Are we going to read anything into the photos from the Hardline start list (which will take place in 2025)?There's no consistency so the riders submitted...
Are we going to read anything into the photos from the Hardline start list (which will take place in 2025)?
There's no consistency so the riders submitted the photos themselves rather than being stock images.
Some have chosen to show their sponsored kit, others have almost deliberately hidden it or worn something ambiguous.
e.g. Fearon, Holl, Edwards and Vermette have all gone for the plain black tee/hoody. Goldstone and Holl have deliberately shown their hat and eyewear spnsors but have cropped their jerseys out.
Others have gone the other way and really tried to get their brands in the frame.
Also shout out to Sam Hill who clearly forgot until the last minute, all his old photos are in the wrong kit, and had to submit a selfie.
Hosting hospitality guests from "paddock" space. Yes, because WCDH has a huge market for wealthy VIP/corporate type experiences , just like F1. Can't make this stuff...
Hosting hospitality guests from "paddock" space. Yes, because WCDH has a huge market for wealthy VIP/corporate type experiences , just like F1. Can't make this stuff up.
People will pay for it, especially the XC crowd. It is very common in SX/MX, hell lots of people pay for it at crankworks so its already happening.
"A World Series Team will be allowed to sell Official World Series Team Merchandise & host hospitality with guests/sponsors from their paddock space"Lol. Is that an...
"A World Series Team will be allowed to sell Official World Series Team Merchandise & host hospitality with guests/sponsors from their paddock space"
Lol. Is that an exclusive statement or inclusive? As in they can sell WC Team merch or can only sell WC Team merch. Why do I feel like every time I read these updates they are speaking directly towards Mr Kerr and his team?
I know negativity is cool and all in 2024/5, but this rule change or whatever you call it, is because previously, under UCI organisation teams were not allowed to sell merch from their pits. I think it was so the local organisers could make more money selling expo space to vendors etc...
Are we going to read anything into the photos from the Hardline start list (which will take place in 2025)?There's no consistency so the riders submitted...
Are we going to read anything into the photos from the Hardline start list (which will take place in 2025)?
There's no consistency so the riders submitted the photos themselves rather than being stock images.
Some have chosen to show their sponsored kit, others have almost deliberately hidden it or worn something ambiguous.
e.g. Fearon, Holl, Edwards and Vermette have all gone for the plain black tee/hoody. Goldstone and Holl have deliberately shown their hat and eyewear spnsors but have cropped their jerseys out.
Others have gone the other way and really tried to get their brands in the frame.
Also shout out to Sam Hill who clearly forgot until the last minute, all his old photos are in the wrong kit, and had to submit a selfie.
Maybe there are some kit sponsorship changes for Syndicate and Vali Holl, who knows. We also know that they, along with Asa, are signed to their current teams for 2025.
It looks like someone in marketing searched a database or google for images and threw it together. Mistakes happen, like trying to hand a Redbull to a guy in a Monster Energy helmet in a finish corral in front of fans on a "live" broadcast. Industry people aren't all fans or even interested that much in the industries they work in, especially at the scale of a company like Redbull or whichever marketing company that put together the artwork.
Reece to Norco would be cool. Just a thought. Also like him on Gamux is great but only if they get to compete at the World Cup. I just can't figure out how Intense, Gamux, Cube, Yeti, Gwin, Forbidden, Transition, and so on and so on are going to be able to race.
Max spending BIG. Also on red?2 former Union riders on TFRSyndicate expanding with some gromsThe Mob expanding but also looking at other optionsNorco will have a...
Max spending BIG. Also on red?
2 former Union riders on TFR
Syndicate expanding with some groms
The Mob expanding but also looking at other options
Norco will have a world champ racing
Norco will have a World Champ?
Danny Hart seems - to me anyway - a great fit for that team.
Max spending BIG. Also on red?2 former Union riders on TFRSyndicate expanding with some gromsThe Mob expanding but also looking at other optionsNorco will have a...
Max spending BIG. Also on red?
2 former Union riders on TFR
Syndicate expanding with some groms
The Mob expanding but also looking at other options
And these are the points that determine a team’s standing?
I believe yes
So if you look at a rider you can see the points they have and see the current "value" that they for teams who need points to be in the top 15 UCI ranking.
And these are the points that determine a team’s standing?
yes
"For the UCI gravity team ranking, the riders individual UCI points in the first UCI individual ranking of the season calculated as per article 4.16.006 will be used to determine the UCI MTB WORLD SERIES DOWNHILL TEAM status."
Reece to Norco would be cool. Just a thought. Also like him on Gamux is great but only if they get to compete at the World...
Reece to Norco would be cool. Just a thought. Also like him on Gamux is great but only if they get to compete at the World Cup. I just can't figure out how Intense, Gamux, Cube, Yeti, Gwin, Forbidden, Transition, and so on and so on are going to be able to race.
