2012 World Cup Team Rumours
The 2011 World Cup season is done and dusted. Now the silly season of team speculation has begun!
Who is going where and riding what for the 2012 World Cup season? Who knows?!!! Let the speculation begin!
Some creative chap has started a Twitter account called @teamrumours and has put ink to paper to illustrate his thoughts as cryptic cartoons.
We’ll update this as @teamrumours churns out the gossip. Have a gander and see if you can interpret the hieroglyphs.
The Athertons will not be riding GT, i mean Commencal…
I heard marc (beumont?) will be on the santa cruz syndicate team and sam blenkinsopp will not be on lappiere but kona i think not sure but defos not on lappiere??? and stevie smith is moving to marzocchi!
Peaty on Apollo
Brosnan on the Mi6 special
Dick Dastardly on the TWR Trek 9.9.9.9 rocket booster edition
Gwin on a Diesel 8
Sam Hill on Tomac’s old Yeti.
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That’s my call anyway.
Jedward on monster energy specialized
Rocky road on sugar ban.
I’ll be on ur mom
Hehe – ‘Winter Training’. I wonder if Gee and Minnaar are indeed seeking spiritual guidance for 2012…. Gee could probably do with some anyway;) For Sam it’s all a bit too late. Rumour has it that he already sold his soul back in 2007…
@Hancock good call!
What should happen is Specialized or Santa Cruz should take on Manon Carpenter as she is already a star and a woman on a full factory ride (Like Tracey and Rach) with team support from the best men in the sport would be amazing for her and the sport in general.
This may get me negative feedback but peaty your a legend, maybe its time to retire ? Don’t leave it to long we all know you can get a prob still get a podium each season but winning another world cup series or world champs is not likely. Use your knowledge to help others and become a manager for a big team.
It would be great to see Turner, Foes or even Cannondale (yes i know they dont make a dh bike, but they could just make a superV 4000 dh with model angles, tubing and components haha) back on the scene even if its a 2 person team. Bring back the old school, if that fails i think all the teams should have be aloud to run the old colourways like Giants red blue and yellow and old school colourway and stickers on there forks, the trek would look cool to white one one side and bue on the other Scott Shaples style maybe it would make Gwin even faster.
My guess is there will be loads of people riding on the Hype Bandwagon, Rumour Edition, with carbon frame, forks and wheels, internal gears and cables and pedals, 12 spokes, 11 speed, 153.25mm rear axle width, 8.98765″ inches of rear travel with a progressive rearward to linear forward axle path in the first two fifths of the travel, ramping up to pogo stick rebound in the final quarter. It’ll cost £12.4 million to buy, but every team will have three spare per rider. It’ll have special tyres that secrete super glue as they spin to aid grip and mend punctures as you ride (should please Gee), 935mm bars which will come with special gloves that extend riders arms to reach the grips. And it’ll be painted with glowing uranium in the new Red Monster graphics.
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And everyone will have flat peaked caps so large that they not only cover the tops of your ears, but also your eyes and monobrow.
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And I’ll be riding on a lemon because I’m so sour!
I heard that all the riders were going to grow beards as to superstition like in the NHL playoffs . . .
Can anyone confirm this
Well played Morgan, guess I can’t top that for sarcasm so here goes the deciphering.
1. I’m guessing that team manager considering Al Bond is Nige Page
2. Gwin on Red Bull for 2012, even though it may go against his wholesome lifestyle
3. Sam Hill sticking with TLD and sram, but hasn’t renewed the deal with Specialized or Monster yet. Will he?
4. Brook ‘bulldog’ Macdonald is chasing the big money onto Martin Whitely’s 23 degrees management program.
5. Trek have their team/bikes/riders sorted. Monster/Mad Catz are still not finalised on bikes and team choice. Or is Whitely trying to poach Troy Brosnan?
Interesting
I don’t think a move to Trek would be good for Troy’s career. He doesn’t want to be on a team where’s he’s the second rider, and definitely not now. It would just end up playing with his head.
Warner on Freecaster is the only hook-up i’m bothered about!
At some stage the financial crisis is going to hit. More ‘independant’ riders taking a more regional approach to racing? I know of at least one major dh team under threat due to lack of cash.
