Rachel Atherton returns!

Rachel returns to racing

by 16

Downhill racing legend Rachel Atherton has announced a comeback as part of the recently expanded Continental-Atherton Racing team.

Squad! Hmm… what are those shoes (most of them) are wearing? Photo: Jack Tennyson

The multiple World Champ, and World Cup dominator, Rachel Atherton hasn’t raced a bike since 2019. In 2019 she seriously injured her Achille tendon during the Les Gets World Cup and spent the following months trying to get back to full fitness. In August last year she became a mother to Arna.

During Rachel’s absence from the World Cup things have changed immensely in women’s Downhill.

Tracey Hannah and Myriam Nicole filled the immediate void left by Rachel. Then newer names like Marine Cabirou, Nina Hoffman and Vali Holl began to up their game.

Rachel’s return is going to be fascinating for two reasons. Firstly, will she still be able to race at the level she used to? Secondly, what will her rival racers reactions be? Has their fear of Rachel diminished in her absence?

Rachel Atherton returns!
We wouldn’t bet against her

In the 2010s, women’s Downhill was owned by Rachel Atherton. Can she make a mark in the 2020s?

The earliest chance we’ll get to the answer of any of these questions is March. Lourdes is the venue for the 1st round of the 2022 World Cup DH season on 26-27th March.

Speaking of which…

2022 World Cup DH and World Championship schedule

  • March 26th-27th – Lourdes, France
  • May 21st-22th – Fort William
  • June 10th-12th – Leogang, Austria
  • July 8th-10th – Lenzerheide
  • July 15th17th – Vallnord, Andorra
  • July 29th-31st – Snowshoe, USA
  • August 5th-7th – Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada
  • September 2nd-4th – Val di Sole, Italy
  • August 24th–28th – World Championships, Les Gets, France

Rachel: “Getting back to the races is a huge driver, to be on the podium again would be the dream. I feel amazing on the bike but the strength and fitness are coming a bit more slowly! I’m just taking things one step at a time, I’d like to race some UK Nationals first then we’ll see where I’m really at!”

The Continental-Atherton Racing still features founding members Dan and Gee Atherton. Dan continues to mentor the team and develop the Dyfi Bike Park. Gee is making rehab progress after his jaw-dropping crash last year and has an eye on getting back to racing at some point this season.

Gee said “I’m missing being part of the action at the races and I’ve already got some big filming projects planned so I’m flat out on the rehab!”

Continental-Atherton Racing is heading into its third season. Millie Johnset has departed but two new names join the roster: first year Junior Dominic Platt and ‘Hardline survivor’ Jim Monro.

Under the Atherton Academy Dominic Platt won nearly everything on offer in the Under 16 category.

20 year old Jim Monro moved to the Dyfi three years ago to both push his racing on and to help Dan develop Dyfi Bike Park.

The two young Brits join Charlie Hatton and Andreas Kolb.

Team Director and Atherton Bikes CEO Dan Brown: “All riders will start the season onboard a final prototype of the mullet version of the AM200 with plans for the frame to go into full production in spring. There has been a lot of excellent work over the off-season, both from the riders and the design team, so we’re chomping at the bit to hear the start beeps in Lourdes.”

Heads up! There’s an interview with Rachel Atherton in issue 142 of Singletrack magazine, out early April.

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Orange Switch 6er. Stif Squatcher. Schwalbe Magic Mary Purple Addix front. Maxxis DHR II 3C MaxxTerra rear. Coil fan. Ebikes are not evil. I have been a writer for nigh on 20 years, a photographer for 25 years and a mountain biker for 30 years. I have written countless magazine and website features and route guides for the UK mountain bike press, most notably for the esteemed and highly regarded Singletrackworld. Although I am a Lancastrian, I freely admit that West Yorkshire is my favourite place to ride. Rarely a week goes by without me riding and exploring the South Pennines.

