In the age of the mass migration back to high pivot suspension designs with some UCI Downhill World Cup race bikes boasting more idler wheels than there are days of the week, one design has remained constant; the YT TUES. The carbon fibre TUES broke cover underneath then-YT MOB employee, Aaron Gwin, back in 2018 and will enter its seventh topflight season being piloted by another great champion, Vali Höll. Höll’s announcement last week that she would be joining the YT MOB felt oddly like smaller news that it actually was. This was largely because the Austrian winning machine had already spent six seasons aboard a YT at the start of her career. In terms of context, the YT TUES, a bike which won a UCI Downhill World Cup as recently as last summer in Snowshoe, WV, remains virtually unchanged over a period which has seen three derivatives of the venerable Santa Cruz V10 come and go. An equal number of Commencal Supreme’s have evolved within the same timeframe. It’s an interesting time for the obsessive bike nerds of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series in that there seems to be a quiet parting of the ways between the old alliances of componentry brands amongst many of the factory teams. Amongst the most notable is the fact that Höll’s new TUES race bike will run RockShox suspension whilst her teammates, Oisin O’Callaghan and Sian A’Hern, will be equipped with Fox Racing Shox products. This is thanks to YT’s eclectic ‘Uncaged’ approach that allows team riders to spec whatever components they desire in the pursuit of the perfect set-up. Vali’s suspension is a pick of the top-shelf offerings from RockShox; a Boxxer Ultimate fork and a Super Deluxe Ultimate Coil rear shock fitted with a 425lb spring. This is inclusive of a full SRAM suite of componentry for the transmission and brakes. The other two YT MOB machines will be running TRP components. It’s notable that both machines remain identical in spec whilst Vali’s is slightly more bespoke. Vali’s bike is sporting an Ochain active spider, the brainchild of Italy’s Fabrizio Dragoni. It’s a component inspired by Aaron Gwin’s chainless win in Leogang 2015 and is designed to eliminate the chains influence on suspension performance. This is another feature that O’Callaghan and A’Hern don’t seem to have ticked the box for. Interestingly, it’s not a carry over from her Trek Session either so may be indicative of her attempting to make the YT platform feel more akin to the high pivot Trek. All the YT MOB machines are rolling on Continental tyres. The German brand’s Kryptotal is proving to be one of the most popular choices for UCI DH World Cup racers and for Vali it will be a familiar component having carried her to UCI World Championship and overall titles last season. Finally, Vali has opted for Renthal’s FatBar 35 alloy handlebar with a 20mm rise and 760mm width coupled with the same brand’s Integra stem (50mm length) and Ergon’s GDH Team grips by way of a cockpit set up. The latter brand also takes care of her saddle with the lightweight SMD2 Pro Ti (Team). Whether or not Höll’s arrival has been designed to spearhead a fresh YT DH race machine remains to be seen but there’s no doubting that the crisp, svelte, ‘yep, that will work’ lines of the TUES platform remain those of a race-winning thoroughbred, despite their increasing age. Don’t forget that you can see Vali Höll in action aboard her new YT MOB TUES at the opening round of the UCI DH World Cup in Fort William, Scotland 03-05 May. Tickets are on sale, now.
Austria’s Valentina Höll has announced that she will be racing for the YT MOB in 2024 having left the RockShox Trek Race Team at the end of last season. Last year saw the 22 year-old bring home both the UCI Downhill World Cup overall title alongside successfully defending the UCI World Champion’s rainbow stripes.Höll has history with YT having signed her first professional contract with them back in 2013 as a 13 year-old. Over the next six years she racked up two UCI Junior World Championship titles and a UCI World Cup overall title.It’s amazing to come back into the family. I feel at home, and I can see how hyped YT is to push the race team. The next couple of years will be rad. The TUES was definitely easy to get used to. It’s the bike I learned my basics on and made some great memories within juniors. I’m happy to tackle something new. I could have stayed in my comfort zone and kept doing what I’m doing, but I think I’m at a perfect age where I can try something new and make the next step.Vali Höll, YT MOBRider reunions are rare. They don't often return to a brand, which makes this homecoming even more special. It means a lot to us both. I'm stoked to continue the history we already created together. Welcome home, Vali!Markus Flossmann, Founder and CVO of YT IndustriesFour UCI World Cup wins went Vali’s way, last season. She will join Oisin O’Callaghan and Sian A’hern as the YT MOB look at upping their challenge for the team's overall title. Interestingly, the announcement came with the added detail that she will be running RockShox suspension whilst the rest of the squad will use Fox Racing Shox suspension, as they did last season.You can see Vali Höll take on her first for the YT MOB at the opening round of the UCI Downhill World Cup at Fort William, Scotland 03-05 May. Tickets are on sale, now.