Gee needs to ditch the rest of the family and think about his own career, there’s a space at mondraker….
Danny Hart will race in a Special edition of the GIANT ATX DH TEAM… world champ bike in 2000 with Myles Rockwell
Dungey to KTM!
Matt scoles needs to be picked up and given a decent ride. top 20 consistantily and even through in a top 10.
The Athertons are ditching Red Bull…
Adam Brayton on Mikayla Gatto
Duncan riffle not on giant next year.
This came from a cat that got the cream
steve peat on your mum
haha good one Isaac, me on your sister
Dirt Team sponsoring young up and coming talent?
I wonder if anyone will be riding the prototype bike from the downhill domination game. It’s got the top stats on the game so would make any of the pro riders go pretty fast.
I know from a close source that the Athertons are currently in talks with 3 major bike co’s, with the big S currently looking like a favourite.
Susan bikes ?
That’s awesome, Susan makes some sick bikes . . . bikes like pies
Does no one else realise the SH22 is a play on CR22? You dont shop for brands when you are on a team. You shop for brands when you have your own team.
I know it won’t be big news for anyone other than me but I will be sponsored by me this year. It’s a big deal and I am happy to be going pro with me.
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C:offee is my main drinks brand sponsor and my team bus will be driven by “Da Missis!”.
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Special times.
Gee to Specialized either Monster or a new Specialized factory racing team.
Athie to race enduro, not with Gee.
Rach not with Gee.
Sam Hill with no ride and not racing DH, watch this space…
Sam Hill not racing DH? Come on, he’s not that sore a looser. He’ll be back for blood I’m sure!
cant see the Athertons splitting teams. One team for all or nothing. They need each others support.
i want to see Hart on a major team, spec or santa or trek
Not sure the Athertons *need* each other’s support (e.g Gee did ok by himself when Dan and Rach were having to stay home), more that they simply want to have it, and they come as a package and market themselves as such. I am pretty sure Manon’s staying on Madison Saracen for next year, but I’d really like to see her on a major team in 2013, assuming she continues as she’s begun which I reckon she will.
Err… Dan no longer lives in the UK nest. He moved to the good old US of A after his snapped neck episode. T’was on one of those webisode things.
Stacy Solomon and Kerry Katona are pilots for the new “IceLand Factory Team”, lock up yer menfolk when competing/spectating next year folks, that Katona will pump anything…….
@Craig B
Er… pretty sure Dan is still living in the UK. He spent the winter abroad training yes, but is still living in North Wales. The whole family has moved from their previous location however, and he now has his own house; whereas Gee and Rach are still sharing one property.
http://p.twimg.com/AZ4veepCEAAkaFl.jpg
ACC returning?
@Morgan – Silly me.
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I was pretty sure (seeminglywrong) that I had read it in Dirt now that I think about it. Must have read his statement as terminal rather than temporary.
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Power to the Welsh-side.
Gee and Rach are having a baby.
If Sam walks away from Downhill now, everything he’s achieved will be forgotten and he’ll be remembered as the guy who chickened out of a fight.
….instead I think Gwin is going to bring out the best in him. We’ll have to wait and see though. I’d hate to be disappointed. It would darken the sport if Hill wasn’t involved.
what red dog said. Sam has not been fit nor has he been in a fast mindset for racing at all this year. if watch his old video’s from 2007 he had so much composure and loose speed that he has not shown in two seasons because of injury. so excited for the 2012 season
The sergeant in 2012 – Santa Cruz Bicycles
+1 on dungey to ktm. would they keep alessi? roczen- the kid is a beast.
curious how the economy will play out for DH in general. looking forward to hart,brosnan,brendog,and gwin standing on boxes all next season.
please god dont let the big S sign the athertons !!!!!!!!
Three person with wings = Gee, Rachel and Dan with GT Bicycles
ACC!
Brendan needs to be top dog of a team..
If Anne Caroline returns, what bike will she be riding? Right now she’s on an Ibis. Could there be a carbon Ibis downhill bike in the future? Or will she go back to Max Comencal (Formerly of Sunn)? And I hope that the Athertons go to GT and not Specialized. If Special Ed got the Athertons, would there be enough money for Sam Hill and Troy and that other guy? This rumor mongering is fun.
