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This deserves its own thread, but unless you are looking at the contract first hand, take everything with a grain of salt. I've negotiated on behalf of a handful of professional athletes in adjacent sports as an "agent" (LOL) and I've also watched people flat lie about what they were making to feel better about themselves. I get it. Its a topic riddled with insecurity. While I'd wager there are more athletes making $100-200K+ than most think (I'm including influencer types and freeriders in this), its a terrible career choice in every sense of the word "choice". If I was...

was just sent this by rogue racing TM, not sure if old news. rogue and GT this year

When you think about the fact that he's pulling $400k without factory support, it makes you wonder what kind of budget the factory teams are working with. I don't think anyone on the Framesworks team is making more than $100k, and I'd highly doubt anyone is making more than $80k. If we suppose the salary mix is $50k-$100k, with Saurez, Whitley and Neko averaging $75k, thats $225k, plus Asa at say, $50k, and a mechanic at $50k, we're only leaving $75k for travel expenses and event fees. Even that seems kinda low. Especially as they are paying a crew to...

I imagine that the $400k goes pretty quick when you consider all the flights, hotels, food, transportation rentals, entry fees, etc. Then there are salaries paid to a lot more than just the riders, there's the mechanics and manager too. Back in 2022 it was $12,000 for team entry, but I'm not sure if that includes costs for each event or not. If I had to guess, they probably spend somewhere close to $8k-$10k per event, not including salaries.

Something I learned this year was how difficult the timing is - a few things I never considered. Not all of a rider's sponsors line up to end on the same date. Can't takea pic in your new TL kit if Alpine was doing your old and you are still under contract for them...so multiply that my all the support a team has for the existing and new riders. Then, once all that is finally squared, the logistics of an announcement have to match up...got to plan the photo, video, place...hope it's not raining etc. Here is a big one...

Just noted a detail which seems to be not a detail at all. Commençal/Muc-Off is sponsored by Fox shox. AND Sram. When SRAM, for years, practices a "all or nothing" kind of deal. Just saying that.

Request sent.

Ronan to Mondraker. it's a Dunne deal.

I'm an old guy from Spain. Three years ago I bought and ebike "to do some exercise". There's a small bikepark/trail network near my house. Got into some e-enduro and felt in love with them gravity things, so I started following the DH WC and EWS and got obsessed with all things MTB. Last year I introduced a friend who is s trial-bike guy to the WC and he is now a fan too. Been feeding him snippets from this amazing thread about the "silly season". Yesterday, he asked me:" any news from Mondraker?" Told him "the espionage things were...

Not the hero we wanted. The hero we needed. I hope Dak is laughing his ass off no matter what.

Jack Reading officially on Raaw bikes with Hayes brakes and pro taper cockpit….

Don't really know, started following DH a couple of years ago. I was responding to a few forum members worried about Dak signing for Mondraker bikes cuz Brook wasn't happy about the proto. Since Bulldog's dip in performance coincided with an horrific back injury there's a good chance physical and psychological factors played a big part in his downgraded performance - and perhaps his troubles with the bike's design were just an externalisation of said problems. DH is a high risk sport, riders are threading a very fine line between speed and danger, therefore confidence plays a big role in...

Huh. Weird. Something must have happened during the 2019 WC season for Brook.

Same sentiments for Dave Trummer. I really feel that the move to Mondraker set his career back at a time when he was arguably reaching his prime. It's a good thing for Austria that Andreas Kolb hit his stride but it could've been great to see more than one Austrian battling it out for podium places.

Seems like Mondraker is pushing hard into the US market with the distribution in Colorado and signing of Pinkerton and assuming Dak. Hope he adjusts to the new bike well and the results keep coming, hopefully he got paid, he deserves it.

They really should have some sort of supplemental insurance setup that is paid for by entry fee. I destroyed my wrist auto racing and had to have it reconstructed and physical therapy. To my surprise my entry fee included a plan like this that picked up every dime my insurance wouldn’t pay. It would have covered it completely if I did not have any insurance. I think there was a cap, but it was up in the six figure range if I remember correctly.

It's still absolutely unacceptable how any athletes on a top level doesn't have insurance?! Weather from his team or private. Any form of organiser insurance would be great, but most can't even pay own staff. 🙄 What's up with rocky? having a new sled coming out in march/april, first letting jesse go, now ALN? 🤷‍♂️