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To save ya'll some time

Pretty much, it’s about getting coverage for their sponsors which lead to sales (hopefully), that’s why the likes of Brendan Fairclough make great money (presumably) even though he hasn’t one or podiumed in a long time but produces loads of content/publicity for his sponsors.

I don't doubt you at all. We're talking about the UCI here...

I can confirm that he wasn't there earlier. He must have been left out by mistake.

Hunh? He's literally the first rider on the list when you expand the riders section.

I believe it would be interesting to see for all the Commencal and Canyon teams how much money actually comes from the bike brands and how much from other sponsors. I am pretty sure in most cases they are actually just frame sponsors, but on the other hand, if someone else is paying the bigger bucks, they must want to have their brand name first in the team nomenclature, right? Anyway, this is my list: - Commencal Muc-Off - obviously factory team and Commencal pays the most money - 100%/ Commencal - the official name is with 100% first, so...

Approx 2.2 seconds of digging resulted in this… Confirmed Johnset on Commencal 100% https://m.pinkbike.com/photo/21979045/

Isn't that picture missing about 55 other riders

Well the Brannigan thing seems to be solved. Also Suntour finally has a 29" Casting :D

Anyone else look fondly back at those halcyon days when it was possible to express an opinion without being classed as a hater?

Well at the end of the day, the riders have the sponsors that they have either because of the results (Gwin had a ton of those), but more and more so because of the following they have among the public. Social media mostly (sadly), but public nontheless. As long as the results are there, the marketing departments can sell products through those, but once the results are not coming as often as they did, the other part becomes really important. The point I'm trying to make? It's hard to have a following if, for whatever reason, the rider, driver, sportsman...

This. I don't think we'd be friends or anything, but as a racer he's done great things. I just don't understand the choices in parts sometimes. Sure if there's money being thrown at you to run a certain part it's worth it in the moment but if it starts to affect you and your team's ability to stand on that step then it starts to get to a weird place where those 2nd tier companies aren't offering as much any more. Tomac did it at the end when he wasn't competing any more, and nevegals sold on every bike for...

I've thought for some time that he's more interested in $$$ than wins. But hey, he's getting older and would probably struggle to get another deal as good as the current one, even with a few more wins to his name.

Aaron Gwin like good $$ more than good tires. All of the components his team run go to the highest bidder.

I don't understand why Aaron Gwin hates good tires

But I think it's cheaper to support a slope/freeride program than a racing program (not talking about just rider salaries). A race team needs a ton of support from manager to mechanics to physios to cooks. Plus, you're handling the travel arrangements for the entire team and support staff and equipment. Freeriders and slope riders are almost self-supported. So, yes, you may have to pay the rider's salary and some travel budget, but you're not also paying for an entire support staff to go along with the rider. I mean racer support: we need the mechanic to put on a...

I mean, no one can really get inside Neko's head and say why, but I think it's pretty clear he didn't get along with the Intense bike that much. That being said: I think it's also pretty clear that Neko is a different breed and has a lot of interests alongside his racing. He definitely seems to have an entrepreneurial mindset and enjoys taking on diverse challenges. I know a lot of businessmen like him who are inspired by new challenges and new undertakings. So... while there may have been some negatives associated with Intense that inspired the decision, I...

Remember in the late 90s early 2000s, when lots of racers (who were sponsored by a bike company that didn't make a real dh bike) were riding an Intense M1 that was rebranded with the colors/stickers of their sponsor? It'd be the height of irony if intense sponsored riders in 2022 raced a trek that's been rebranded as an intense!

Confirmation of Pivots sponsors this year, inc. Conti and Leatt.