5 Key Stats from Downhill Racers in the Pinkbike State of the Sport Survey
Welcome to the 2021 Pinkbike State of the Sport Survey. This anonymous survey is designed to help shed light on key issues affecting the professional field and elite competition. We surveyed the best riders in the world to hear their thoughts, ideas, concerns, and criticisms on mountain biking in 2021. We invited any rider who had finished in the Top 40 overall of their chosen discipline in either of the previous two seasons in either XC, enduro, downhill, or slopestyle & freeride, as well as notable non-competition riders and highly ranked juniors. We then published them in full and publicly. To read the introduction to the survey click here, and to see all the other currently published SOTS articles click here.
![photo]()
![Aaron Gwin roars into the finish line as the massive crowd roars right back. The fans here in Fort William really are second to none on the Word Cup circuit.]()
Included in our data are the answers of 82 downhill riders. Please note, however, that not all of these nominated downhill as their primary discipline. In fact, 15 of them, whilst being highly ranked in the UCI downhill series, actually nominated enduro as their discipline. Of the elite riders surveyed, every single one was from either Europe, North America, or Oceania. 35% of riders who nominated downhill as their primary discipline are female.
The information in our survey is coming from exceptionally talented and dedicated elite athletes. Of the riders who compete in Elite downhill included in this survey, nearly 9% have won a World Cup, another 27% have podiumed, and an additional 43% have achieved a top 20.
I think we should preface all of this data by acknowledging a blind spot in the way that we collected the data - we wanted to hear back from the very best of the elite. These riders will often have the most experience and have risen through the ranks to the very top. Now, this is exactly what we want in almost every regard, however, the one place it could be argued it might not deliver parity is when challenging the status quo in terms of the protected rider system and practice schedules.
This is an interesting point. These riders have earned their place at the top by coming through the current system, often struggling for coverage, early starts in B practice on a fast-changing track, and non-protected status. Now that they have proved themselves to be worthy of their benefits, should they be expected to challenge those structures and rulings? I would imagine that if we had asked the riders ranked 50-100 in the world we could see different outcomes in these areas. That being said, fans want the best downhill riders to stay in downhill and, as notable examples have shown, not become disillusioned and go into different disciplines.
Downhill may well be the Pinnacle of Mountain Biking Talent, but Riders' Incomes Don’t Reflect That
![A quick walk to the other end of the pit row and things begin to takeon a completely different look. At least 3 to 4 privateer pits and as many times the riders squeeze into the same size space as a single factory team.]()
The breakdown of how all the riders surveyed are paid is available to read in full here. In today’s survey snapshot, we’re talking solely about World Cup downhill, but in order not to threaten any riders' anonymity we’re not publishing a full breakdown of in discipline earnings. That said, we can pull out these statistics - of the riders surveyed who nominated downhill as their primary discipline, so excluding those that are enduro riders first and downhill second, 49% earned a total of between 0-5,000 USD per annum. If we exclude juniors, that falls to 43% of riders are earning less than 5,000 USD. Again, excluding juniors, 11% earn 5,000-10,000 USD and 13% between 10,000-20,000 USD.
The wages of professional riders is a nuanced and multifaceted issue. Today we're mainly presenting the data from the riders, but we will be bringing further articles regarding the the results of this survey in due course.
Riders Believe Field Sizes Should Grow
![It was only a matter of time before things started falling into place for Reece Wilson. Believe me when I say his performance last week was no flash in the pan he s hungry and capable of much more.]()
This is a contentious issue since the rule change in 2017 when the number of riders who could qualify on Saturday to Sunday’s men’s race was reduced from 80 to 60. On one hand, 60 riders in a race field isn’t small compared to other sports, but if you consider how close racing has become, and how mechanicals and ‘bad luck’ aren’t uncommon, it can mean that what is already an unpredictable and cruel sport can become even more so. By our data, 53% of riders surveyed think that the field should be over 60. Considering that a lot of these riders probably benefit from protected status, that’s actually very interesting.
Riders want stronger National series
![Danny Hart]()
Mountain biking, for whatever reason does the inverse of this. It wasn’t always this way, of course, but today it's largely world-cup-or-bust for many athletes; there are few thriving national series to serve as a talent pool and ease the transition to international competition. The World Cups are exhausting to attend, both logistically and financially, but could compliment a domestic race season well. A surprising 23% of riders surveyed strongly feel they would rather race a better funded and more prestigious national series than a World Cup.