Athertons to GT and also on BOS suspension? I am guessing image 1 suggests Giant have “stolen” a Monster Specialized rider?
@Smack My guess is Brendan, his style would work well with Danny and Needles. Though as others say he may be top dog on a new team…
Brendan will be on his own team on Mondrakers, no budget at Giant as Hart is World champ, so that deal fell through. Where will Beaumont go when Athertons sign for GT?
Why do people think Danny needs to go to a big team… Giant is a pretty sweet team I would have though. It’s what you make of it.
LaPierre… should I stay or should I go now, if I stay there will be trouble, if I go it will be double.
GT – Who actually buys GT’s? Have you ever seen one at the races that isn’t a factory ride? Didn’t think so.
PomPom, where will she go?
beaumont still has another year with GT
Sponsors Danny and Josh on the same team please
Actual LOL at the 4x one. Harsh but true.
Brendan has one more year on Spesh, as does Hart on Giant. Sam’s contract is up, but there’s a good chance they’ll re-sign him to keep the team dynamic and Spesh will want a proper return on hiring him – i.e a full season! The Athertons on GT is the one that will most likely happen as they’ve drained Commencal’s marketing budget dry and GT need a boost – the Syndicate is three riders again next year and the same three as this year. I’ve heard Brook has one more year with Evil, but how tight is his contract and I wouldn’t be suprised if we see him on a bigger team next year – Gwin on Red Bull? Makes sense really and his morals? He started on Monster years ago, so I don’t see any moral issues with Red Bull.
Never too late for a comeback?!?!
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That wouldn’t be the great Queen Carro and her unstoppable bmx of doom would it?
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Can’t see her coming back, too much fun being the greatest ever as it is.
tracy mosley hanging up the boots? with her being the only one woth world champ striped shoes…
what’s the latest on Matti? how is he doing?
Don’t get the 4x one, there’s been plenty of complaints on pinkbike and dirt about it…
@ronin: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/News.aspx?NewsID=1891 6 hour surgery and drugged up for a while. Good news is his teeth are alright. It must have been a horrific crash, poor guy.
Why does everyone assume the athertons are leaving Commencal?
thnx Eoin. hopefully full recovery and rippin again
I think it’ll turn out that Gee Atherton and Greg Minnaar are having an affair, Sabrina Jonnier will father Nigel Page’s lovechild and Jason McRoy will make an unsuspected comeback, rising from the grave to win the series and the champs.
Matt Scoles to either Devinci or Scott. If he decides devinici then George branigan will be out id say.
Hart’s contract is till 2013 if i am not mistaken..
No, no…everyone has it wrong. Napalm is coming back and doing slopestyle competitions.
Steve Romaniuk will put his stanchion gaurds back on his Dorados and race the WC circut
so here is the fact sam wont be on specialized he is doing his own thing as he has been doing a benny cousins (look it up he is a aussie rules footballer)apparently he is back on track and gonna dominate but specilaized will not want to be tied to him if the story comes out offically as for bren dog he is on giant that is all
So Sams just partying it up and doing drugs and running from cops when he get’s pulled over?
And then making a comback and playing for Richmond . . .
Sam could almost be on any bike he likes, lets not doubt that. But if he just wants to party, like Romo did, then Specialized wont have him (like Romo)
Is Brosnan going to be on Specialized still ? Anyone got that Trek rumor sorted?
Chausson coming back?
UPDATE – Brook MCDonald on YETI
Nothing to do with the above ‘trumours’, but i was reading the latest Dirt Mag (#116) last night and came across new advert for the Nukeproof Scalp on page 23……. Is it just me or is that Greg Minaar in the photo as the pilot?? If so, does that mean Greg’s going to be on a Nukeproof next year? If its not Greg then its a boodly good likeness…..
if there is a space on spesh team then Al (james) Bond should get it!!
Giant things afoot: Brendog or Troy going to Giant.
Hanging up the boots: Peat to quit.
