Mountain bike rider carousel 2024: Mega contract! Van der Poel with Canyon for another 10 years

At the end of 2023, the mood in the Mountain Bike World Cup paddock was anything but rosy. Some racing teams also fell victim to the difficult situation in the bike industry. Well-known riders suddenly found themselves without a team and sponsor, without it being clear how things would continue. The tension is correspondingly high as to how the teams and riders will sort themselves out. Just in time for the turn of the year, the first announcements are popping up - and after some bad news, there are many positive commitments. Racing is alive and kicking! We'll keep you up to date here.

Update 19.3.24: Mathieu van der Poel signs with Canyon for ten years

Canyon has secured the services of exceptional cyclist Mathieu van der Poel until 2034. The Dutchman signed a ten-year contract with the Koblenz-based manufacturer in mid-March. This further expands the long-term partnership. Van der Poel has been riding Canyon bikes since 2017. Such a long-term relationship is probably unique in modern cycling.

The multi-talent currently seems to be clearly focused on narrow tyres. The road and cyclocross disciplines have priority. In the past, however, the 39-year-old has often surprised riders with forays into mountain biking. The last major events did not exactly go well. At the Cross Country World Championships in Glasgow 2023, he had to retire after a crash. Shortly before that, he had won gold on the road. A crash also slowed him down at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Van der Poel started both races as one of the favourites. This is actually always the case when he is on the start line. The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris are his next big goal. Here, too, the focus will be on the road. But according to his own statement, he has grown fond of mountain biking. He has already set himself the goal of competing in cross-country at the Olympics in Paris several times.

Canyon is a fantastic partner. Together we have developed bikes with which I have been successful in classics, world championships and Grand Tours. But I'm still incredibly hungry for success. There are still some important goals on my personal roadmap, including the Olympic Games in Paris this summer. - Mathieu van der Poel

Aaron Gwin becomes co-owner of Crestline

Following his departure as leader of the Intense Factory Racing Team, it was unclear for a long time what would happen next for the former downhill champion Aaron Gwin. The US American did not even appear on an initial list of World Cup teams published by the UCI. Shortly afterwards, fans of the multiple winner of the overall DH World Cup were able to breathe a sigh of relief. Gwin Racing is the name of the team under whose flag the two Canadians Michael Delesalle and Seth Sherlock will also be racing in 2024. The team will be racing on bikes from the American manufacturer Crestline. But that's not all: Aaron Gwin is not satisfied with a simple sponsorship. He has joined the Californians as a co-owner.

Today is a good day. I'm really pleased to announce my long-term collaboration and, above all, my first appearance as the owner of a brand in the bike industry. This has been my absolute dream for a long time! - Aaron Gwin on Instagram

Update 6.2.24: German enduro champion goes all-in on e-racing

Quite surprisingly, a new World Cup team has seen the light of day. The Rotwild Schwalbe Gravity Team will be competing in the World Cup exclusively in the E-Enduro (E-EDR) discipline. On board is none other than the German Enduro champion, Torben Drach. The 26-year-old established himself among the top 50 in the Enduro World Cup last year and has also finished among the top 30 in the world several times. This makes him the second German enduro rider, alongside Christian Textor, to cause a stir internationally. At the 2023 German Championships, he even managed to beat Textor, who has dominated enduro racing in Germany for years, to win the elite title.

In addition to Drach, Irishman Kelan Grant and German vice-champion Helen Weber will be racing for the newly founded UCI team. For all three, the move to Rotwild/Schwalbe is also a step towards e-bike racing. There have been rumours for some time that the enduro scene will develop more and more in the direction of motorised racing. We have analysed the situation in the Enduro World Cup in detail in our article "Quo Vadis MTB Enduro". Title sponsor Rotwild has been exclusively building e-bikes for some time now. If you take a closer look at the team's social media clip, you can guess that the Dieburg-based company will be launching a new race bike. At the very least, the team will probably not be chasing seconds on a current series product from the Hesse-based company.

