So, does anyone have any Korean team rumours to drag this conversation back on thread ?

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Maxipedia
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Maxipedia 9/9/2025 1:35am
9/9/2025 1:35am
luisgutrod wrote:
us-centricity is an issue, not attacking you at all. You'll be surprised on how thriving MTB is in Indonesia or Malaysia (to name powerful less known...

us-centricity is an issue, not attacking you at all. You'll be surprised on how thriving MTB is in Indonesia or Malaysia (to name powerful less known markets).. but people just dont know.. Even Philippines is a HUGE market & scene, but has way more issues and is less developed and not likely an MTB market to be heard of in the west that often.

Did you know Intense factory racing has now an Indonesian lady in the roster ? Yes, that american brand..

Some moves to new venues are a combination of economic power, readiness and market strategy..

I would be more concerned with middle east doing mountain biking stuff (they already got the BMX flatlands world championships secured for a few years btw).

I was actually more surprised regarding the mechanism of having a World Cup where the sport isn't riding a wave yet. But now we all know more and I think it is cool that it's happening. I know that Indonesia has a scene and a lady rider on Intense; I did actually mention that explicitly and how important it is on our local Worlds broadcast a few days ago. Malaysia and the Philippines aren't surprises either. I hope these countries will grow. And I'd love to go to South Korea too, if that would be possible.

Not talking about the nightmare of logistics or WBD pricing, I like the fact that the World Cup is getting more outside of Europe. I gladly recall the days when we had World Cups at Arai mountain, in Japan, or Balneario Camboriu in Brazil and I'd love it to see a World Cup leg in Australia or New Zealand. Damn, speaking of this, I miss Fort William...

Stopping with the venue talk right here. Back to the main topic of the thread, which is Team Rumors. Sorry for the derailment.

Cheers,
Mx

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Johnboy
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Johnboy 9/9/2025 3:25am
9/9/2025 3:25am
lloyd506 wrote:

How has 2026 team rumours already derailed into opinions about 2026 venues? 
Quickest forum derail? Maybe somebody can start a new forum derail poll. 

A derailment thread, where the person in the "hot seat" is determined by how many consecutive replies they get about their post derailment... 

Brian_Peterson
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Brian_Peterson 9/9/2025 3:50am
9/9/2025 3:50am

Until we get some good team rumors, Race Locations 2026 is what we get...

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veefour
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veefour 9/9/2025 4:29am
9/9/2025 4:29am Edited Date/Time 9/9/2025 4:31am
Maxipedia wrote:
Hello, one quick question: what is the point of having a goddamn World Cup race in a place that doesn't have an emerging scene that wants...

Hello, one quick question: what is the point of having a goddamn World Cup race in a place that doesn't have an emerging scene that wants to evolve? Is it money laundry, or what? As a local I'm sure you must have a better idea than us others.

I mean, it totally made sense for Poland to step it up, as they are constantly progressing in MTB since many years now. Same for Slovenia or Croatia. Something has to add up, as this is very expensive, beginning with the fee you have to pay to the UCI to the rest of the logistics involved.

I wish you guys all the best!
Mx

luisgutrod wrote:
us-centricity is an issue, not attacking you at all. You'll be surprised on how thriving MTB is in Indonesia or Malaysia (to name powerful less known...

us-centricity is an issue, not attacking you at all. You'll be surprised on how thriving MTB is in Indonesia or Malaysia (to name powerful less known markets).. but people just dont know.. Even Philippines is a HUGE market & scene, but has way more issues and is less developed and not likely an MTB market to be heard of in the west that often.

Did you know Intense factory racing has now an Indonesian lady in the roster ? Yes, that american brand..

Some moves to new venues are a combination of economic power, readiness and market strategy..

I would be more concerned with middle east doing mountain biking stuff (they already got the BMX flatlands world championships secured for a few years btw).

Fair comment and no disrespect to her, but I think the points she brings are the main reason she's on the team. To me it highlights one of the flaws in the new team qualifying criteria.

Sorry, I posted this before going on to read the derail comments.

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hwizzle32
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hwizzle32 9/9/2025 1:08pm
9/9/2025 1:08pm

Heard on a few podcasts that Dylan Maples might be up for grabs. I really hope he ends up on Frameworks if that is true. Asa and Dylan would be a great combo in elite men. Also, I cant believe Dak is already a possible free agent again.

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TET1
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TET1 9/9/2025 2:09pm
9/9/2025 2:09pm

Is Wyn retiring?  I know in his last WynTV episode for World Champs finals, he said that was his last World Champs, and then he said he wasn't going to be at Lenzerheide and that the next time we'd see him would be the US Open?  It would be a damn shame if there were no more WynTV episodes.