More posts from Ben

Home Forums Rachel returns to racing

Viewing 16 posts - 1 through 16 (of 16 total)
  • Rachel returns to racing
  • honourablegeorge
    Full Member

    Fair play, didn’t think she’d come back, would not bet against her

    weeksy
    Full Member

    Absolutely brilliant news. I think it’ll take a couple of races, bit she’ll be well on the pace soon.

    ayjaydoubleyou
    Full Member

    Catherine Pendrel raced world cup XC after her baby, as far as I know nobody has ever done so in DH.

    This season we’ve got:
    Rachel, Myriam, Seagrave, Vali, Camille and Hoffman who’ve all won races in the past and all fingers crossed doing a full season.
    Anybody I’ve forgotten?

    burner
    Free Member

    Marine Cabirou

    aide
    Full Member

    Looking forward to seeing this, I hope she does well on the comeback. Could be a good mix up this year with all the contenders in DHshould be a great season

    dirkpitt74
    Full Member

    Be good to see Rach back racing – T-Mo hasn’t done too bad either after having a baby in the E-EWS etc. so wouldn’t rule Rach out later in the season.

    Be interesting to see how Jimbo does – he was impressive at Hardline – more Brits on the WC circuit can’t be a bad thing.

    Gee is a machine – watching his rehab & workout routine on insta etc. the bloke is so focused – I’d have just packed it all in after that crash!!

    Murray
    Full Member

    Excellent news

    cyclelife
    Free Member

    Great news and I really hope she does well. My cynical side tells me it’s more about having “Atherton Bikes” at the world Cup races as I can’t see them selling many without a few podiums or wins at Elite level.

    benp1
    Full Member

    Totally off topic. That team pic makes me think we’re very close to full blown top to toe lycra

    chakaping
    Full Member

    My cynical side tells me it’s more about having “Atherton Bikes” at the world Cup races as I can’t see them selling many without a few podiums or wins at Elite level.

    I’m sure there’s an element of that, but she is fiercely competitive and has probably been watching RedBull TV and thinking “I could still beat that lot”.

    Fascinated to see how she fares.

    P-Jay
    Free Member

    When she announced she was expecting, I guessed that would be it for her racing career (and even said so on STW). Not because Baby=end of sports, or Mums should do high risk sports or anything like that. I considered her age, the injuries she’d suffered and long recoveries and of course how much ‘maternity leave’ she’d probally need/want and a guess of how much time she’d need to devote to Atherton Bikes etc. I’m glad my guess was wrong.

    It’ll be interesting to see how it all goes. STW write of course that the first chance we’ll see is Lourdes in March, I think UCI points are only good for 12 months, so will she have to race elsewhere first to qualify? I remember Peaty coming back for 1 last season after a year off for injury and struggled to get enough points to race WCs. She’s missed 2 full seasons of WC racing and 36, whilst far from old, is old enough to make a ‘come back’ hard work, but if anyone can…

    P-Jay
    Free Member

    Totally off topic. That team pic makes me think we’re very close to full blown top to toe lycra

    Most WC riders have been wearing ‘tight’ race kit for a few years now. Bodysuits are still banned by mutual agreement though, brands still want to sell stuff to the rest of us, but the pros kit is tailored for aero.

    chakaping
    Full Member

    When she announced she was expecting, I guessed that would be it for her racing career (and even said so on STW).

    I believe that I said she’d come back, just because she’ll still think she can win.

    But in the meantime I’d kind of changed my mind, so this is a lovely surprise.

    P-Jay
    Free Member

    I believe that I said she’d come back, just because she’ll still think she can win.

    But in the meantime I’d kind of changed my mind, so this is a lovely surprise.

    I’d find the original thread, but my buttocks are still warm from the beating I got for saying she’d retire, it seemed to trigger a lot of people until I gave my ‘long version’ explanation, which I was sure to repeat above!

    tomparkin
    Full Member

    I also thought that’d be it for her racing, as much from a “DH? Completed it, mate” perspective as anything else.

    It’ll be fascinating to see her racing again though, assuming she does indeed end up back on the WC circuit (I think I read something about doing some UK nationals first to see how she goes on).

    Even more excited for the season to start now :-)

    chakaping
    Full Member

    That’s my one fear, that she won’t show up unless she’s convinced she can win. So if she has teething problems at the nationals…

Viewing 16 posts - 1 through 16 (of 16 total)

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