Spectator tickets for the UCI Mountain Bike World Series Fort William on sale Thursday 25 January 2024 The event will host the 2024 season opener for the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup The event takes place from the 3 – 5 May 2024 at Nevis Range Mountain Experience, Fort William, Scotland Spectator tickets for the UCI Mountain Bike World Series Fort William are available to purchase from 10:00 GMT, Thursday 25 January.The world’s fastest mountain bike racers will return to Fort William for this year’s opening round of the UCI Downhill World Cup on May 3 - 5. Purchase your spectator tickets now!Following on from the success of last year’s UCI Cycling World Championships, Fort William is where the biggest names in downhill will meet for the first time in 2024. The event at the Nevis Range Mountain Experience is the only opportunity to see athletes from all over the world go head-to-head on British soil. Riders will be roared on by the home crowd who were sent through the roof by Charlie Hatton’s (Continental Atherton Race Team) home win at the UCI Cycling World Championships last summer. His gold medal in the elite men’s race on home soil aped that of Scotland’s Ruaridh Cunningham’s legendary Junior title win on the same track in 2007. Cunningham will return to Fort William this season as Head of Gravity for WBD Sports and had this to say: This years running of the UCI World Cup in Fort William is set to be one of the biggest in its history, for a lot of reasons. It's such a physical and unforgiving track and to have it opening the season, in front of that famous crowd, will be incredible. As a proud Scot and someone who was lucky enough to have had success there, I know how it feels to be in that finish bowl and I can't wait for race day 2024!Ruaridh Cunningham, Head of Gravity, WBD Sports EventsEach year, tens of thousands of spectators line the course under the shadow of Ben Nevis, as the Outdoor Capital of the UK plays host to a crowd like no other on the circuit. Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland Director of Events, said:Scotland is the perfect stage for events, and it is great to have the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup back in Fort William following the success of the Mountain Bike Downhill at last year’s inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships. As one of the must-see events on the Scottish sporting calendar thanks to the atmospheric crowds and iconic Nevis Range venue, the opening round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series is one not to be missed.Tickets to join the ultimate weekend of mountain bike racing in Fort William are available from Thursday 25 January, are as follows: TicketAccessWeekend Ticket (Saturday 4 – Sunday 5 May 2024)Access to the Event Village, track and Nevis Range gondola Family Weekend Ticket (Saturday 4 – Sunday 5 May 2024)Access to the Event Village, track and Nevis Range gondola for two adults and two children Adult Single Day Gondola (Saturday 4 May 2024)Access to the Event Village, track and Nevis Range gondola on Saturday 4 May Adult Single Day Gondola (Sunday 5 May 2024)Access to the Event Village, track and Nevis Range gondola on Sunday 5 May Child Single Day Gondola (Saturday 4 May 2024)Access to the Event Village, track and Nevis Range gondola on Saturday 4 May Child Single Day Gondola (Sunday 5 May 2024)Access to the Event Village, track and Nevis Range gondola on Sunday 5 May Adult Single Day (Saturday 4 May 2024, no gondola access)Access to the Event Village and track on Saturday 4 May Adult Single Day (Sunday 5 May 2024, no gondola access)Access to the Event Village and track on Sunday 5 MayChild Single Day (Saturday 4 May 2024, no gondola access)Access to the Event Village and track on Saturday 4 May Child Single Day (Sunday 5 May 2024, no gondola access)Access to the Event Village and track on Sunday 5 May To find out more go to our Fort William event page or follow @mtbws_fortwilliam to stay up to date with all the latest event information. Taking place from the 3 - 5 May 2024, the UCI Mountain Bike World Series Fort William is the official season opener for the UCI Downhill World Cup and is supported by EventScotland, Highlands & Islands Enterprise and Highland Council. Secure your tickets to be trackside at the biggest UK race of the year.