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Grumbly
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Grumbly 9/9/2025 3:31pm
9/9/2025 3:31pm
sethimus wrote:

can’t they just sell off the team? 

slow-cal wrote:
My thoughts exactly - teams must be able to retain their points through an ownership change. I just assumed that was the whole point of having...

My thoughts exactly - teams must be able to retain their points through an ownership change. I just assumed that was the whole point of having the teams retain the points in the first place - to make it more financially compelling to field one. 

Not @-ing you specifically but a comment on buying teams. It's not really worth it. Jonathan Vaughters of EF Cycling had an interview when their was speculation of them buying EF Education-Tibco-SVB women's team (I'm trying to find it but it's been a while). Even in road cycling with bigger budgets and larger audiences the valuation of a boils down to basically just it's physical assets. Contracts are only good for a few more years at best and the labilities are huge - you would basically have to step in and suddenly keep juggling all the same balls. Unless it's something like Gwin who was already in the team and was basically management it's "easier" to build your own program. 

1
moonsaballoon 9/9/2025 3:32pm
9/9/2025 3:32pm
hwizzle32 wrote:
Heard on a few podcasts that Dylan Maples might be up for grabs. I really hope he ends up on Frameworks if that is true. Asa...

Heard on a few podcasts that Dylan Maples might be up for grabs. I really hope he ends up on Frameworks if that is true. Asa and Dylan would be a great combo in elite men. Also, I cant believe Dak is already a possible free agent again.

Maples on Frameworks is a fairly good guess I would think but I wonder how much Neko had spend to get Asa signed up for a another 3 years . Might be that he replace Angel suarez with Maples , Angel seems to be one of the unluckiest riders out there with injuries and just not quite getting the results his talent deserves.

As for Dak I'm sure if he's off Mondraker he'll have no problem finding a ride but if all the YT riders are after teams as well , there might not be too many fully factory supported team spots available. In the game of musical chairs it looks like 5 seats have been taken away at once .

8
Buckets Up
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Buckets Up 9/9/2025 3:51pm
9/9/2025 3:51pm

Mondraker splitting up their team or not re-signing anyone would be a huge mistake.

From outward appearances, they all get along well.

All they need is an absence of bad luck, not even really good luck and they could have three top 5/10 riders next year.

Ronan is already there currently.

Dak has been there and all signs point to him climbing back once recovery is complete.

Pinky has shown so many glimpses of brilliance and with just a tad more development should be there too.

Keep them together and on a consistent program and they are 1 of only 2 or 3 teams who could legitimately sweep a podium in the next couple seasons (the others being Commencal once the Alrans are elite and Specialized if Finn works through his injury successfully and Jordan develops a touch).

Dak deserves so much!

24
lloyd506
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lloyd506 9/9/2025 4:03pm
9/9/2025 4:03pm

Commencal muck off will be maxed if Mac and till join elites, speculations that maples gets the boot? 

Scott should have room with Lévesque retiring?

Yt known? 

Who has contracts up for grabs, searching? What’s teams will be point hunting, pivot, giant, aon, Goodman, atherton, Scott, 

Buckets Up
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Buckets Up 9/9/2025 4:40pm
9/9/2025 4:40pm
lloyd506 wrote:
Commencal muck off will be maxed if Mac and till join elites, speculations that maples gets the boot? Scott should have room with Lévesque retiring?Yt known? Who has...

Commencal muck off will be maxed if Mac and till join elites, speculations that maples gets the boot? 

Scott should have room with Lévesque retiring?

Yt known? 

Who has contracts up for grabs, searching? What’s teams will be point hunting, pivot, giant, aon, Goodman, atherton, Scott, 

Point hunting doesn’t matter anymore, teams keep the points moving forward

1
veefour
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veefour 9/9/2025 5:59pm
9/9/2025 5:59pm
TET1 wrote:
Is Wyn retiring?  I know in his last WynTV episode for World Champs finals, he said that was his last World Champs, and then he said...

Is Wyn retiring?  I know in his last WynTV episode for World Champs finals, he said that was his last World Champs, and then he said he wasn't going to be at Lenzerheide and that the next time we'd see him would be the US Open?  It would be a damn shame if there were no more WynTV episodes.

My feeling is he planned to see the season out, but already he's saying he'd like to race in South Korea.

I think his sponsors recognise what he brings and I get the impression WynTV will live on, but who knows how much WBD will want to charge to allow him access? We've already seen him dial it back a bit at WC races as we have with Lawlor/Vital. If what I'm seeing around hosting costs are correct it looks like they're grabbing every $ they can.

