UCI MTB World Cup (All forms!)

[Axel Hangleck]

Another transfer that involves a WT/Dev team. U23 rider Tom Schellekens moves from Visma to KMC-Ridley, as the LA Olympics on the MTB are the target. Sensible move as Visma can't really support a MTB racer......

 

[pastronef]

UCI top teams will have to pay 40.000 euro to UCI to race the world cup

 

[stonerider]

UCI top teams will have to pay 40.000 euro to UCI to race the world cup

Why is the UCI trying to kill XCO racing?

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Far too many changes, and far too quickly........Not the way to run a sport.

 

[ManicJack]

Why is the UCI trying to kill XCO racing?

On a positive note, the fees for the small teams that register as "elite" are decreasing.

 

[Ricco']

I bet Discovery/UCI are now in the phase where their revenue and mainstream public interest estimates are being largely not reached and are doing last ditch attempts to recover their investment.

I give it 2 or 3 more years for the current model to being sacrificed for another groundbreaking change in the mountain bike world which will revolutionize the sport.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Two years is far too early to be making decisions, but they've shown they're in a rush, and don't care.
Have things in the sport improved? Are more 'outside' sponsors coming in? Is the media coverage from the cycle racing media getting better, or is it still just the small world of MTB?

I really don't have a problem with the coverage, the addition of U23, and DH Juniors on YouTube last year's was good, but they made changes this season, presumably to cut costs.

Sponsors want value for money, and 8 MTB World Cup weekends a year will never deliver that; not when they can sponsor a road team and get more exposure the whole year, including the off season.
The MTB world almost goes into hibernation from October........all the big transfers we heard about, hardly any have been made public,.....

 

[pastronef]

Two years is far too early to be making decisions, but they've shown they're in a rush, and don't care.
Have things in the sport improved? Are more 'outside' sponsors coming in? Is the media coverage from the cycle racing media getting better, or is it still just the small world of MTB?

I really don't have a problem with the coverage, the addition of U23, and DH Juniors on YouTube last year's was good, but they made changes this season, presumably to cut costs.

Sponsors want value for money, and 8 MTB World Cup weekends a year will never deliver that; not when they can sponsor a road team and get more exposure the whole year, including the off season.
The MTB world almost goes into hibernation from October........all the big transfers we heard about, hardly any have been made public,.....

so I wonder: why no marketing/revenue expert has talked with Uci and teams to solve this kind of problems? once again I am left thinking about how brands, every brand, has a marketing/promotion person taking care of their adverts, instagram, etc etc.
and yet they seem not to talk to other brands to have a whole idea of how promoting the stuff they sell? do the UCI people and the marketing staff of the brands go into hybernation in winter?

 

[Axel Hangleck]

The UCI would argue that they're the governing body, it's not their job to promote. However, Discovery, and the teams/ races need to do much more work on promotion as it's not good enough.

As for the off-season, well it's pure amateur level.

 

[pastronef]

The UCI would argue that they're the governing body, it's not their job to promote. However, Discovery, and the teams/ races need to do much more work on promotion as it's not good enough.

As for the off-season, well it's pure amateur level.

I don't follow many other sports, but winter sports aside (obvs) it's shameful. nothing but shameful. brands and teams should really be ashamed.
on the MTBR forum a poster told me "it's not the off-season training pictures that sell bikes"
probably not, but brand recognition must never stop. and SILENCE AND ABSENCE of any input won't sell bikes either.
it sucks. brainless people in charge. it angers me, not because I can't live without a photo of, say, Sebastian Fini's 2025 helmet on the table during a coffee stop, but because that would be what the fans that will buy all the apparel and stuff in the next months will remember.
instead everybody disappears for 4 months, and then brands moan the sport doesn't reach enough people. ffs

 

[Ripper]

Who "runs" MTB at the international level? Or I guess a bit more specifically, who "runs" XC and who "runs" downhill/gravity events?

Contrast to - who "runs" road?

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Road racing has a huge amount of media who need stories all year long, so websites/ journalists are always looking for something. Just look at this site, the road stories never stop during the winter.......