The 2023 season of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series was undoubtedly one for the history books! Fierce battles and dominant performances filled the year with excitement and 'edge of your seat' racing that not even the brightest minds could've ever predicted. Sit back and enjoy the 2023 season recap of nail-biting racing across the globe from the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup.
Rónán Dunne has become the latest big name to announce that he has signed to race the 2024 UCI Downhill World Cup for Mondraker Factory Racing.The Irishman notched a second place in Snowshoe, WV last season to confirm himself as one of the very fastest riders in the world. Dunne's name was one of the most talked about during the off-season with many insiders touting him as departing Continental Nukeproof as early as the final round of last season in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec.Mondraker Factory Racing announced last week that they would be confirming their three-rider squad over the next seven days. Dunne joins the 2023 UCI Downhill Junior World Cup overall title holder, Ryan Pinkerton, as the second of those. The name third is to be announced in the coming days.Don't forget to stay tuned to the website for all the latest team and rider news as we get ready to go racing at round one in Fort William, Scotland 03-05 May.
The 2023 UCI Mountain Bike World Series felt at times like it was attempting to boast more news stories than the combined efforts of the last decade. The racing was fast and frenetic, right from the off in Nové Město na Moravě in Czechia. In both the Cross-country Olympic and Cross-country short track overall title races bright, new stars tussled with the big named establishment and visiting super-talents. Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) battled the previous double overall title holder Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon Swiss Mountain Bike Race Team) right to the final round. Whilst in the elite men’s title stakes, Nino Shurter (Scott SRAM MTB Racing) did battle with just about everyone including Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV), Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) and Mathias Flückiger (Thömus Maxon Swiss Mountain Bike Race Team). On the off chance that you missed last season’s racing we’ll not go into details suffice to say that you can now catch up on all of 2023’s unrivalled UCI Mountain Bike World Series season from the comfort of your own sofa. Don’t forget that the first round of this year’s Endurance race schedule gets underway in Mairiporã, Brazil 12-14 April.
Want a good Downhill racing pub quiz question? When was the last time an Intense bike won an elite men’s UCI World Cup round, where was it and who was the rider? Pens down. It was Chris Kovarik, Mont-Sainte-Anne, 2006. And, crucially, it was for MS Intense Racing. The team ran by Austria’s Max Stöckl represented the full factory effort and was at different times home to such talents as Kovarik, Vanessa Quin, Claudio Caluori, Matti Lehikoinen, Anneke Beerten and JD Swanguen.Now, for the 2024 UCI DHI World Cup season, the two brands have reformed having not worked together for nearly two decades. MS Intense Racing will be fronted by David Trummer (AUT) , Eleonora Farina (ITL), Jacob Dickson (IRL) and Tuhoto Ariki-Pene (NZ).The roster is virtually unchanged from the 2023 season barring the departure of kiwi Brook Macdonald who is yet to announce who he will be riding for this season.Intense founder, Jeff Steber, had this to say:This year really feels like a return to our roots. Max and Lukas have developed such a successful and professional program over the years, and we are proud that they have chosen to work with Intense again. I’m very excited to see the new M1 under such a talented group of riders. It’s going to be a great season!Jeff Steber, Intense founder and CEOMax Stöckl of MS Racing expressed his excitement about the upcoming season:We all know that the bicycle industry is going through a bit of a crisis at the moment, and looking for a new partner was always going to be difficult, but honestly it’s so cool to be back with INTENSE again after so many years. Jeff and I go way back to my early race days, and I can’t think of a better brand to be working with, especially with the new M1, which has already proven to be an amazing bike. Everyone involved with MS, from the riders, mechanics and backroom staff, are looking forward to this new era and a successful partnership for years to come.Max Stöckl, MS Intense RacingThe team will be running Michelin tires, Shimano drivetrain and brakes, SDG saddles and seat posts, e*thirteen wheels and chain guides, Renthal for cockpit components and Kenny Racing as a new clothing partner.Stay tuned to the site for all the latest team and rider news ahead of the first round of the UCI Downhill World Cup in Fort William 03-05 May.