Riders are Generally Okay with the Protected Rider System
![Outgoing overall winner from last year Myriam Nicole had to settle for third today.]()
However, these survey results could be affected by selection bias—the status quo benefits many of the riders we surveyed. It’s worth noting that more people feel strongly against it as they do strongly for. Also consider that if a rider often falls outside the benefits of the protected system they are likely to consider the system more, whilst if they are a rider that consistently benefits, they may not have to confront or acknowledge their feelings towards the current system in the same manner.
Over Half of Female DH Racers are Unhappy With the Practice Schedule
![Rachel Atherton smashing rocks and raindrops in Fort William.]()
Currently, the women definitely get the short straw in terms of practice. Not only is it early in the morning, which can often lead to complications regarding the weather, but it also means that their time isn’t used so efficiently over the course of the weekend with more waiting around in the pits. At an elite level when rest is important, this is surely a disadvantage to achieving your optimal condition. Not only do you have to warm up twice during the course of a day but there are also bigger gaps between riding the track as it develops, and not all of them get timed practice. These problems are compounded by the women's field being split between Practice A and B.
A Selection of Comments from the Riders
We’ve decided to look at the data and take out a few key stats of each discipline. First up - downhill.
Downhill is often cited as the “the Formula One of mountain biking” and, in some ways, it is. The line preparation is meticulous, the tracks are well known and it follows a very structured weekend format. There are of course some major differences, firstly, there is largely no formula for bike design. The field is also far larger and just qualifying can be a battle in itself and, much to the consternation of those involved.
On the other hand, it is similar in that the pressure on riders' shoulders is huge, the entertainment engrossing, and the consequences incredibly high.
Downhill is often cited as the “the Formula One of mountain biking” and, in some ways, it is. The line preparation is meticulous, the tracks are well known and it follows a very structured weekend format. There are of course some major differences, firstly, there is largely no formula for bike design. The field is also far larger and just qualifying can be a battle in itself and, much to the consternation of those involved.
On the other hand, it is similar in that the pressure on riders' shoulders is huge, the entertainment engrossing, and the consequences incredibly high.
Downhill Cohort Details
Number of Riders: 82
EWS Riders Who Race Downhill: 13
Men/Women: 53/29
Juniors: 13
Elite Race Winners: 6
Elite Podium Finishers: 19
Home Continent:
Africa - 0
Asia - 0
Europe - 53
North America - 16
Oceania - 13
South America - 0
Median Wage: 5,000-10,000 USD
Number of Riders: 82
EWS Riders Who Race Downhill: 13
Men/Women: 53/29
Juniors: 13
Elite Race Winners: 6
Elite Podium Finishers: 19
Home Continent:
Africa - 0
Asia - 0
Europe - 53
North America - 16
Oceania - 13
South America - 0
Median Wage: 5,000-10,000 USD
Included in our data are the answers of 82 downhill riders. Please note, however, that not all of these nominated downhill as their primary discipline. In fact, 15 of them, whilst being highly ranked in the UCI downhill series, actually nominated enduro as their discipline. Of the elite riders surveyed, every single one was from either Europe, North America, or Oceania. 35% of riders who nominated downhill as their primary discipline are female.
The information in our survey is coming from exceptionally talented and dedicated elite athletes. Of the riders who compete in Elite downhill included in this survey, nearly 9% have won a World Cup, another 27% have podiumed, and an additional 43% have achieved a top 20.
I think we should preface all of this data by acknowledging a blind spot in the way that we collected the data - we wanted to hear back from the very best of the elite. These riders will often have the most experience and have risen through the ranks to the very top. Now, this is exactly what we want in almost every regard, however, the one place it could be argued it might not deliver parity is when challenging the status quo in terms of the protected rider system and practice schedules.
This is an interesting point. These riders have earned their place at the top by coming through the current system, often struggling for coverage, early starts in B practice on a fast-changing track, and non-protected status. Now that they have proved themselves to be worthy of their benefits, should they be expected to challenge those structures and rulings? I would imagine that if we had asked the riders ranked 50-100 in the world we could see different outcomes in these areas. That being said, fans want the best downhill riders to stay in downhill and, as notable examples have shown, not become disillusioned and go into different disciplines.