Gotta pay that $41billion debt off somehow. 🤑

5
BGoldstone
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BGoldstone 9/9/2025 6:02pm
9/9/2025 6:02pm
Buckets Up wrote:

Point hunting doesn’t matter anymore, teams keep the points moving forward

teams still need points as their current ones are finite and they need to maintain status. a rider may not bring points to the team but he/she can earn them for a team once there.

1
Buckets Up
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Buckets Up 9/9/2025 6:15pm
9/9/2025 6:15pm
BGoldstone wrote:
teams still need points as their current ones are finite and they need to maintain status. a rider may not bring points to the team but...

teams still need points as their current ones are finite and they need to maintain status. a rider may not bring points to the team but he/she can earn them for a team once there.

Yes you are right. But that is also inherent and secondary to running a race team.


I would argue the point of a race team by and large is to win or get the best results possible (yes, it’s also marketing, but if winning isn’t a big part of it, why even try) If you win (or do well), the points solve themselves. 

I suppose it’s semantics, but to me points hunting implies points that have already been earned and are known.


Signing the best racer you can for theoretical future results is simply trying to put yourself in the best chance to win races. Those points are ethereal and non-realized at the moment and thus you can’t actually target them in the same way.

Anyways.

1
mfoga
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mfoga 9/9/2025 9:33pm
9/9/2025 9:33pm
TET1 wrote:
Is Wyn retiring?  I know in his last WynTV episode for World Champs finals, he said that was his last World Champs, and then he said...

Is Wyn retiring?  I know in his last WynTV episode for World Champs finals, he said that was his last World Champs, and then he said he wasn't going to be at Lenzerheide and that the next time we'd see him would be the US Open?  It would be a damn shame if there were no more WynTV episodes.

veefour wrote:
My feeling is he planned to see the season out, but already he's saying he'd like to race in South Korea.I think his sponsors recognise what...

My feeling is he planned to see the season out, but already he's saying he'd like to race in South Korea.

I think his sponsors recognise what he brings and I get the impression WynTV will live on, but who knows how much WBD will want to charge to allow him access? We've already seen him dial it back a bit at WC races as we have with Lawlor/Vital. If what I'm seeing around hosting costs are correct it looks like they're grabbing every $ they can.

Gotta pay that $41billion debt off somehow. 🤑

My take is he doesn’t want to take any more championship spots and took his last chance.  He is kind of screwed for world cups since they have the new rules and has to get wildcards.  

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sethimus
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sethimus 9/9/2025 11:01pm
9/9/2025 11:01pm
Grumbly wrote:
Not @-ing you specifically but a comment on buying teams. It's not really worth it. Jonathan Vaughters of EF Cycling had an interview when their was...

Not @-ing you specifically but a comment on buying teams. It's not really worth it. Jonathan Vaughters of EF Cycling had an interview when their was speculation of them buying EF Education-Tibco-SVB women's team (I'm trying to find it but it's been a while). Even in road cycling with bigger budgets and larger audiences the valuation of a boils down to basically just it's physical assets. Contracts are only good for a few more years at best and the labilities are huge - you would basically have to step in and suddenly keep juggling all the same balls. Unless it's something like Gwin who was already in the team and was basically management it's "easier" to build your own program. 

do road teams also keep the points? that’s what would it make valuable imho?

veefour
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veefour 9/10/2025 12:07am
9/10/2025 12:07am
TET1 wrote:
Is Wyn retiring?  I know in his last WynTV episode for World Champs finals, he said that was his last World Champs, and then he said...

Is Wyn retiring?  I know in his last WynTV episode for World Champs finals, he said that was his last World Champs, and then he said he wasn't going to be at Lenzerheide and that the next time we'd see him would be the US Open?  It would be a damn shame if there were no more WynTV episodes.

veefour wrote:
My feeling is he planned to see the season out, but already he's saying he'd like to race in South Korea.I think his sponsors recognise what...

My feeling is he planned to see the season out, but already he's saying he'd like to race in South Korea.

I think his sponsors recognise what he brings and I get the impression WynTV will live on, but who knows how much WBD will want to charge to allow him access? We've already seen him dial it back a bit at WC races as we have with Lawlor/Vital. If what I'm seeing around hosting costs are correct it looks like they're grabbing every $ they can.

Gotta pay that $41billion debt off somehow. 🤑

mfoga wrote:
My take is he doesn’t want to take any more championship spots and took his last chance.  He is kind of screwed for world cups since...

My take is he doesn’t want to take any more championship spots and took his last chance.  He is kind of screwed for world cups since they have the new rules and has to get wildcards.  

Giving up his spot to riders like Sam Gale when he could race himself tells you all you need to know about Wyn IMO.