Canada’s Andréane Lanthier Nadeau has announced that she will not race for Rocky Mountain in 2024. She has competed, first in Cross-country and latterly in Enduro, aboard bikes from the storied North Shore brand. The Enduro rider is a former world number three and podium regular.Her formative years on a race bike were spent on the Endurance side of the sport but 2015’s shift to the Gravity at the Enduro World Series saw her join the Urge Rally team alongside Isabeau Courdurier on board Rocky’s.The high points really came as part of the Rocky Mountain RaceFace squad alongside Jesse Melamed and Remi Gauvin with 2019 proffering four podium appearances. She very nearly tasted victory at her home round in Whistler in 2022 only for a mechanical to intervene and relegate her to fifth.ALN has yet to announce who she will be racing for in 2024 whilst a statement from Rocky Mountain stressed that remain committed to racing and that they will release more details of their plans in the coming weeks.The opening round of the UCI Enduro World Cup will take place in Finale Outdoor Region 10-12 May.
Intense Factory Racing (IFR) have announced their line up for the 2024 UCI Downhill World Cup. The brand, so synonymous with downhill racing, have confirmed that Joe Breeden, Louise Ferguson, Oscar Griffiths and Ryder Lawrence will race for them this year. Aaron Gwin had already announced that he was leaving the squad but big question marks remain around where Dakotah Norton will be plying his trade this season.The IFR elite charge will now be led by the UK’s Breeden (24) and Ferguson (27). The former has been on Intense bikes since his pro debut for the UK Saddleback team whilst the latter is a new signing having competed last season for Continental Nukeproof. Her standout result came at the UCI World Championships Glasgow where she placed fourth at Fort William. When I found out that the IFR team was finishing under the ownership of Aaron Gwin, I saw the opportunity to take on a new responsibility. I wanted to put a team in place that not only fitted my racing needs but also gave a platform for other riders to perform at their best, and provide the most value possible to the brands that are supporting us. The vision for the team is to offer an environment for personal growth, a place where we develop people and craft riders, providing a platform for champions to form. Joe Breeden Oscar Griffths (17) is a highly-rated UK Junior rider who previously competed under the Resolute Racing banner. Ryder Lawrence is one of the most decorated young riders to emerge from the competitive US national ranks and will be making the step up to UCI Mountain Bike World Series level for the first time in 2024. His father, Randy, competed for Intense in the late 1990’s. At the helm will be Olly Morris whilst Jon Stout will head up their mechanics. Intense Cycles founder, Jeff Steber expressed his excitement regarding the upcoming season: This year’s team reminds me of why I started INTENSE, and it feels like history is coming full circle after 30 years. The relaunch of the M1 combined with the introduction of a fresh, new IFR program combines old traditions with new possibilities. Joe has ridden INTENSE since his early days as a Junior. Ryder and Oscar are both very promising Juniors. Add to that the team’s exciting return to the Women’s Elite field with the super-talented Louise Ferguson. With such a great group, on a completely re-designed race rig, it’s bound to be a nail-biter of a season!Jeff Steber, INTENSE Founder and CEO The question of where both Aaron Gwin and Dakotah Norton will be racing this season remains. Norton stormed to a second place in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes last year, won the Fox US Open of Mountain Biking and scored another podium in Snowshoe, WV. Stay tuned to our Team Changes story for all the latest rider moves and team news as we get ready to get the Gravity season back underway in Fort William 03 – 05 May.
There is absolutely nothing cooler than race bikes. That is (probably) a scientific fact and the good news for those who love nothing more than mountain bike racing is that the new season has hatched its first full-factory race machine of 2024 – and it’s a good one.The Intense Factory Racing (IFR) M1 is here. It’s a bike perhaps already sagging into its suspension under the weight of the most famous moniker in downhill racing. For the new season it means business underneath Joe Breeden, Louise Ferguson, Oscar Griffiths and Ryder Lawrence.The finished production frame is the result of four seasons of development at UCI World Cup level. The raw aluminium prototypes had a few different names (including ‘The Gravy Boat’) applied to them throughout the process, but it shouldn’t be underestimated how big an accolade the M1 name is.In the mid-1990’s, the original M1 was formative in what many now regard as the downhill race bike. Its slab-sided alloy looks and total commitment to purpose rewrote the reference books and many brands simply bought an Intense only to sticker it up as their own. To call a bike ‘M1’ will not have been taken lightly by Intense founder, Jeff Steber. The frame, resplendent in the company’s famous blood red paint, features 203mm of rear wheel travel from a 6-link, high pivot platform all fashioned from hand-welded 6061-T6 aluminium.The angles ape those of the modern race pack in terms of length and aggression. It’s a mixed wheel size bike meaning that it runs a 29in wheel upfront and a slightly smaller 27.5in wheel in the back.Öhlins supply the suspension with their DH38 M.1 air-sprung suspension fork with is acclaimed TTX18 twin tubed damping system. The team bikes will be rolling on e*thirteen Race 6069AL rolling stock mated to Continental tyres being reined in by TRP brakes.The rear wheel travel comes courtesy of a TTX22m.2 coil-spring rear shock, also from Öhlins, which is famed for its adjustability. Interestingly, the IFR bikes will be banging through the gears courtesy of TRP’s Evo 7 DH transmission. The iconic Intense M1 will once again take to a UCI World Cup racetrack in Fort William 03 – 05 May. Stay tuned to the site for ticket details and how to ensure that you are there.