Downhill may well be the Pinnacle of Mountain Biking Talent, but Riders' Incomes Don’t Reflect That
The breakdown of how all the riders surveyed are paid is available to read in full here. In today’s survey snapshot, we’re talking solely about World Cup downhill, but in order not to threaten any riders' anonymity we’re not publishing a full breakdown of in discipline earnings. That said, we can pull out these statistics - of the riders surveyed who nominated downhill as their primary discipline, so excluding those that are enduro riders first and downhill second, 49% earned a total of between 0-5,000 USD per annum. If we exclude juniors, that falls to 43% of riders are earning less than 5,000 USD. Again, excluding juniors, 11% earn 5,000-10,000 USD and 13% between 10,000-20,000 USD.
The wages of professional riders is a nuanced and multifaceted issue. Today we're mainly presenting the data from the riders, but we will be bringing further articles regarding the the results of this survey in due course.
Riders Believe Field Sizes Should Grow
This is a contentious issue since the rule change in 2017 when the number of riders who could qualify on Saturday to Sunday’s men’s race was reduced from 80 to 60. On one hand, 60 riders in a race field isn’t small compared to other sports, but if you consider how close racing has become, and how mechanicals and ‘bad luck’ aren’t uncommon, it can mean that what is already an unpredictable and cruel sport can become even more so. By our data, 53% of riders surveyed think that the field should be over 60. Considering that a lot of these riders probably benefit from protected status, that’s actually very interesting.
Riders back having a female elite field larger than 15, over 65% in fact. Every single woman downhill rider that we surveyed wanted an increase in the size of the Elite women's field. Of the women surveyed, around 55% wanted a field size of 15-20 riders, whereas the rest wanted at least 20 riders.
How many men should qualify for Elite World Cup finals?
20 or fewer: 0
20-40: 4 (4.8%)
20-60: 4 (4.8%)
It should stay at 60: 29 (34.9%)
60-80: 44 (53%)
80+: 2 (2.4%)
20 or fewer: 0
20-40: 4 (4.8%)
20-60: 4 (4.8%)
It should stay at 60: 29 (34.9%)
60-80: 44 (53%)
80+: 2 (2.4%)
Riders want stronger National series
Mountain biking occupies something of a strange place in sports. While many other sports have thriving domestic calendars mixed with occasional events on the continental or world stage, inclusion in which is either done by way of qualification or by showcasing exceptional performances.
If my national series was more prestigious or better funded, I would rather attend that
Strongly Agree: 19 (22.9%)
Agree: 14 (16.9%)
Neutral: 23 (27.7%)
Disagree: 21 (25.3%)
Strongly Disagree: 6 (7.2%)
Strongly Agree: 19 (22.9%)
Agree: 14 (16.9%)
Neutral: 23 (27.7%)
Disagree: 21 (25.3%)
Strongly Disagree: 6 (7.2%)
Mountain biking, for whatever reason does the inverse of this. It wasn’t always this way, of course, but today it's largely world-cup-or-bust for many athletes; there are few thriving national series to serve as a talent pool and ease the transition to international competition. The World Cups are exhausting to attend, both logistically and financially, but could compliment a domestic race season well. A surprising 23% of riders surveyed strongly feel they would rather race a better funded and more prestigious national series than a World Cup.
Riders are Generally Okay with the Protected Rider System
41% of riders agree with the current protected rider system, with an additional 5% in strong agreement. Another 24% are neutral to it. This might be surprising to some, given the hard time and downright confusion it is greeted with from viewers. The protected rider system not only ensures closer competition in terms of the overall but also adds commercial value to larger teams and riders alike, as they can subsequently near-guarantee live coverage.
The current protected rider system ensures fairer racing
Strongly Agree: 4 (4.8%)
Agree: 34 (41%)
Neutral: 20 (24.1%)
Disagree: 16 (19.3%)
Strongly Disagree: 9 (10.8%)
Strongly Agree: 4 (4.8%)
Agree: 34 (41%)
Neutral: 20 (24.1%)
Disagree: 16 (19.3%)
Strongly Disagree: 9 (10.8%)
However, these survey results could be affected by selection bias—the status quo benefits many of the riders we surveyed. It’s worth noting that more people feel strongly against it as they do strongly for. Also consider that if a rider often falls outside the benefits of the protected system they are likely to consider the system more, whilst if they are a rider that consistently benefits, they may not have to confront or acknowledge their feelings towards the current system in the same manner.
