The 2011 and 2016 UCI Downhill World Champion, Danny Hart, has put pen to paper with the new-look Continental GT Racing team ahead of the opening round of the Gravity side of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Fort William, Scotland.
Hart became the third British male rider to win a gold medal and the rainbow stripes in the wet in Champery, Switzerland via what is still widely celebrated as one of the great downhill race runs of all time. The 32 year-old has won four UCI Downhill World Cups throughout his lengthy career as a pro which saw him enter the elite category in 2008.
Continental GT Racing are widely perceived as one of the good news stories of recent years having grown from a tiny family squad built around Chris Cummings and Rónán Dunne into an outfit which consistently punches above their weight. For the new season they have made the switch from Nukeproof Bikes to GT and added Hart into the seat vacated by Dunne. The latter will compete aboard the all-new Mondraker Factory Racing team this season.
Danny Hart will join Chris Cumming, Vero Widmann and Harry Molloy on the team. It has been a tempestuous off-season for the squad but team owner, Mark Cummings, has been buoyed by their recent big name signing:
Coming off the success of 2023 we never expected the turmoil that would engulf us as a team, it’s been a roller coaster! A genuine big thank you goes out to Continental Tires for their continued support and belief in the programme and a massive welcome to GT Bicycles for stepping in at the very last minute as a frame sponsor. 2024 is looking prime with the addition of Kenny Clothing, TRP and Renthal. Everyone held fast as we worked through our plans to secure our 2024 race programme and I am indebted to all our sponsors who have remained with us. Everyone in Continental GT Racing, athletes, mechanics, and road crew are stoked to be associated with such iconic brands.
The North Yorkshire-based speed monger has had a well journeyed career having ridden for nine different bike brands (10 if the de-badged Nukeproof he rode at the recent UCI Snowbike World Championships is included).
Hart’s home round will be the opener of this season’s UCI Mountain Bike World Series Downhill World Cup. Fort William, Scotland will kick things off for the Gravity athletes 03-05 May. Tickets for Fort William are now on sale HERE.
