No one else read that as the Specialized Gravy Train?

Loic Bruni signs with Specialized for 2016

This says they were signed to Pure but the article makes it sound like two Spesh teams.

Edit – so still Pure then – http://www.mbr.co.uk/news/loic-bruni-will-leave-lapierre-for-2016-season-335688 (I’m going to slee now 😆 )

Substantial price hikes on the new 2016 YT range.

Biggest clue yet that they’ve hired Gwin, I reckon.

How much is substantial ? I didn’t think they were much of a hike and mostly due to the fact the bikes now come with Fox or Rockshocks.

(Probably because there were too many issues with the BOS suspension)

Anyway, YT is a small company and Gwin is massive. Id be surprised you could join those two dots together.

chakaping –
Substantial price hikes on the new 2016 YT range.

Biggest clue yet that they’ve hired Gwin, I reckon.

Biggest clue that they no longer need to be a discount / budget brand and they can pocket the savings they once passed on to the customer.

Just because Specialized have lots of cash doesn’t mean they want to spend lots, the press release said that they didn’t want to pay what Gwin was asking, not that they couldn’t.

I still think he’ll be doing a one man team and choosing his bike not specifically riding for a bike brand. Jerome Clementz & Cedric Gracia already do it successfully.

I think you’re correct about the way he (or Martin Whitely) will structure things podge, YT hiring him was wrong choice of words. Sponsoring more accurate.

Anyway, YT is a small company and Gwin is massive. Id be surprised you could join those two dots together.

Looks like it’s gonna happen though – the lack of any gossip in any other direction is another strong clue.

chakaping – Member
I think you’re correct about the way he (or Martin Whitely) will structure things

Has Martin Whiteley been confirmed? I hadn’t read it anywhere but it was the obvious thing to happen.

Has Martin Whiteley been confirmed?

no but rumoured, seems likely to me

possibly delaying announcement while he signs up more brands?

Dint Martin Whiteley run the Trek team that Gwin left under not so nice terms?

thepodge – Member
Dint Martin Whiteley run the Trek team that Gwin left under not so nice terms?

Yep but they’re both grown ups and I’m sure wouldn’t let a bit of “business” get in the way of business.

Or is Whiteley/23 Degrees running the GT team now?

Another rumour but from a pretty crdible source

MBA Article

A German mag has just called it.

Gwin to YT/KTM/Audi/RedBull.

Little bit here..

So almost everyone guessed right then.

😆

Obviously all they remain rumors until confirmed officially, but is more than clear that the end result of his 2016 squad will differ little from this

So still not confirmed and just the same gossip everyone else has been spouting

So still not confirmed and just the same gossip everyone else has been spouting

Would you bet against it?

Would you bet against it?

They’d be rubbish odds.

All that German site has done is rehash all the current rumours and then tell us its not confirmed. Its just clickbait.

So you don’t think he’s going then?

I’m not saying it couldn’t be true, its just nothing new and still unconfirmed so a largely pointless news article.

I’d also be a bit surprised if its Audi & KTM as both make high performance cars something I would have thought would come under a non compete clause in a contract.

To be fair, when rumours are this strong, it normally turns out to be true though!

Strong isn’t the same as repeated. So far all we have is a load of unconfirmed news articles, a cryptic cartoon drawing and a suggestion by a brand that is laughing at the amount of exposure they are getting.

Strong isn’t the same as repeated

Hmm. It kind of is. The more people/organisations who put their name to a “story” (usually) the more credible it becomes, and the mtb rumours thing gets much more right than they do wrong.

No one has put their name to a story, 2 maybe 3 German magazines have published click bait and openly admitted its not confirmed.

Again it could be true but just because everyone says it is doesn’t mean it is. Half the comments on this matter still cannot grasp the concept that Specialized said they wouldn’t, not couldn’t, pay what Gwin was asking, has that changed the finances of Specialized? no but lots of people have said it so it must be true now.

Does anyone really think that $spe$h couldn’t afford the money for a single athlete? 😯
They are a huge corporate beast and could pretty much get whoever they want. I’m thinking they want to move more towards enduro (hence Graves). It sells more product and huge corporates like that kind of thing.

Yes, lots of people have been saying it cant be YT because if Specialized cannot afford him then there is no way YT can…

I’d also be a bit surprised if its Audi & KTM as both make high performance cars something I would have thought would come under a non compete clause in a contract.

that’s like saying Caterham compete with Ford (or vice versa)..?

Seen far more odd set ups especially in Motorsport. Anyway, it wont be YT paying the money, it will be the marketing guys getting in from additional sponsorship opportunities, YT will just be fronting the frames. Look at the Redbull model, they don’t pay for anything, yet they sponsor pretty much everything..

I’d bet that people would be amazed how much money a direct sales model brings a manufacturer……

Remember there’s also now an absence of conflicting rumours.

And it won’t be “confirmed” until it’s official. These embargo-breaking stories are so rare in the cosy world of MTB, I think it’s quite refreshing.

Look at the Redbull model, they don’t pay for anything, yet they sponsor pretty much everything.

How does that work then?

Yes, lots of people have been saying it cant be YT because if Specialized cannot afford him then there is no way YT can…

Specialized could afford him, they just did not value him as highly as he valued himself.

Keep up at the back please

http://nsmb.com/aaron-gwin-official/

LOL

Keep up at the back please

Think it’s you at the back, in denial it’s a done deal 🙄

Rick Draper – Keep up at the back please
Think it’s you at the back, in denial it’s a done deal

I never said it wasn’t a done deal, I said nothing has been confirmed.

As for the latest link… Another German site and no official confirmation. I’ll believe it when its on a more reputable site or on Gwin’s site.

Seems Audi have taken note of all the STW owners 😆

NSMB is a reputable Canadian site, sounds like they already knew.

NSMB are linking to an obscure German site, they are simply reporting that someone else is reporting…

I suspect a few news outlets may already know but have been told not to say anything.

NSMB are linking to an obscure German site, they are simply reporting that someone else is reporting…

Hence the LOL. They have said something without saying something if you get what I mean.

There was a tweet the other day about it. Basically saying it might look like a YT but it won’t be any YT people can buy. Sounded very much like it will be made in a decent factory and not crack at the first sign of anything slightly off road.

The motorsports model makes sense here – yt would just be a frame provider, in the same way a car brand is just a parts/engine supplier to an f1 team. Effectively this is Aaron Gwin Racing, with (TBC) multiple sponsors to achieve his overall target income.

Good fit for Audi, good fit for KTM, good wage boost for Gwin and hopefully opens the door to more deals like this, boosting the sponsorship pot overall and increasing the reach of the sport to a wider audience, and so growing new participants.