Over Half of Female DH Racers are Unhappy With the Practice Schedule
The dissatisfaction with the practice weekend practice schedule is something we hear a lot about, not least at the events themselves. Our results would seem to suggest that the disgruntlement isn’t as prevalent as you might think though. 52% of riders agree with it, with a further 5% strongly agreeing. However, if we look solely at the women's field, we can see that over 50% of female riders either disprove or strongly disapprove of the current schedule.
I like the current weekend practice schedule (men & women)
Strongly Agree: 4 (4.9%)
Agree: 43 (52.4%)
Neutral: 13 (15.9%)
Disagree: 14 (17.1%)
Strongly Disagree: 8 (9.8%)
Strongly Agree: 4 (4.9%)
Agree: 43 (52.4%)
Neutral: 13 (15.9%)
Disagree: 14 (17.1%)
Strongly Disagree: 8 (9.8%)
Currently, the women definitely get the short straw in terms of practice. Not only is it early in the morning, which can often lead to complications regarding the weather, but it also means that their time isn’t used so efficiently over the course of the weekend with more waiting around in the pits. At an elite level when rest is important, this is surely a disadvantage to achieving your optimal condition. Not only do you have to warm up twice during the course of a day but there are also bigger gaps between riding the track as it develops, and not all of them get timed practice. These problems are compounded by the women's field being split between Practice A and B.
A Selection of Comments from the Riders
 | There is a gulf of difference between the practice/preparation riders have in A category when compared to those in B category. |
| It's all about teams with big budgets. If you consider the trackside video analysis and coaching, coupled with ability to practice a largely unchanged track prior to the event, it makes a huge difference to results. |
| The only major issue I have with the state of WC downhill is there are just not enough rounds. Very few legitimate sports have so few events at the premier level and I think this needs to change. |
| Sometimes schedules could be changed to ensure fairer racing. |
| We are still dealing with the rule that the top five female riders are able to train later in the day on the 1st and 2nd day. This is a complete joke as a later practice is clearly an advantage, knowing the race takes place at the same time as A practice is every day. A few riders, myself included, wrote to the UCI and riders representatives, we discussed it but the rule is still in place. The schedule for B practice is horrendous and it's a big issue but splitting the women's field in two is unfair as it gets. It's just not the solution! The 6th ranked rider isn't really that much slower than the top 5. |
| With the protected rule it's hard to get upfront every time, and separates the field into two groups with different concerns. As a privateer or semi-pro it's hard to see a top 20 rider, who gets paid, having a puncture because they’re going all out in qualifying and still be able to race on Sunday. While the 20+ riders that have to worry about getting down safe and still make it into the top 60. I would prefer to have no protected riders at all and instead create a last chance qualifier like supercross has, which means that if a top rider has a puncture and they can’t feature in the live stream, they’ve got another chance to show their "superstar" level. |
| In terms of doping and cheating, whilst I feel that downhill racing is honest and fair, I really don't believe that the issue is that there are hidden ebike motors or something like that. On the other hand, with a defined A and B practice it's a different story. |
| The gap between factory top riders from big teams and normal "privateer" riders when it comes to technical and medical support is too big. |
| Explanation on practice schedule fairness: I do not think it is completely fair for the top 5 women to be able to practice in A practice and timed training. Practicing at different times means different track conditions and is an oppotunity to ride the course closer to when the race takes place. |
| There’s very very little in the way of testing bikes for cheating so we don’t know if "mechanical doping" an issue. Is any advantage classed as cheating? Hard to say if it’s all fair. |
Author Info:
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You probably saw this - but that means 50% of respondants are below & 50% above.It says nothing about the average of the top guys. The result indicates there's probably a lot of people who make zero / essentially zero. That being said - i'm sure for the top guys - it's a lot lower than supercross...
Asside RE stay in school vs try and go pro - newly crowned "old guy" - recognize if you're considering, when u start to compete, you'll know in a couple years. If you're not crushing with less effort - stay in school. I did - lifes great, still ride, no regrets.