Thomas Genon drives for GT

Belgian Thomas Genon has taken part in the legendary Red Bull Rampage freeride event for ten years in a row. After his departure from Canyon had already been publicised, we now also know how things will continue for "Tommy G" in 2024. The cult brand GT, founded in 1972, has signed the freerider under contract. Following the withdrawal of the World Cup team, GT is now focussing more on freeriding. In addition to Genon, all-rounder and video star Wyn Masters will also remain with GT Bicycles. The New Zealander is already entering his ninth year with the US brand.

Danny Hart on Nukeproof

Although this deal has not yet been officially announced, the list of UCI teams for 2024 reveals that Danny Hart will be among the riders of the Continental Nukeproof Factory Racing team in 2024. So after leaving Cube, the downhill star has found a new home.

The World Cup is complete

The UCI has published the complete team list for 2024. In addition to the transfer of Danny Hart, there is further news. The most important information en block: New Zealand downhiller Brook Macdonalds joins the Forbidden Synthesis Team. Zerode is launching a completely new downhill team. Sam Blenkinsop and Taylor Vernon are on board. The two will be competing on the New Zealand brand's geared downhiller.

Update 25.1.24: Vali Höll back at YT Industries

It is probably one of the biggest deals the women's DH sport has ever seen. World champion and World Cup winner Valentina Höll is returning to YT Industries. At the age of 22, the Austrian already has four World Championship titles (2x Junior, 2x Elite) and four overall World Cup victories (2x Junior, 2x Elite) under her belt. This makes her one of the most successful downhillers of all time, even at such a young age. Accordingly, the fast woman from Saalbach must have been highly sought after by potential teams and sponsors. After announcing her departure from the Rockshox Trek Race Team at the end of last year, it is now official that she will be competing in the World Cup with the YT Mob in 2024.

When Vali was just 13 years old, the Forchheim-based mail order company YT Industries signed the Austrian under contract. In the years that followed, she matured into a superstar. (Read a portrait of the young Vali from 2016 here!) So the switch, or rather the return to YT, is one of the special announcements of the scene. "I could have stayed in my comfort zone and just carried on as before. But I think I'm at an age where I can try something new and take the next step," she says about her switch.

>> Interview with VALI HÖLL: The downhill world champion in transition

The 22-year-old joins the existing YT Mob DH team. She will be joining young Irishman Oisin O'Callaghan and Australian Sian A'hern in the pits of the World Cup circuit. The 21-year-old O'Callaghan spectacularly won his first World Cup victory in the elite category in Snowshoe in 2023. He became world champion in the juniors and won several WC races. At 26, A'Hern is the oldest athlete in the "Young Guns" team.

Mondraker Factory Racing pushes into the DH World Cup with three strong riders

After the end of the MS Mondraker team with Eleonora Farina and Brook MacDonald has been known for some time, the Spaniards have now presented their own works team. All three riders of the downhill team have now also been announced. With Dakotah Norton, Ronan Dunne and Ryan Pinkerton, Mondraker has three hot irons in the fire, all of whom can finish on the podium in the Downhill World Cup. After two second and three third places in the last two years, the US American Norton should be aiming for his first World Cup victory. The 31-year-old is the most experienced rider in the team. In 2023, he was still riding for the Intense Factory Racing Team. Like his two team-mates, he will have to adapt to new equipment in 2024. The three of them will be chasing seconds with the new DH prototype from Mondraker.

Irishman Ronan Dunne is ten years younger, but no less promising. He has already stood on the World Cup podium twice - both in Snowshoe/USA in 2023 and 2022. He finished the 2023 season, only his third in the Downhill World Cup, in twelfth place overall.

Pilot number three is the US-American up-and-coming talent Ryan Pinkerton. The 18-year-old won the overall World Cup in the junior downhill category in 2023 and already has four national championship titles under his belt. Pinkerton was most recently part of the GT team, which was disbanded for 2024.

MS Intense is back in the DH World Cup

Over 20 years ago, Austrian Markus Stöckl founded an international racing team. Since then, MS Racing has offered downhill racers a professional environment. In recent years, Mondraker has been the eponymous partner of the Teams MS Mondraker. Back to the roots in 2024. Team MS Intense is back. And it already existed two decades ago. The shared history of Stöckl and Intense goes back even further. In the 90s, the now 48-year-old was already riding Intense bikes, in pursuit of speed records, among other things.