Gwin will be served by "profile of individual athletes" part of the selection.
I fear it's going to be a shitstorm when it comes to WBD allocating those wildcard spots. To my mind it should be teams ranked 15-20 (surely that's the fairest way?), but I doubt it will be that simple. I can see WBD jumping through a lot of hoops to get their preferred teams/riders in.
And in my opinion, this is the problem. It's going to come down to personal opinion & relationships & that's not a fair way to run...
And in my opinion, this is the problem. It's going to come down to personal opinion & relationships & that's not a fair way to run a sport.
Interesting you frame it as total nepotism. When you could easily read the rule around how teams 15-20 might be selected as allowing the best races and teams that might provide the best support and care for riders access to the series. 15 teams selected on merit in a fairly objective way and 5 teams selected on a variety of criteria, that you'd hope is used to make sure teams that can provide healthy salaries for riders and staff and a safe environment for racers are selected.
Hardline and all of the other events run by Red Bull have rider selections based on relationships and opinion, and yet I don't see that being flagged in here as a "problem"?
I can see how some nepotism and abuse is possible in selecting teams 15-20, but assuming that WDB will only do unfair things is bit much, no?
Reece to Norco would be cool. Just a thought. Also like him on Gamux is great but only if they get to compete at the World...
Reece to Norco would be cool. Just a thought. Also like him on Gamux is great but only if they get to compete at the World Cup. I just can't figure out how Intense, Gamux, Cube, Yeti, Gwin, Forbidden, Transition, and so on and so on are going to be able to race.
Reece's cousin is Chris Ball's Director of Gravity Sports. I don't imagine his team will have problems getting an entry.
And in my opinion, this is the problem. It's going to come down to personal opinion & relationships & that's not a fair way to run...
And in my opinion, this is the problem. It's going to come down to personal opinion & relationships & that's not a fair way to run a sport.
That’s true. Case in point would be the shitstorm that is Rampage judging every year.
That stated, just going on points doesn’t work either. as you guys have mentioned on the show, there are Asian national champs who would be expert class in France but have more points than most European pros. So just boiling it down to points isn’t equitable either.
I suppose their criteria has to do not just with results but with who can bring a good show and a good story. AG and Neko’s teams bring a good story to the table (and 20 results in the Frameworks case).
Interesting you frame it as total nepotism. When you could easily read the rule around how teams 15-20 might be selected as allowing the best races...
Interesting you frame it as total nepotism. When you could easily read the rule around how teams 15-20 might be selected as allowing the best races and teams that might provide the best support and care for riders access to the series. 15 teams selected on merit in a fairly objective way and 5 teams selected on a variety of criteria, that you'd hope is used to make sure teams that can provide healthy salaries for riders and staff and a safe environment for racers are selected.
Hardline and all of the other events run by Red Bull have rider selections based on relationships and opinion, and yet I don't see that being flagged in here as a "problem"?
I can see how some nepotism and abuse is possible in selecting teams 15-20, but assuming that WDB will only do unfair things is bit much, no?
If WBD are concerned about how riders are paid and treated why wouldn't they state it in the rule changes? They mention social media presence, so why not this? What riders are paid and how they are treated is no more WBD's concern than how WBD pay and treat their own staff being the concern of teams.
RB events are invite only, so not an apples to apples comparison.
Max spending BIG. Also on red?2 former Union riders on TFRSyndicate expanding with some gromsThe Mob expanding but also looking at other optionsNorco will have a...
Max spending BIG. Also on red?
2 former Union riders on TFR
Syndicate expanding with some groms
The Mob expanding but also looking at other options
Norco will have a world champ racing
I recall several pods and vids mentioning Vergier possibly going to Norco because of his relationship with Minaar.
To me it seems like the whole Wildcard team thing is just a transition system for WBD to get the system started in 2025. For 2026 they already announced, that the structure will change again. So in 25 teams can prove themselves by collecting enough points and in fall 25 there will be a points based cut again. If teams don't have enough points at the end of next season, they can either buy a rider, to improve their ranking or their out. This will change the sport as we know it, but at least it will be transparent and kind of fair.
Hopefully they appreciate his social media presence though, it seems to be important to them.
Asa could easily be wearing a black FW tee. https://rideframeworks.com/collections/softgoods
He is also in Andorra training with Neko, Angel, and whoever their new rider is. So, he's still on it. He signed for two years.
People will pay for it, especially the XC crowd. It is very common in SX/MX, hell lots of people pay for it at crankworks so its already happening.
I know negativity is cool and all in 2024/5, but this rule change or whatever you call it, is because previously, under UCI organisation teams were not allowed to sell merch from their pits. I think it was so the local organisers could make more money selling expo space to vendors etc...
So it's basically a positive change... but ya.