@brianpark - love the series, how about the next survey be with marketing managers at brands asking about why they sponsor, tangible ROI on sponsorships, social campaigns, etc. ?
I actually tried to get some marketing folks to give some anonymous feedback on these results and nobody I spoke to wanted to stick their necks out, understandably. Maybe if it’s part of a bigger group of marketing folks people would be more keen in the future.
Either way I know what we’re going to argue about when we record a special edition podcast tomorrow.
I'm huge fan of downhill racing and raced as a privateer for 14 years in the pro class. I've worked with Greg Minnaar quite a few times so I'm certainly not anti racer sponsorship, I just don't think the ROI towards sales is worth it. Maybe for R&D and brand awareness it's worth it.
I don't know enough to say it's the right or wrong approach, but I will say that's what I do when it comes to activities I don't know as much about. Motorcycles? I'll talk to Radek. Headphones? My brother. Cars? Uhh, actually not Levy, that's for sure.
Take Endura clothing as an example; I don't think it would be so hard to get hold of some if it wasn't for the likes of MacAskill or the Athertons being used as vehicles to get their name out there. In my mind those riders don't sell the kit, the quality and design does that, but the sponsorship puts the brand in contention amongst people who are already invested in the sport, and at least have an idea of what they're looking for.
But when it's time for them to upgrade a part or to a new ride then they come to me and my brand knowledge from sites like this and from manufacturer press or from team riders comes into play. So yes that works at least in my circles. Just don't ask me about Philadelphia sports teams!
I love the sport and spend a lot of time on my bike, but up until a few years back, I couldn’t name a single racer. I started paying attention about the time Gwin won his chainless run.
I guess I noticed YT a little more when he rode for them. Never bought a YT, though. And now I have no interest. Rachel Atherton made me think about Trek a little bit, but never enough to buy one. But then maybe for every few guys like me, there’s a rider who makes that conversion. Four of us take notice but one guy buys. Maybe that’s how it works. But I think it’s kind of a minor factor compared to the real deciding factors, like how a bike rides, what it costs, reputation, etc.
Always going to be a problem getting sales high enough, for profits. but for manufacturers, sponsorship is a tax deductible expense, no matter how much costs, but still has to be payed from bike sales
The Formula One comparison seems strong here too thinking about say Schumacher and the F1 car innovations that have since turned up on their road cars.
How many rounds of Supercross, then how many rounds of outdoor in the summer.
Those guys are racing 17 weekends in the winter/spring
Then about 12 weekends through the summer
29 weekends of racing at the highest level
WC riders do 7 races, then Worlds. 8 Elite level races
I know most do a few other local races and some like WIndrock have some top talent, but they are not the level of the World Cups.
More races = more money, just need the UCI not kill the venues to hold these events.
Roots and Rain 2019 events (I think most races report to them these days)
Minaar - 10 results
Bruni - 12 results
Pierron - 12 results
Verfier - 11 results
Gwin - 12 results
Danny Hart - 20 results (earning his money)
Richie Rude - 8 events
You work 8 - 12 weekends a year and expect big money???
I know training happens every day, all athletes put the time in all year.
More exposure = more money, it's simple marketing/economics.
Would love to see 4-5 European races, take a break for National Champs and then 4-5 North American Races. Base the start of the season on where World Champs are, if they are in Europe, then the second half of the season is in Europe so everyone is over there.
They also would need to figure out how to get Australia/N.Z. involved as well as South America.
I like what EWS was doing, one year they would do a couple events in South America, then the next year Australia and N.Z. Eventually I think Asia will need to be there as well.
But it was saying that on any given day that the top 20 men can take a W with their skill but only 5 ever will because of the mental side
Exactly. Was interesting to hear them talk about that
btw so far in 2021 Rossi's best finish is 17th and hasn't won a race since 2017.
This works well for motorsports and honestly I'm usually just fast forwarding through the early runs until the top 20 qualifiers start to drop. It would be more interesting to watch the lesser known riders if they were actually in a race for top spot.
The World Cup should be way more than 10 rounds, and only for the absolute elite riders. Cutting the field would eliminate the problem of unfair split practices too, and by doing best of 2 or something you also eliminate the stupid mechanicals or weather delays altering the results.