Winning a UCI Downhill World Cup is famously difficult, you need only look at how few athletes have ever actually managed it for proof. In Nina Hoffmann, the Santa Cruz Syndicate have won of just three elite women who managed to take to the top step in 2023. The 27 year-old from Saalfeld in Germany tasted victory in Pal Arinsal Andorra and went on to utilise her consistency to push Valentina Höll to a final round title decider in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada. Her results also helped ensure that the Santa Cruz Syndicate would take the Team of the Year title to boot. In her latest video release, Focus, Hoffmann goes into the detail of how mentally tough the sport of downhill mountain bike racing can be and how she has trained her mind, as much as her body, to be able to cope with the rigours of race weeks. It’s a revealing and extremely personal look behind the professional veneer of a topflight racer which sheds light on what goes on inside the helmet. The 2024 UCI Downhill Mountain Bike World Cup kicks off in Fort William, Scotland 03 – 05 May. It’s a round that Hoffmann has won before and so will definitely be amongst the pre-race favourites to take the season opener.
Thibault Daprela stunned race fans all over the world last week when he announced that he would be leaving Commencal MucOff by Riding Addiction to race for Canyon CLLCTV in 2024. The 22 year-old Frenchman took victory at the Pal Arinsal Andorra round of the UCI Downhill World Cup in 2023 and was already being touted by many to be a contender for this years crown. The move to Canyon CLLCTV will see him team up with their in-house living legend, double UCI DHI World Champion and reigning UCI E-EDR World Cup overall title holder, Fabien Barel. Barel has worked closely with the brands Gravity riders since he joined them back in 2013. Daprela’s move comes at the end of a formative 2023 season which saw him emerge from the shadow of the injured 2022 UCI DHI World Cup overall title holder, Amaury Pierron. In his absence, Daprela really came to the fore and took that victory at the fourth round of the season. His raw pace is widely regarded as being right there amongst the very fastest amongst the pro ranks but all too often mistakes in race runs have cost him the chance of a decent run at the overall title. Canyon’s hope is that teaming him up with the experience of Fabien Barel will help to mould Daprela into a consistent top flight performer. As things stand, the rest of the Canyon CLLCTV roster remains unchanged which would see their new signing join Troy Brosnan, Luca Shaw and Mille Johnset. Stay tuned to our complete list of 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Series team changes right here as we continue our build up to the new season getting underway.
Greg Minnaar, the winner of four UCI Downhill World Championships, has announced that he is joining Norco Factory Racing Team for the 2024 UCI Downhill World Cup season. The move comes after the news that the 42 year-old had parted ways with the Santa Cruz Syndicate, a team he spent 16 years with, broke at the end of 2023. The Pietermaritzburg native made the Norco announcement in a chat with Warner Brothers Discovery Sports’ Ric McLaughlin. Details surrounding the rest of the team will become public later in the off season. To keep up to date with the rest of the team changes and rider news as we head towards the opening round of the UCI Downhill World Cup in Fort William, Scotland 03 – 05 May, make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and subscribe to the UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel.