Wings: Definitely the Athertons the one on the left has a pony tail and it cant be Spech it must be GT because of the wings. However there was just a comp to design next years Atherton race kit.
I doubt Peaty will quit, I think that will be Tracy.
Yep, that’s got to be tracy’s boots – check the world champs striped shoes as well. Peaty doesn’t have them. She was rumoured to be retiring a year or so ago as well.
Just cos the Aff’s just had a kit compo doesn’t mean they cant just take the word commencal off it and put another name in its place.
Brendog to Giant
4cross gone
Ann Caro back
Tracy retired
Athertons on GT
Al Bond to change name
Gwinny on Red Bull
Sam on his own team
Bulldog chasing big money
TWR after Troy
4X cancelled – nobody cares.
But related threads on Pinkbike or Dirt had 300 and more comments within a short while. A very few from dual fans that were jubilant about UCI’s decision (for whatever reason, no one @UCI mentioned they were even thinking about replacing 4X with dual) and a whole lot of people that were rightfully disgusted by how the UCI went along and cancelled 4X. Seems like there’s a whole lot of nobodies out there. Which is a good thing.
As for the transfer gossip: Keep it coming!
Fact: The Atherton team on GT. Max Commencal can’t pay all the money than GT offered.
Top one, Thundertruck…….?
The one with peaty and the walking frame (displayed on @teamrumours twitter)
That’s meant to be a griffon (like on Peatys helmet) and someone ‘tempting’ the griffon.
Also, there are two people at the table and is the a contract on the table too?
Syndicate tempting peaty to sign another year, even though he is old ?
gee atherton- specialized
sam hill- own team after TB
brendog -giant freeride
sabrina jonnier hanging up the boots
Both Mick Hannah and Marc Beaumont have another year left on their contracts. Might just be a bigger GT pit area next year me thinks….
Do I win a prize for what appears to be the most liked comment on the Dirt website ever?!
Sam Blenkinsop signed Lapierre for 2 more years.
Source: http://www.velovert.com/information/4448/saison-2012-sarrou-signe-chez-lapierre-blenkinsop-a (French, sorry)
Someone trying to temp ‘Rat Boy’ away from Santa Cruz (with cheese)? The stick man with the zimmer must be Peaty…
@RaceFever I’m sure it’s a rat.
Sam Hill picks up his money is leaving for Europe !!!
What’s the craic with Gracia. I’d like to see him back next year, so impressed with the way he stepped it back up. That contents pic of him in PMB flat out and sideways is the best in a long time.
Sam Flockhart is off Lapierre. Team is now : Blenki, Cole, Bruni and ???
Tartine- No, it’s that Tracey Hannah coming back on the world cup circuit mate. She left when she did due to high cost of flights and accommodation. She’s now getting back into it. Look at the digger’s main engine cover- It’s got the feminine symbol on it. Like this > +o
Are Maxxis quitting as a main team sponsor? Looks like they’ve left a team in the pits with nothing but a frame and a bike stand………
It looks as if the cheese one could be the SC team as it appears to have “SC” written on the paper on the desk.
Rival top level event organizers fighting out for the top spot will do nothing but great things for the sport. More so if The DH1 series gets major money based backing from someone like Nissan.
Could the Maxxis one be that the maxxis rock mountain team will be with out Maxxis as a main sponsor? The team hasnt had the best season this year and besides Sabrina it dosent have any top dogs.
rocky mountain have pulled out of the maxxis team
God knows what happened to Maxxis Team
Good job Gareth !!!
“feminine symbol on it. Like this > +o”
Maxxis have stopped producing DH tyres altogether seems there;s not enough money in it to justify the r&d…hence what have a team…Rocky Mountain are getting out cos their bikes were frankly, shit!
Steve’s Pension Scheme (SPS) will no doubt continuer to develop with SC behind them…I can see SP becoming a grandfather figure soon, like H-Ball…although he didn’t cut the course in 2009!
Speccy don’t like SH22 so it’ll be a slightly different Monster in 2012 maybe with Sabrina back in the fold…onad Brendog elsewhere…cos’ he don’t get on with SH22.