Cutting the field HAS to be paired with better regional (national/continental) series with more events, so that up and coming privateers have a place to make a name for themselves to earn a spot with a World Cup team. Local race series sellout in minutes, there’s a demand to participate but the organizers don’t have the bandwidth to hold more events.
You could run the WC2 circuit in conjunction with the WC1 races just earlier in the week. This way teams can have racers in both classes and do proper scouting. Privateer riders would also get exposure to the Elites. You could also do a Pro/Rel style where the Top 10 in WC2 move up to WC1 and the bottom 10 in WC1 move down to WC2 for the next season.
The bummer here would be the lack of the rising privateer who has a kick-ass season (i.e. denim destroyer) mixing it with elites. Although he may get more support (sponsor opportunities) dominating WC2 when all sponsors know he's moving to WC1 the next year and will be on TV every event.
Plus, it might help push women's racing forward - we know that riders like Rachel aren't thaaaat far off men's times.
Maybe double header but with more days between the races?
Who makes these hidden motors and how do I get one? Call me skeptical.
One figure i'd love to know is "how many people watch RebBull TV DH racing in a given weekend". I'd throw a figure out there of 200,000 worldwide. That's my guess...
Now think about how many people watch a given Premier League, La Liga, etc game, it's millions upon millions upon millions. So the revenue from TV rights is massively more.
Until DH and MTB grow as a worldwide everyday appeal sport for the masses, the money sadly won't be there for riders.
Given the recent boom there may be some other interested broadcasters now (see Discovery taking a stake in Enduro) which could only help boost the value of the sport. A rising tide lifts all boats and all that.
Its always going to be tough making a living out of what is a way of life. You can't rely on just being good unless you're at the top got to bethinking of what value can I add to a brand and that's always going to be limited unless you are right at the top.
"Over Half of Female DH Racers are Unhappy With the Practice Schedule"
But it seems like 73% agree/approve or are neutral about "I like the current weekend practice schedule" and that only 26.9% disagree or strongly disagree and therefore would be "unhappy with the practice schedule"?
Just checking... nice info!!
Then Jamie turns up in his dads car, Ben sticks him in his little tent, the weather gods play a part and he nearly wins.
Maybe it should be more fair.
Scrap protected riders.
Scrap A and B practice.
Let it go back to throw your seeding, but you lose the points and gamble for race day weather if people want to do that.
Juniors, Women still need their own race and the track does get mullered quite often after they have come down due to the elite men.
Scrap or add to qualification points to allow for the local heros to enter.
One thing that Crankworx Whistler always shows up is there are local fast people who dont race the WC circuit, no point claiming 20th, when 10 other locals who could take that of you dont have the points to enter!!!
Oh, and I really want to see played back helmet camera footage of peoples runs, then analysis of the runs side by side. ( could never do it live as all the teams would just watch the footage to look for changing track conditions, but a delayed broadcast with this footage would be so cool).
I see several comments about Supercross riders making more money than downhill. Only the top Supercross riders get a decent salary (maybe 15 riders) the rest of the 40+ person field get no salary and ride for prize money and contingency money.
It has to come from the grass roots up. You can't just increase the category size to 60 and call everyone elite when most of them are far from it.
In both DH and XC there are awesome riders hitting the 40-60th place for basically no money but I couldn't name any of them. What value do they bring to sponsors if they don't get significant TV time and no one knows who they are?
In UCI DH on the other hand, races are a maximum of 5 minutes long, plus one qualifying run, plus a minimum two practice runs and a walk of the course. Would the total time on the track including walking the course for one UCI world cup even add up to the same time as one road race?
A fairer comparison would be between DH racers and individual pursuit on the track. Nobody made a living racing pursuit either.
A guy I rode with raced junior WC etc. My advice was enjoy bikes but focus on uni and his engineering degree as he was a smart lad. By these stats he would be murdering the wages of the majority of the DH Pros. I can 100% see the alure and benefit of living a fun life not being stuck in consumerism, but damn for the wages they list, scraping along is only fun when young? All that said I tell my kids to never let go of their passions and do what makes them happy, but at the end of the day they need money to live.
whoever said this, is a complete f*cking twat. what, should all the teams give their competiton some of their resources to balance it out? should the UCI prohibit the elite teams from giving their athletes the care and support they can afford?
socialist bullshit thinking on full display with this brainiac.