Any Guess about Daprela? Will he return to a team?
Mille Johnset on an Intense at Prevost this week
Bit of fuel to the rumor of Cabirou on Canyon factory?
Also the Canyon - Sidi mtb Marathon Team folded 2 days ago. Canyon really consolidating their spend
MS or intense factory racing ? I'm guessing both those teams could do with a rider with some UCI points .
Maybe there are some kit sponsorship changes for Syndicate and Vali Holl, who knows. We also know that they, along with Asa, are signed to their current teams for 2025.
It looks like someone in marketing searched a database or google for images and threw it together. Mistakes happen, like trying to hand a Redbull to a guy in a Monster Energy helmet in a finish corral in front of fans on a "live" broadcast. Industry people aren't all fans or even interested that much in the industries they work in, especially at the scale of a company like Redbull or whichever marketing company that put together the artwork.
Max spending BIG. Also on red?
2 former Union riders on TFR
Syndicate expanding with some groms
The Mob expanding but also looking at other options
Norco will have a world champ racing
Reece to Norco would be cool. Just a thought. Also like him on Gamux is great but only if they get to compete at the World Cup. I just can't figure out how Intense, Gamux, Cube, Yeti, Gwin, Forbidden, Transition, and so on and so on are going to be able to race.
Also just found this site. Just another place to nerd out a bit on results and ranking.
https://mtbdata.com/ranking/2024/teams/downhill/2024-11-12
https://mtbdata.com/ranking/2024/downhill/men-elite/2024-11-19 - Super surprised at where riders ended up at the end of the year.
Norco will have a World Champ?
Danny Hart seems - to me anyway - a great fit for that team.
Yeah what? Is that site run by chatGPT? I don’t get it.
It’s their total of Uci points including national champs, euro champs etc not just World Cup points
Or the current one maybe.
And these are the points that determine a team’s standing?
I believe yes
So if you look at a rider you can see the points they have and see the current "value" that they for teams who need points to be in the top 15 UCI ranking.
yes
"For the UCI gravity team ranking, the riders individual UCI points in the first UCI individual ranking of the season calculated as per article 4.16.006 will be used to determine the UCI MTB WORLD SERIES DOWNHILL TEAM status."
a riders individual uci ranking (which the mtbdata page shows) is separate from the World Cup overall standings. https://www.uci.org/discipline/mountain-bike/4LArSj7CKcytMrGEDtKwkb?tab…
Gwin will be served by "profile of individual athletes" part of the selection.
I fear it's going to be a shitstorm when it comes to WBD allocating those wildcard spots. To my mind it should be teams ranked 15-20 (surely that's the fairest way?), but I doubt it will be that simple. I can see WBD jumping through a lot of hoops to get their preferred teams/riders in.
And in my opinion, this is the problem. It's going to come down to personal opinion & relationships & that's not a fair way to run a sport.
Interesting you frame it as total nepotism. When you could easily read the rule around how teams 15-20 might be selected as allowing the best races and teams that might provide the best support and care for riders access to the series. 15 teams selected on merit in a fairly objective way and 5 teams selected on a variety of criteria, that you'd hope is used to make sure teams that can provide healthy salaries for riders and staff and a safe environment for racers are selected.
Hardline and all of the other events run by Red Bull have rider selections based on relationships and opinion, and yet I don't see that being flagged in here as a "problem"?
I can see how some nepotism and abuse is possible in selecting teams 15-20, but assuming that WDB will only do unfair things is bit much, no?
Reece's cousin is Chris Ball's Director of Gravity Sports. I don't imagine his team will have problems getting an entry.
That’s true. Case in point would be the shitstorm that is Rampage judging every year.
That stated, just going on points doesn’t work either. as you guys have mentioned on the show, there are Asian national champs who would be expert class in France but have more points than most European pros. So just boiling it down to points isn’t equitable either.
I suppose their criteria has to do not just with results but with who can bring a good show and a good story. AG and Neko’s teams bring a good story to the table (and 20 results in the Frameworks case).
🤣 Y’all in here thumbing up and down dating stuff now?
If WBD are concerned about how riders are paid and treated why wouldn't they state it in the rule changes? They mention social media presence, so why not this? What riders are paid and how they are treated is no more WBD's concern than how WBD pay and treat their own staff being the concern of teams.
RB events are invite only, so not an apples to apples comparison.
I recall several pods and vids mentioning Vergier possibly going to Norco because of his relationship with Minaar.
To me it seems like the whole Wildcard team thing is just a transition system for WBD to get the system started in 2025. For 2026 they already announced, that the structure will change again. So in 25 teams can prove themselves by collecting enough points and in fall 25 there will be a points based cut again. If teams don't have enough points at the end of next season, they can either buy a rider, to improve their ranking or their out. This will change the sport as we know it, but at least it will be transparent and kind of fair.
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