With that and the Athertons going to Trek, it’s looking all change for next year.

Gwin setting up his own team rumour has it……

Dirt magazine asked YT some uncomfortable questions last year (maybe this year while they were still in print, cant remember?!) about why, when the Capra enduro bike and the Tues DH machine were so good that they dont have a factory team in either discipline….apparently money isnt an issue, look at the top US and Canadian freeriders they’ve recruited over the last few years….YT said it was in hand and ‘something’ would be happening soon….they intimated that they didnt want to make up the numbers and would want to come straight in with a winning rider….

…Gwin fits the bill in that respect, it’s an excellent opening into the US DH market and i should imagine YT would let Gwin play fast and loose with whatever components and sponsors he wanted to use.

I hope it happens.

Ditto the Athertons to Trek, that is a good bike and i could see Rachel being untouchable again and a resurgent Gee on such a sorted bike.

I think Gwinn would be mad to move away from Specialised and a bike on which he’s clearly dominant.

Ditto the Athertons to Trek, that is a good bike and i could see Rachel being untouchable again and a resurgent Gee on such a sorted bike.

I think Rachel would beat most of the current women’s field regardless on the bike she was riding, as for Gee, I remember the same sorts of things being said when they moved from Commencal to GT.

nickc – Member

I think Gwinn would be mad to move away from Specialised and a bike on which he’s clearly dominant.

He’s done it before, mind.

I think Gwinn would be mad to move away from Specialised and a bike on which he’s clearly dominant.

The bike is incidental really though isn’t it?

Set your forks rock hard, throw some love to big J and then crush the competition with your awesomeness… That’s the formula I thought…

Trek, spesh, YT… All the same in the end innit.

He’ll want to sort out the bike beforehand this time if so.

I know YT are doing well but I really can’t see them competing with the big S financially anyway.

Gwin setting up his own team rumour has it……

Just can’t see how this makes sense economically? The other sponsors won’t start paying double if Spesh is out of the picture, and are YT gonna pony up $2m or whatever as bike sponsor?

Thought Gwin left TWR and Martin Whiteley to get more control over his sponsorship opportunities anyway?

Thanks for teh Lolz ref big J cookeaa 😀

Don’t forget Gwin stopped Gwinning massively on his first Spec.

I know YT are doing well but I really can’t see them competing with the big S financially anyway.

Team Redbull?

I hope he can afford to wait 7 weeks for a replacement shock.

Gwin may well set up his own team but have Specialized or YT as the title sponsor. Sort of how Peaty and Gracia both rode for Santa Cruz but had totally different sponsors… Or how Clementz was sponsored by Cannondale but it wasn’t a factory team

Thanks for teh Lolz ref big J cookeaa

[video]https://youtu.be/vuAUI_0knfk[/video]
All in jest… Mostly.

Don’t forget Gwin stopped Gwinning massively on his first Spec.

Good point, but then there’s more to DH than just the Gwinning…

as with the move from TWR to spesh he was on a winning streak at the time, it made him valuable, same is true now, his stock is up.

Gwin isn’t stupid, he will know how quickly fortunes can change, you only need to look at the rider he displaced at specialized.

Sam Hill was in a similar position a few seasons back, the man to beat, sought after by sponsors, while he’s not exactly out of the running he hasn’t worried the top ten too much in recent years.

Hill Getting the boot in favour of Gwin illustrated just how DH racing is a business as much as a Labour of love for those at the sharp end…

Hill Getting the boot in favour of Gwin illustrated just how DH racing is a business as much as a Labour of love for those at the sharp end…

Hills contract was up the season he left, it was wasn’t so much a case of him being booted. He could probably have walked wherever he wanted to, the Hill effect is like the Brendan effect of steroids, look how many Sunday’s & demo 8’s he sold…

It was also a different setup, as it was Team Monster Energy Specialized, which was a follow on from the Monster Energy Madcatz Iron Horse days, it seems the setup is different now with Specialized being the title sponsor.