As for 4X they made it look shit from the start…no wonder they had a rethink and booted it….should have gone with a moto format rather than qualifying etc.
@Barney ^^
Hell yes they should have used a moto format rather than timed quali’s and straight knockout. I understand time contraints are against them, especially runing DH quali on the Sat too, but some effort should have been made to try other formats firstm, rather than just dropping it.
If riders were looking at 3-4 motos to rack up points before potentially moving through to knockouts, maybe there’d be more entrants: I mean who wants to fly halfway round the globe to have one timed run and miss out by a hundreth of a second, or a puncture?
Perhaps that’s why national champs have a lower turnout in the senior/elite field when compared to a normal NPS weekend: £30 is a lot of money for just one run against the clock. That’s probably why the fun catagory is full of sandbaggers too, getting value for money racing and having a laugh!
Brendan Fairclogh has just tweeted about “big changes in 2012 new knee new face and maybe new wheels!!!”
so brendog is having cosmetic surgery as well as knee surgery and some new wheels built
amazing
Gareth > Not to mention the Australian flag and the fact that shes in a bulldozer after working as a landscaper or whatever to save her cash money
And the one with the Rat/Griffon . . .
I’ve never seen a Rat with wings, then again, I have never seen a griffon that eats cheese.
Beats me
acc => lapierre?
Cube makes a big DH Team
Maybe with The Athertons
Fairclough on scott?
Thanks for that dirt mag about 4x no wonder when their idiots like you in the sport…
‘Claudios Eleven’ has to be brendog, maybe on Scott as Downlow said.
dirt get some of your own content, why re-post stuff from the vital forum. get out and hustle some of your own news!
WAL, that is a massive rumour to just put out there on the web. Everyone always claims to have 100% credible sources when it come to these things, but the implication re Sam Hill is not a good one and could cause massive damage to his reputation/career, regardless of the voracity of the infomration. Perhaps would have been better to keep that kind of rumour under wraps.
@wheety these are from a twitter account that posts these and vital / dirt etc repost them.
they’re not vital’s original content.
Brendog is definitely off to Scott if his tweets are to be believed. Should be a good move for both parties – Scott needed a big name from outside mainland Europe. Brendog should be on big £. The Scott DH bikes are pretty good and underated too.
Brendan on Giant with braces and a rebuilt knee.
Monster dropping out of downhill. Maybe a factory specialized team with Troy and Sam.
BRILLiant day for hitch hiking. Bryn and Jill off transition looking for a ride? Hope they pick something up and Bryn can have an injury free season
Is the history of sports photography alluding to tighter control of photography at wc races? There are no ‘clicks’ by the ‘tog in 2020…
The Scott one is definitely for Al bond. He is jumping out of a pump track. Is there not a previous article on here of him doing exactly that???
Scott for Al Blond….. I doubt that! Surly anybody in there right wouldn’t hire a guy who raced all 2011 in a FOX jersey because he didn’t like the look of the Team Skene jersey, who by all acounts gave him his bike for the year…….. Great prospect for any team that.
@Ollie are you mental?????
DH Dave is that true? if so thats a bit of a piss take!
that lastest cartoon has gota be about brendog
scoot 11 could be bren-dog at his compound.
The 3 lads and the rat at the table, “Tempted”… Could be Bryceland? Ratboy…
WTF is a SH22 ?!?!?
I cant imagine brendog on a scott. The bikes wont suit his awesome style.
wheety…This is not a copy from Vital….it is from the twitter @teamrumours. Dirt and vital both have roots in DH racing thats why you see it on both sites.
20th Oct. @brendog_1
brendan fairclough
Off to Switzerland tomo for a few business meetings. Better dust the suit off!!! should be good.
Claudio’s top 11 at the top also mention Switzerland?
@ MadBikerRich ‘I cant imagine brendog on a scott. The bikes wont suit his awesome style.’
Really? not even a 200mm travel slack scott voltage DH?
is “SH22″ Sam Hill 22 coz i think he is 22 years old
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siemens-Halske_Sh_22
anything to do with this ?
Hes like 26 now isnt he jono?
SH22 is a moto reference. Chad Reed, who is from Australia and races number 22, built his own team last year.