But back to the present. In 2024, MS Intense is putting together a promising World Cup team. Austrian David Trummer is a top 10 candidate and was runner-up in the downhill world championship in 2020. Eleonora Farina from Italy regularly finishes on the podium in the women's race. The young New Zealander Tuhoto Ariki Pene is an absolute crowd favourite and is considered a great talent. The team is completed by Ireland's Jacob Dicson. All four were already riding for the predecessor team MS Mondraker in 2023.

Striking: The US-Americans from Intense are really stepping on the gas in the World Cup. Besides his own team Intense Factory Racing MS Intense, a second well-known team in the World Cup, is now entering the race on the new Intense M1.

Specialised brings in Godziek brothers

They are not World Cup riders, but with their stunts at spectacular events such as the Red Bull Rampage and not least their successful YouTube channels, the Polish brothers Szymon and Dawid Godziek inspire many thousands of mountain bikers. In 2024, the slopestylers and freeriders will be competing for Specialized. In recent years, both have been riding bikes from the Polish brand NS Bikes.

Thomas Lemoine works his magic on Commencal

The world of slopestylers and freeriders continues: Frenchman Thomas Lemoine joins his fellow countrymen and women at Commencal. The super trickster's departure from Canyon had already been announced. The Frenchman has been successful for twelve years, particularly at Crankworx and FMB slopestyle events. In future, Lemoine wants to orientate himself more towards freeride. If you like style and hair-raising action, you shouldn't miss his welcome edit.

New team: Intense Factory Racing - without Aaron Gwin

The downhill team Intense Factory Racing has been led by superstar Aaron Gwin in recent years. However, the US American announced his departure from Intense last year. It is now clear: British rider Joe Breeden will take over the management of the World Cup team, which will continue to compete in the downhill series in 2024. He has already been racing downhill with Intense for five years. In addition to the 24-year-old elite rider Breeden, Louise Ferguson (27, UK, elite), Oscar Griffiths (17, UK, junior) and Ryder Lawrence (16, USA, junior) are waiting in the wings.

The team is thus undergoing a significant rejuvenation programme. The IFR sees itself as a talent factory to provide a basis for future champions. The four of them will be competing on the new Intense M1, which has been developed by Aaron Gwin's World Cup team in recent years and brought to series maturity.

Cube with new teams and well-known newcomers - a superstar leaves

Cube Factory Racing DH

Industry giant Cube has expanded its involvement in racing for the 2024 season. Although British downhill star Danny Hart no longer part of the Cube team in 2024 Factory Racing DHbut a promising podium candidate, Jess Blewitt, has been signed for the women's category. In 2024, she will be racing alongside seven-time German DH champion Max Hartenstern and 21-year-old Frenchman Simon Chapelet in the Downhill World Cup. The New Zealander is only 21 years old and is one of the up-and-coming talents in gravity sports. In addition to her racing career, she is also making a name for herself in the freeride sector. In 2022, for example, Jess was the first woman ever to take part in the Red Bull Hardline extreme race. "I'm looking forward to the team and the bike. At Cube, I immediately felt like part of the family," says the Cube athlete.

Cube Factory Racing XC

Cube has just launched a brand new XC team. The Cube team Factory Racing XC will also be competing in the World Cup in 2024. To this end, Cube has promoted the German Kira Böhm from its own junior programme. In addition, Knut Røhme, the Norwegian champion, and Finn Treudler, a young Swiss rider, will realise their full potential and establish themselves among the world's best. They will be supported by a professional environment.

Cube Next Generation Programme

The area for young talent is also being expanded. After years of focussing on cross-country, the Upper Palatinate company is now also including downhill in its product range. Next Generation Programme up. Here, talented young riders are given the chance to develop further and make the leap into the professional team. "Our involvement in the youth sector is a project that is close to our heart in order to train our own talents in the long term," says the Cube founder and owner Markus Pürner.