MTB is a lot different; racing isn't the main focus for lots of websites/ magazines - it's well down the list of importance. So the racing season ends, and nothing happens.....the websites/magazines keep on churning out bike/ equipment reviews, riding stories, industry news, etc

I struggle to name a MTB racing written media journalist......are there any?

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Scott have released a new lighter Addict RC, and ScottMTBRacing have a clip on instagram with an unidentified female rider.....????? riding it.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Having done some research, and digging around XCO data to see who's good enough to warrant the interest of Scott-Sram, my original name was Gina Calori - but it doesn't look like her.
I think it's actually Emily Johnston - who has been noticed in Europe with Bjorn Riley - who's also meant/ rumoured to be joining the team.

 

[glassmoon]

do you have a link to the clip? i don't see it on their insta

 

[Axel Hangleck]

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What sums up the MTB transfer announcement nonsense, is riders are at team camps before teams have announced their new riders. I recall pictures/ videos of Charlie Aldridge with CFR 2 years ago.....and it took ages for them to announce it.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Este el programa del súper Mundial de MTB 2025 en Suiza, con XCO y Short Track separados

El súper mundial de MTB 2025 en Valais, Suiza, será un evento increíble con 7 mundiales en 15 días

esmtb.com

Super World Championships Valais 2025: the biggest MTB event

The UCI Mountain Bike World Championship 2025 will be a historic event as for the first time the Swiss canton of Valais will host the World Championship...

en.brujulabike.com

Swiss MTB World Champs venues, and dates.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Transfer news; Gunnar Holmgren to Trek Factory Racing Pirelli XC.............

Something I thought might happen last year when Trek signed his twin sisters.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

While it's been discussed elsewhere, in MTB lingo, it's " Pidcock is off Ineos Grenadiers".

 

[stonerider]

While it's been discussed elsewhere, in MTB lingo, it's " Pidcock is off Ineos Grenadiers".

I'm assuming he will have complete control of his race calendar with whoever decided to sign him. It seems he wants to call the shots and not some corporate boardroom.

 

[glassmoon]

While it's been discussed elsewhere, in MTB lingo, it's " Pidcock is off Ineos Grenadiers".

Q36.5 confirmed, 3 yrs deal

 

[pastronef]

Q36.5 confirmed, 3 yrs deal

and on the Cyclingnews piece 2 days ago, they said he'll ride obvs Scott on the road, but maybe Pinarello for the mtb (unless he oins the Scott-Sram team for the xco races)

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Trek Factory Racing having a clear out;Neff. Cooper, Wilson, Kuehn, Vergier, plus Harnden & Carrick-Anderson. The Enduro team is ending.........

And Stigger has signed for SD Worx=Protime, as well as already with Specialized Factory; no idea who gets first call on her services. I wonder if it's similar to Langvad and Frei.

 

[stonerider]

Trek Factory Racing having a clear out;Neff. Cooper, Wilson, Kuehn, Vergier, plus Harnden & Carrick-Anderson. The Enduro team is ending.........

And Stigger has signed for SD Worx=Protime, as well as already with Specialized Factory; no idea who gets first call on her services. I wonder if it's similar to Langvad and Frei.

I don't know about the other racers, but I'm not surprised to see Neff and Cooper out of the XCO team. Cooper hasn't had any results in a World Cup race in a few years, time to give that slot to someone younger with potential. And Neff probably wanted more money than her recent results support. Neff also has been battling various health issues the last couple of seasons which have not let her reach her potential. The question for her is, can she get healthy and compete for a full season?

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Yeah, Cooper does have talent, but he seems to get injuries/illness every season - misses races and has poor results. There comes a time when you have to draw a line - thank you and good luck elsewhere.
Similar for Neff I suppose; are her issues going to be long term, or is it sorted? From Trek's perspective, it's a gamble another team can take - especially if they're counting their pennies with this clearout.

It's possible they'll also rely on Lidl-Trek riders for results as well.....I Holmgren in the Elite XC, and possibly Philipsen in the U23s.