…and is commonly referred to as CR22.
Bryn and Jill are defo off transition next season as tr are focusing on grass roots stuff. I know this as fact. Fin.
Tom Smith . . . . It looks like photog restrictions doesn’t it.
But it may also mean that new SLR’s are SILENT !!!! hahahaha
What next? Invisible too?
@ Leon well SH22 means Sam Hill 22, the number 22 is explain in the movie “The Entree”.
Al bond 3 good national results, give that boy a factory ride
The Rat is going for Swiss cheese..?..Brycland to Scott maybe…Scott def looking for a top rider. In the ‘Claudio Eleven’ pic who is that who looks like they are eating a Cheeseburger….?…
Brendog > Giant
Hill > M… Find the rest
^^M…ondraker?
Also pretty sure that pump track pic is of Brendog’s home set-up.
When i think of pumptrack i think of scott11, can it be that brandog has signed with scott??
Fairclough to Scott. Premier rider on the team. Deal signed.
Claudi’s 11 Part 2 is up (on Twitter)…Shows a dog being shown around a cheese factory. More evidence it’s Brendog?
Mondraker are doing their best to sign Sam Hill (they dropped Andreu Lacondeguy in order to fit the budget for a big DH name).
One of Brendawgs ‘Tweets’ on the 28th
Big team signing today, now gotta try and make it work on my end. A program certainly lost a rock star.” what JS7??
is JS7 any relation to Jacey Schumilak
And is by ‘losing a rockstar’ saying that Brendawg is def gone from Moster Energy Specialized and over to Scott 11 ?
JS7 is james stewart the motocross riders thing his number is 7
@ Rory
Looks like the ‘new’ Scott DH bike they are making in the cheese factory in the Claudio’s 11 part 2 tweet could be a Carbon one.
They ‘remove the outer cosmetic layer’ and then ‘squish it together to get rid of all the holes’
Sounds like the moulding of a carbon frame
Peaty to focus on winning DH1 in 2012, then switch to become DH1 ambassador/ tech consultant in 2013 and stop competing for UCI World Cup, just the Champs and DH1.
not longer a rumor: Brendan Fairclough moves on from Monster Energy / Specialized :/
Sam Hill signs with Chad Reeds “22 motorsports” team to ride Lites class for 2012. His talent on a 250 has not gone un-noticed, and Chad is stoked to have a talented fellow Aussie on his Team…………..
hilt taste the blood
Al Bond to Saracen.
Maybe Brendon too…
It’s official, Fabien Pedemanaud (Scott) leave DH.
I heard from an inside source that both Brendan and Sam Hill are moving to Scott…………………
Heard that Emanuel Pombo may not have a team either!!!!!
Is ratboy being tempted with cheese anything to do with the cheese/bike factory?
give Pombo a ride!
im gona be on the toilet! taking a shit, but not giving one!
So Brendog on Scott.. Athertons still yet to get a ride for next year.. And Bryn Atko and Jill Kinter on a new team with Needles?
lovin the Scott/Brendog shot.
whoever says Bryceland is going anywhere needs to get with the game, he is staying @ Santa Cruz, end of.
That first slide. Johan Potgieter and Stefan Garlicke (2 fast South Africans) are on the Canfield team for 2012. I know this cos they both told me. hence the reference to South Africa and CB.
Oh and the team is based in Austria.
After all the news about the Athertons going to GT and Fairclough leaving Specialized and (probably) going to Scott11 I have just noticed something and am not so sure.
Looking at Brendans twitter he hasnt said what bike manufacturer he has signed for but he has resigned with TLD and it looks like he is still sponsored by Monster as he has deleated the Specialized at the end of his profile.
Ride bikes as fast as i can down mountains and over rough terrain whilst having a good laugh. i ride for Monster Energy/
On Monday he said that the Boxxer is better than the Fox 40 and IIRC he was on the blackbox programme. Now Scott11 as a team are not sponsored by TLD Monster or Sram. They are sponsored (as a team) by TSG Red Bull Fox and Shimano. Now what are the chances that they will actually let him use these as personal sponsors instead of the team ones? Im not convinced that he will be on Scott next year.
http://scott11racing.com/en/sponsors
Oh and yes I am bored.