Cube Actionteam

In addition to the factory teams, there is also the Cube Action Team. The team led by manager Claus Wachsmann was one of the first major teams in enduro racing. And there is a promising return for 2024. Swede Zakarias Johansen is returning to the Upper Palatinate team after two years with the Swedish Ibis Racing Team. His previous employer Ibis had to announce the end of its racing commitment at the end of 2023 for financial reasons.

"Becoming a father last year definitely changed my life, so it was important for me to have trusted and understanding people around me in order to continue racing at the highest level. I've known Claus and Gusti for many years now and I can't wait to see what we can achieve together," says the new dad. Johansen has already been riding with the experienced Swiss rider Gusti Wildhaber in the Cube Action Team for several years.

The Cube Actionteam is completed by the Austrian Jonas Göweil and a new young German rider. 19-year-old Frederik Matz is taking the plunge into professional sport with the action team. Matz was still racing cross-country for the Lexware team in 2023.

Canyon signs downhill star and extends contract with World Cup winner

The downhill newcomer to Team Canyon Cllctv came as quite a surprise. The Frenchman Thibaut Daprela will represent the Koblenz-based mail-order company's team in the Downhill World Cup in future. The 22-year-old will be competing alongside experienced downhill riders Troy Brosnan and Luca Shaw. The Canyon Cllctv team manager was certainly a decisive factor in the signing of the contract: Former world champion Fabien Barel is regarded as a mentor to gravity riders and, as a Frenchman, has a special connection to the up-and-coming riders from the bike-crazy nation. "I have followed Thibaut's development over the years. His will to win and his determination are unrivalled," says Barel. Daprela already has two World Cup victories to his name. Alongside Shaw and Brosnan, he is therefore the third contender for victory in Canyon's downhill team. The fans should be looking forward to his particularly wild and unconditional riding style.

There's also news from the Canyon Cllctv CC camp: German Luca Schwarzbauer, overall World Cup winner in short track, has extended his contract with Canyon until 2026. In the upcoming World Cup year, he certainly wants to top his successful 2023 season.

Canyon has also signed Harriet Burbidge-Smith, a woman from the growing freeride scene. The Australian wants to compete in extreme freeride events such as the Redbull Hardline and Darkfest in 2024. She has also made it her mission to get more women interested in freeriding. To this end, she will also be on site at many Canyon events.

However, there are also some prominent departures at Canyon. The two French slopestyle aces Thomas Genon and Thomas Lemoine have announced their departure via social media after eleven and nine years respectively. And with Dimitri Tordo, another Frenchman is leaving the German manufacturer. The enduro racer has spent the last six years racing for Canyon in the EWS and EDR.

Greg Minnaar switches to Norco

Greg Minnaar and the Santa Cruz Syndicate - was probably one of the strongest connections in the mountain bike racing scene. For a full 16 years, the 23-time World Cup winner rode the Santa Cruz V10 downhill bike. However, the South African announced his departure from the Californian cult team a few weeks ago. Now it is also clear where the 42-year-old veteran star is heading: to Norco!

Good bye! Where do you want to go?

A whole host of riders have already announced their departure from their current team or sponsor without it being clear what will happen next. There is great excitement as to where the stars will be heading. We will update this article as soon as there is new information!

Downhill old champion Aaron Gwin has announced his departure from Intense, and it is reportedly even unclear whether he will continue his career as before. Incidentally, the manufacturer Intense itself is being discussed as the new title sponsor of the current MS Mondraker team (Eleonora Farina, Brook MacDonald). Mondraker itself is probably ending its collaboration with the MS Team and wants to develop a to set up their own factory team, which the Spaniards have now confirmed. The return of the MS Intense team has now also been finalised. However, it remains unclear whether and where Danny Hart will continue his career. He has announced his departure from Cube Factory Racing.

Following the withdrawal of Ibis-Racing, the German Enduro champion Raphaela Richter without a team. It is now clear that she has found a new team. However, the information about the project called Trailblazers is still rather cryptic. How it looks after the Bankruptcy of the Signa Group for the subsidiaries Vitus and Nukeproof with their respective racing drivers such as Sam Hill, Eliot Heap, Kelan Grant, James Shirley and Extreme biker Sofiane Sehili's future is also still unclear.