2024 TEAM RUMORS

That is true but after hearing his frustrations with getting his race frame so late, I wouldn't be surprised if he's on the hunt for a new team when his contract with IFR is up.

Dak said in a podcast that the union was letting him stay at place they have in Morzine (or gave him a good deal on it or something along those lines). So maybe he is just showing his appreciation. The union is mostly a team for up and comers, a development team, would be a bit out of character to take on an established rider like dak. But who knows?

This. He's staying at the rental house that the Union team has so that he can stay in the area and ride proper DH tracks.

Don’t you guys listen to the B Practice pod?? Jeez

Nope.

Jackson and Laurie are a lot lighter than Greg and have a different riding style too; so this theory does make sense.

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I wonder if the new World Cup format is also a factor, since riders need to have more pinned runs than during the Red Bull TV era. 

I'd say it's simpler than that.  He's gotten older and not as light riding on the bike as age comes for us all.  Dude is huge but crazy light technique on a bike.  Age slows the ability to float & may quite be that simple that he's bashing where he was floating as reaction times slip.
 

Dude also broke his neck last year.  Not an easy one to come back from for someone half his age.

Yoann on a new bike....

Not a rumour but a confirmed ride, Poppy lane, silver in jnr womens at world champs on the commencal ic process team

GM still has plenty left in the tank… what a run! old but gold! 

Tainted finish though.

The overall points played out how one would expect though. With Finn & Bruni seeing big picture, being savvy to mitigate damage & young Goldstone showing his youth by flatting and losing the points lead.

The person I felt bad for was Dak.  He had a shot to win. Glad to see him NOT so what Benoit did & manage to get down clean.

Now....UCI....does anybody get points for surviving??? 

Who made the biggest leap in the standings?

Who lost the most?

I agree mate if the weather had been dry for everyone, if would of been a completely different top 5

I'll gladly admit that I couldn't have been more wrong.

Never ever count out Greg Minaar. So stoked to see him back on the box.

Good to see Noga Korem back in the Top 5 at Loudenvielle.  Was it ever revealed why GT let her go mid-season?

not 100% but very strong pit rumours that the GT DH team Will be disbanded at end of year.

Apparently having 1 guy doing media(that shouldnt even have to) is more beneficial.
(this is a rumour from the fact Wyn, Dean, jack & BK are doing more media than discovery) 

That would be wild since they’re seeing quite a bit of success from their riders. They do have a lot of things happening within their organization though with restructuring and moving to Cali. Still would suck as they’ve done a good job of nurturing some talent. 

Riders doing media is a way to stay relevant or add value for their sponsors.

Wyn and Dean wouldn't get a ride purely on results. Neither make the finals and just squeak into the Semi's on a good day.

When Jack was dropped from Cannondale at the 11th hour and picked up by Canyon for a low value package Moi Moi TV was a way to pick up additional and add value for his sponsors.

BK has bein Vloging for years and is a part of his never rest and have a fingers in all the pies mentality.

So they have a new DH bike that seems to be working well, they have two up and coming fast riders (Pinkerton and Craik) who can potentially be consistently in the top 20 or 30 next year, and they decide to call it quits? Wyn Masters wearing a GT t-shirt during his interviews cannot be more valuable than that.  

I had a chat with Wyn a few weeks ago at Schladming and he was pretty stoked on how the GT program (as a whole) was going.  If GT decided to get out of DH, it wouldn't be impossible, but highly surprising/unlikely.

Considering the money they've spent on the privateer programme I find it hard to believe it was a monetary decision. To let her go mid season like that leads me to think she did/said something that was bad enough in their eyes to end her contract immediately.

If gt pulls out I think that’s the sign of pretty dark horizons in downhill especially with the eso mucking about.

dak got 2nd place yesterday but how many people saw it?  If you only watch semis you saw him for 8 seconds of largely inconsequential track and no result of real significance.  For the cost of running a World Cup team you have to seriously question the return.  Now I do think gt is getting a huge return from wyn.  But they can still employ him and one mechanic to do the privateer project and cut out a huge portion of budget.  Which is a shame because their team is undoubtedly performing well especially the last couple rounds.  I doubt their members will have a hard time finding new gigs but it will be hard to find gigs on a team of that caliper.  Especially if the rumors of several other mid to large teams folding is true.

We're starting to see the fall out of that stupid COVID year.  All the bike companies that got flooded with capital and the bulge of this last sales cycle are starting to snug up the purse strings as sales settle back to the mean.

GT isn't the only major brand dropping DH next year.  ESO is gonna have a hard time fielding an "elite" series when they realize they fokked the "elite" teams and companies.  

Listening to Eddie, Wyn, Dean at that "podium" style chat was worrisome.  Each of them seems to know what's coming down the pipe in 2024

I think he just means that they look alike

Not much to read into

GT is leaving enduro, not DH 

Laurie Greenland off SC

Mondraker DH Team to shut its doors

That really sucks for Katy if it's true, she just can't seem to catch a break...

Who do we think wont be on a factory team next year that is on one this year?

Reece Wilson has to be hard to justify holding onto for Trek, when is his contract up?

I think Mondraker for some long time is probably not really getting the visibility they would like to?