Tracy Hannah, Mic Hannah, Tim Bentley and Mitch Ropelato my guess…
Saw the Athertons on a Intense dh rigs in the hills today..
thought about ropelato too
Mossy, the Scott page could just be not updated. It’s “that time of the year” when decisions are being made and sponsors being changed. That’s why we all enjoy this speculation so much. Scott didn’t have an actual clothing sponsor, as they all make riding gear, but I can’t think how TLD can hurt their brand. Actually I can’t see how a different brand of goggles on some riders (Brendan has been on Smith since a long time and I don’t see why that should change) could do any harm either. I am pretty sure that the goggles and wintersports division is a whole different beast that is just graced with the Scott name, exactly like Santa Cruz Bicycles and NHS Inc.(Santa Cruz skateboarding/snowboarding/srufing etc.). Or think about Pritzel and Oakley, same thing. Anyway, my guess is that Red Bull is more of a personal connection of Claudio and Nick, who were/are Red Bull athletes. You didn’t see any silver and blue helmets on Floriane or Emily, have you. So I think Brendan could keep his Monster labeled TLD lid, no problem.
The last image that shows up first now is about a new Morewood United team who’s about to get new riders. Let’s see who they’ll be!
I have to add that I love Team Rumours and that who’s behind all this knows his shit best! I’d like to know who he is, but at the same time I like all the mistery.
Cheers!
Mx
Brendog on the Scott 11 team.
If the Athertons are indeed on Intense that would be wild. I’d love to see it happen, would be great exposure for the brand again.
100% Athertons on Intense..
Athertons on Intense would be very cool indeed
The Athertons rode Intense M1´s while on the Muddy Fox team back in 2004, so it´s kind of a cycle. Interesting…
The latest one is interesting too, as SRAM played a key role in the existence of The Sydicate. Santa Cruz is a rather small company and couldn´t afford such a team without major exterior financial help. I always viewed The Syndicate as SRAM´s own team who happens to ride Santa Cruz frames, not viceversa. That would be a big change for them, but do you really think that at this level SRAM´s competitors products are worse? I don´t, even though I am a SRAM/RockShox fan. It´s a matter of fine differences and things anyone can adjust to, a versatile pro rider even more so.
I also think that the main hint in the Morewood United rumour is the word “family”. Bentley wasn´t new to the team and Cousinie was the man putting this all together, so he will most likely stay with the team. “Family” and “Global” links to Mick and Tracey as they are brother and sister and Mick used to ride for Global back in the day. Also, the drawing leads to Cairns, but Tracey doesn´t live there anymore, in her own words. Hm! On Facebook there is a clear statement towards Fox Suspension.
Mx
Mx
Its all about money. Comments like ” The Athertons rode Intense M1´s while on the Muddy Fox team back in 2004, so it´s kind of a cycle” has nothing to do with it – its just sounds nice/sentimental. If any of the less fashionable frame makers offered any rider/s £5 million a year they would ride quite happily – forget brand loyalty – all money! If however all teams were offering the same money then preference will come into it but its not like that – you pay enough you can have any racer.
Sentimental indeed and you are totally right. Except that back then the M1 was the weapon of choice for many a racer, privateer or not. But times have changed and the players have multipled. And speaking of being sentimental and maybe a bit cheesy, I guess we all are, otherwise we’d give a rat’s ass about who’s riding what next year. In the end we’re all interested in the hints above and the keys to interpret them.
I think it’s normal that the Athertons test the hell out of every bike that is on the market and/or has been offered to them. Wouldn’t you? Even if they go with one, it’s important to know what the benefits and downsides of the others are. Maybe all the knowledge goes into a future product…
Mx
After a chat with a friend today, I thought he was taking the piss. However, the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. So here goes.
Athertons on Saracen
Right Doc Wat . . . .
That clearly explains the Team Rumor and the fact that they have been listed as Atherton GT racing on the UCI 2012 callendar.
Is your friend mentally incapacitated? Or have a past history of mental health issues? Does he even have a head ?
Danny Hart > Mongoose 100%