The UCI Mountain Bike World Series can be a cyclical place when it comes to riders shifting race teams. Some off-seasons, there are very few big moves and in others it’s as though everyone has somehow decided to dawn new colours for the upcoming race season. This year, things have been busy already with plenty of new deals being penned up and down the pro pits.We are going to update this story as and when new announcements are made so make sure to check back regularly as January heats up. JOE BREEDEN off Intense Factory RacingThe young Englishman had a frustrating 2023 where his abundance of speed never quite marrying up with good fortune. Breeden is a huge talent and wherever he lands will be getting a totally committed rider with big reserves of speed. VALENTINA HOLL off RockShox Trek Race TeamValentina’s dramatic double title sweep of 2023 would be her last for the RockShox Trek Race Team. She announced as much minutes after stepping off of her race bike in Mont-Sainte-Anne finals where she claimed her second UCI World Cup overall title. Where she ends up will be one of the biggest stories in mountain bike racing in 2024. GREG MINNAAR off the Santa Cruz SyndicateFew saw this one coming. After a colossal 16 years, the 42 year-old South African, Greg Minnaar, has departed the squad he has become so synonymous with. Minnaar is one of the biggest stars of the sport and all eyes are on where he ends up next. GUNNAR HOLMGREN joins KMC Ridley MTB Racing TeamEndurance legend Bart Brentjens has bolstered his roster for 2024 with the signing of emerging Canadian talent, Gunnar Holmgren. The second year elite level rider had some strong top 20 performances in 2023 and he will be looking to build on them into the new season. BROOK MACDONALD off MS Racing MondrakerThe toughest Kiwi in the game steps away from the team he has called ‘home’ since 2018. Macdonald is one of the most experienced professional DHI racers in the world having been crowned UCI Junior Downhill World Champion back in 2009. MS Racing’s own break with Mondraker was also announced in December so it’ll be interesting to see who Markus Stöckl’s extremely professional outfit partner up with for 2024. JACK MENZIES off Polygon Factory RacingThe hugely impressive Canadian once deemed ‘the prince of privateers’ for his swashbuckling assaults on EDR leader boards has parted ways with the sizable Indonesian brand. Whoever snaps him up may have one of the signings of the year on their hands. HUGO MARINI off Commencal MucOff by Riding AddictionAs a young French Gravity talent, there is no name you want emblazoned across your chest more than that of Commencal Bikes. Hugo Marini was often the loan Commencal MucOff by Riding Addiction pilot in an injury ravaged season for the Andorran firm’s top tier squad, but they’ve opted not to renew his deal despite his season high performance of a third in Junior Men’s at the opening round in Lenzerheide at the start of the year. DIMITRI TORDO off Canyon CLLCTVOne of the most likable and toughest competitors in EDR has parted ways with the squad he became synonymous with for six seasons. The Party Boy himself, Dimitri Tordo, has left Canyon CLLCTV and will be taking his stylish, all-action riding to a new squad for 2024. LUCA SCHWARZBAUER extends with Canyon CLLCTVOne of the biggest stars of Endurance, Germany’s Luca Schwarzbauer, has announced that he’s extending his contract with Canyon CLLCTV until 2026. The move makes sense for all parties and will hopefully provide the continuity Luca requires to continue to build. JESS BLEWITT joins Cube Factory Racing DHSeen by many in the mountain bike media as quietly one of the moves of this off-season, Jess Blewitt has joined the Cube Factory Racing DH squad alongside the consistent Max Hartenstern and promising Simon Chapelet. An injury suffered at Red Bull Hardline blighted Blewitt’s 2023, will 2024 see the resumption of forward momentum? THIBAULT DAPRELA joins Canyon CLLCTVOne of the standout moves of this off-season sees Thibault Daprela depart Commencal MucOff by Riding Addiction for Canyon CLLCTV. Race fans the world over were awaiting the return of Amaury Pierron to the team the two once shared but, after his win in Pal Arinsal Andorra, right in front of the factory, Daprela has decided to depart. He is widely regarded as having the rawest of raw pace and, under the tutelage of Fabian Barel, he will be hoping to finesse some added consistency to the overall package. It’s a huge moment in the Frenchman’s career. ETHAN CRAIK and Goncalo Bandeira join Scott DH FactoryA superb brace of signings see two of the most promising talents in elite men’s DHI join forces at Scott DH Factory. The squad of Marine Cabirou has parted ways with experienced campaigners Brendan Fairclough and Dean Lucas and in return has netted two superb talents. The Englishman’s podium ride in Mont-Sainte-Anne last season was one of the performances of the season. Mckay Vezina retires from racing EDROn the face of it, sad news for race fans but it’s actually a positive in the sense that he will be taking up a new position as the Gravity side of Giant Factory Off-Road. The role was vacated by long time Giant employee Oscar Saiz earlier this off-season. Aaron Gwin leaves Intense Factory RacingAnd now for a slightly strange one… Intense Factory Racing announced that the team was no more, star rider and former UCI World Cup overall title holder Aaron Gwin announced that his time as an Intense rider was over, only for the team to announce its phoenix-like return a day later. It has done so with four as-yet-to-be-announced racers silhouettes attached. Time will tell who will be taking to the helm of the big red bikes from California but for the meantime it’s just good to see such a pedigree marque commit to getting between the tapes once again. Zakarias Johansen and Frederik Matz join Cube Actionteam Multiple Swedish national champion, Zakarias Johansen, was one of the EDR riders left out in the cold when his team announced that they wouldn’t contest the 2024 season. Good news has landed though; he has re-signed with a team he has ridden for before, Cube Actionteam, alongside the 19 year-old German, Frederik Matz. Bizarrely, and arguably not that interestingly, it will mean that Johansen’s professional career will have gone from Ibis Cycles, to Cube, to Ibis Cycles, to Cube.