21
Lacanuck24 9/10/2025 5:29am
9/10/2025 5:29am
Grumbly wrote:
Not @-ing you specifically but a comment on buying teams. It's not really worth it. Jonathan Vaughters of EF Cycling had an interview when their was...

Not @-ing you specifically but a comment on buying teams. It's not really worth it. Jonathan Vaughters of EF Cycling had an interview when their was speculation of them buying EF Education-Tibco-SVB women's team (I'm trying to find it but it's been a while). Even in road cycling with bigger budgets and larger audiences the valuation of a boils down to basically just it's physical assets. Contracts are only good for a few more years at best and the labilities are huge - you would basically have to step in and suddenly keep juggling all the same balls. Unless it's something like Gwin who was already in the team and was basically management it's "easier" to build your own program. 

sethimus wrote:

do road teams also keep the points? that’s what would it make valuable imho?

Buying a World Tour team gives you the UCI points, ranking, and status. Katusha became Israel-Premier Tech, CCC became Intermarche, and Sky became Ineos, just to name a few. If that weren't the case, then yeah, it wouldn't be worth buying a team. Unfortunately for mountain bike teams, it's not 2024 anymore, and the 2025 game of musical chairs is almost over. 2026 and beyond means spots will be for sale and sooner or later we'll see someone cash out.

Man, the uncertainty in the YT Mob pits. Are they selling the team? If so, as a turn-key operation and the riders can feel safe, or are they selling the spot and everyone can piss off.

So... anyone think we'll see a millionaire or billionaire come in, buy a team, and become rider/owner? Collect some UCI points at lesser events and then join the show? 

moonsaballoon 9/10/2025 1:28pm
9/10/2025 1:28pm
Lacanuck24 wrote:
Buying a World Tour team gives you the UCI points, ranking, and status. Katusha became Israel-Premier Tech, CCC became Intermarche, and Sky became Ineos, just to...

Buying a World Tour team gives you the UCI points, ranking, and status. Katusha became Israel-Premier Tech, CCC became Intermarche, and Sky became Ineos, just to name a few. If that weren't the case, then yeah, it wouldn't be worth buying a team. Unfortunately for mountain bike teams, it's not 2024 anymore, and the 2025 game of musical chairs is almost over. 2026 and beyond means spots will be for sale and sooner or later we'll see someone cash out.

Man, the uncertainty in the YT Mob pits. Are they selling the team? If so, as a turn-key operation and the riders can feel safe, or are they selling the spot and everyone can piss off.

So... anyone think we'll see a millionaire or billionaire come in, buy a team, and become rider/owner? Collect some UCI points at lesser events and then join the show? 

I don't really follow road racing other than watching the Netflix TDF show but aren't those just name changes due to sponsorship changes , like how MS Mondraker became MS intense then MS zerode ? It's the same team just a different frame sponsorship. YT mob could be different as it's owned by YT as opposed to being a sponsor of an individually owned team like Pivot and Specialized. 

 

4
NY_Star
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NY_Star 9/10/2025 6:47pm
9/10/2025 6:47pm Edited Date/Time 9/10/2025 6:50pm

I would assume a majority of a riders fans and influence are in their home country, like if you were to quantify Dak's influence I bet it is heavily skewed to the US. So how much does it make sense for a Spanish team with no US presence to have two US riders over a rider with a stronger European fan base?

I'm sure the top top guys are more heavily skewed to larger markets in general but I would bet the 20th to 5th overall riders don't have that same international reach. Some of this is why Intense went all in on the USDH scene this year. Focus your marketing and influence on where you sell bikes.

Maybe we see more brands aligning their riders to their markets? Obviously rider speed and placing well is the general goal to sells bikes but a lot of riders value is in their media exposure and influence.

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Buckets Up
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Buckets Up 9/10/2025 6:52pm
9/10/2025 6:52pm
NY_Star wrote:
I would assume a majority of a riders fans and influence are in their home country, like if you were to quantify Dak's influence I bet...

I would assume a majority of a riders fans and influence are in their home country, like if you were to quantify Dak's influence I bet it is heavily skewed to the US. So how much does it make sense for a Spanish team with no US presence to have two US riders over a rider with a stronger European fan base?

I'm sure the top top guys are more heavily skewed to larger markets in general but I would bet the 20th to 5th overall riders don't have that same international reach. Some of this is why Intense went all in on the USDH scene this year. Focus your marketing and influence on where you sell bikes.

Maybe we see more brands aligning their riders to their markets? Obviously rider speed and placing well is the general goal to sells bikes but a lot of riders value is in their media exposure and influence.

I don’t believe that. I know every person on Joe Breeden’s World Cup Intense team (all international and non US based).

The only thing I know about the US Intense team is Dante Silva.

2

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