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thank you @veefour!
any and all relationship drama and discussions can be started in a new thread in the OFF THE BIKE forum area, NOT The Hub - https://www.vitalmtb.com/forums/VitalMTB/Off-the-Bike,3 - any topics like that started in The Hub will be nuked.
any more relationship drama and discussion in this thread will be deleted.
What thread?
That's the spirit
Who's gonna replace YT, if they fold their team? Are riders just dispersed to other teams, or is there a new or existing team that can absorb 3 World Cup-level Elite Men, and Vali Holl?! Yet another Commencal team?! Yeti? A third Santa Cruz / ? team? A Rockshox or Fox team?
Arw the rider's salaries guaranteed? Could Vali or Andreas (assuming they had multi-year contracts) race whatever bike they want, and patch together a co-sponsorship to pay for mechanics / support?
Sorry if this is an old news question. I'm stuck at the computer on a Sunday, and would love some commiseration.
Who's to say there needs to be a replacement team for them? There's lots of riders out there on existing teams that haven't past qualis all year (or only once or twice), who could cut the dead weight and pick up a YT rider.
There was a lot of whinging this year about there not being enough UCI team slots for racing. Assuming that YT is goners, then that's an opportunity for someone to step-up and pay alot of money for either a. more riders on an existing team, or b. some new team to emerge.
I think the biggest concern is where the team points are going. Am I correct in understanding that this year’s points stay with the team, and do not transfer with the riders？
I am going to assume, the points will go no where unless somehow someone buys the team and rebrands. If that doesn't happen, it will just be next team up on the points list will become a permanent WC team. Just like last year where there was teams with enough point which had folded.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DPEZeysjEki/?img_index=1&igsh=NHd4ZXU1ZWNsamRl
YT is officially done. Not sure if that means someone can’t take over the team, but with rumors of Vali racing with a different team for the last two spots I suppose that’s unlikely
I wonder if they move the team to YT North America since it's legally separate and "not effected"
correct me if i'm wrong - but wasn't YT NA just a distributor / customer service?
Are they actually still claiming this nonsense? Even if the assets/inventory etc. of YT NA are distinct, there's no path forward without HQ of the brand for development, manufacturing, distribution etc.
If YT NA wanted to hire people to perform those roles, why couldn't they continue? But, I would make sure things are being taken properly on the business side before worrying about a race team..
Without the IP, they'd be starting from scratch
They might already have access to that..
Yeah the whole NA is not effected makes no sense but that is the claim. I mean they released a new bike right before or right after the original news. This whole thing has made no sense.
Finally read the story not the IG clickbait. Its bad but not as bad as it sounded in the IG post. And yes some how NA is still not effected.
https://enduro-mtb.com/en/bad-news-yt-shuts-its-doors/?utm_campaign=fee…
accessing it and owning it are two entirely different things. without ownership of it, they could not manufacture new inventory.
@sspomer can we close this thread since there is a 2026 Team Rumors thread, that already discusses the midseason team wobbles?
Think we have to wait till lake placid and see what the mob is riding.
Working on the assumption that there's anyone out there whose company is doing well enough for a WC team and can see the creation of one as a worthwhile investment for their brand. In the current climate with the cost of racing rising at an unprecendented rate and the future of the industry not looking too rosy it'd take a much braver man than me.
Would be good to see someone like Adidas FiveTen start a race team
Not really team rumors or MTB related, but Fox seems to be sponsoring Golfers. I wonder how much PGA jersey space costs vs a MTB team.
Who was he. As you imagine the range will be all over the place. Seeing how i only see an overseas event most likely chasing tour points which would say he lower ranked player it could be low 5 figures
Rick said Andy Kolb has a ride signed for next year, saw him talking to Tony Seagrave. I'll take that as near confirmation until the comics come out.
When are we getting the comics?
This Tuesday at 4 p.m. CET, according to the Austrian newspaper „Der Standard“: https://www.derstandard.at/story/3100000291368/die-zukunft-ist-rosa-oes…
Spotted in MSA
What's going on with the lettering on the sleeve? AI generated?
Edit: NM - says Elevated something
hey mat, thanks for the first post! i added this to our 2026 team rumors thread
https://www.vitalmtb.com/forums/hub/2026-team-rumors?page=24#comment-69…
i've also unstickied this 2025 thread. the 2026 thread is now stickied.
Post a reply to: 2025 Team Rumors