Long, exposed to the elements, lined with rock and huge jumps the downhill track in Fort William has been a fixture on the UCI World Cup calendar since the turn of the century. Its savagery seems to increase incrementally with each passing winter - and in 2024 it will be the first chance to see the stars of Gravity in action as it forms the opening round of the UCI Downhill World Cup. It’s always one of the most hotly anticipated venues on the circuit for riders and fans alike. And any fans that want to be trackside next May should mark January 25 in their diary now – that’s when spectator tickets will go on sale right here on ww.ucimtbworldseries.com and they won’t be around for long! Here’s everything that you need to know: Where is it? Based in Nevis Range, just outside of the second biggest town in the Scottish Highlands on the west coast of the Scotland is a racetrack like no other. The shadow of Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest peak, is a long one and it attracts visitors from all over the world. It lies at the southern end of the Great Glen and at the mouth of one of Scotland’s largest sea lochs, Loch Linnhe. Mountain biking aside, it also hosts the Scottish Six Day Trial every May. Has there been racing here before? Lots. Fort William has hosted an international downhill race each year since 2002, including two UCI World Championships in 2007 and 2023. It had a forced hiatus in 2020 and 2021 due to the global pandemic, but aside from that has been omnipresent. Its second hosting of the UCI World Championships came as part of the historic Glasgow 2023 event which saw over 200 rainbow jerseys claimed over 11 days of competition that brought all cycling formats together for the first time. What’s the course like? Legendarily tough. The start hut can be seen from the finish line as a spec on a green and brown marbled hillside high above, just to the viewers right of the top of Britain’s only gondola. The fact that a human being on a bicycle can make it from there to the finish line in well under five minutes feels laughable. But it’s no laughing matter. The top section is exposed and fast. A sinew of hardpack through a bog that necessitates both full chat commitment but also the preservation of energy for what is yet to come. Then the rocks arrive, thick and fast. Accuracy is required at all times to maintain that forward momentum. From the deer gate down, woods come into play and chances need to be taken in the mud before a huge set of jumps give way to a full speed descent into the noise of one of mountain biking’s most famous arenas. It is a course unique in its demands, length and requirements to conquer. What else can we expect? There is a pilgrimage element to Fort William; to get there from just about anywhere you have to be serious about your racing. The result every year is a crowd like no other on the circuit, each one packing layer upon layer to ward of any and all-weather scenarios which will, without doubt, transpire throughout the weekend. Crucially, this is the first round of the season. It’s a track that the majority of the world's fastest will know well and respect. Who will emerge on top may well set the tone for what is to come for the rest of the summer. Who are the favourites? The most recent monarch of the Great Glen was Valentina Höll (RockShox Trek Race Team) who captured her second consecutive set of UCI World Championship rainbow stripes there last year. Her run was virtually flawless and one of a handful that she laced together on race days which highlighted just how far ahead of the elite women’s field she really can be. The Elite Men’s race will go down in the UK mountain biking history books as Charlie Hatton (Continental Atherton) took the win on home soil. His riding in the sloppy woods bordered on the sublime and as everyone else battled harder and harder against the track, Hatton seemed to just grow in stature and speed. The reception he’ll receive in Fort William in 2024 will be unlike any other that he will have experienced. Fort William World Cup will take place 03 – 05 May 2024 and spectator tickets will be available on www.ucimtbworldseries.com from January 25th, 2024.For more information, click here.
