Ibis Enduro Team Pulls Out of World Cup Racing

Sep 15, 2023
by Ed Spratt  
Raphaela Richter took 4th in the women s race her best result of the season

Following Katy Winton's news about her uncertain future the Ibis Racing team has announced it is stepping away from World Cup racing.

Ibis Racing has become the first victim of what is expected to be a rough off-season for teams and riders as it has announced it will be pulling out of the EDR World Cups. Alongside the team statement, riders Zakarias Johansen and Cole Lucas have revealed that while they still want to continue racing they have nothing lined up for future seasons yet. There has been no word yet from Raphaela Richter on whether she has managed to secure a ride for 2024.

From the rumours we are hearing while Ibis is the first to make this announcement we may see some of the biggest names in the sport also make similar announcements as the future of Enduro World Cup racing hangs in the balance.


bigquotesWe are at the end of the road for this World Cup season and this will also mark the end of @ibisracing as we know it…

It has been a privilege to be a platform for athletes to grow and give them the opportunity to chase their dreams!

After numerous podiums, winning the team overall and developing up and comers into world class racers it is now time to say good bye. At least for now.

We couldn’t have done any of this without all of you guys so a massive thank you to our supporters, sponsors, riders and staff both past and present. It has been an absolute honour and we hope to be back at the races with you all at some point!— Ibis Racing


bigquotesIt’s been an amazing journey working together with @ibisracing and the awesome people behind the team and at @ibiscycles . So it’s with tears in my eyes I’m now telling you this weekend will mark the last race for the @ibisracing team I have been with the team for almost half of it’s existence on the world enduro circuit and also got my first podium together with this team. With a strong desire to keep on racing and the fact I now have my small family to provide for it’s definitely not an ideal position to be in. I’m not sure what the future holds for myself and my racing career and with no contract signed for the future this might be my last EDR race. But I will stay positive and keep on fighting to the end! Thanks for all the support— Zakarias Johansen


bigquotesIt’s been an unreal four years racing with @ibisracing that has unfortunately come to a end. These guys picked me up after my privateer year in 2019 and made my childhood dream come true to race professionally. Which I will be forever grateful for! A huge thanks to @talltom67 and @robin_wallner for all their help and guidance along the way it’s been a fun ride. As for what’s next for me and racing full time next year I’m not sure. With a lots of teams pulling out and an injury affected season it’s not looking so good. But hopefully you’ll see me at all the races next year as we’ve got some unfinished business!!— Cole Lucas

We hope that all the riders affected by this and other potential team shutdowns are able to find some level of support to continue racing next season.

Posted In:
Racing and Events Racing Rumours Enduro Racing Ibis Cole Lucas Raphaela Richter Zakarias Johansen EDR Châtel 2023 World Cup Enduro


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271 Comments
  • 778 5
 Can't help but wonder if Chris Ball has destroyed his beautiful creation from 2013 all in the name of "progress" .

A stand alone race series without the shackles of a corrupted international body. A race series that grass roots riders could race on the same track on the same day as their hero's. Incredible venues that sparked as much interest as the results would. A race series that was financially manageable for privateeteers and small teams , never mind the goliaths of the sport.

Now reduced to a overly complicated , two tiered sideline in the cycling media costing teams a fortune, that people don't seem to care much about any more , shackled by an international body of dumbf*ckery. Progress.... careful what you wish for :-(
  • 41 1
 Exactly what I was thinking.
  • 41 0
 Grass roots here we come.....
  • 94 0
 Totally agree. The racers in Chatel this week have done their practice and now have to wait till Sunday to race!! Imagine being a privateer and paying for an additional two nights accommodation and not even being able to do anything on those days cause you need to rest up for the race. Just hang around there folks, and don't complain about it.
  • 31 0
 I think more accurate term, in the context of developing a product that you sell to a big corp, is "exit".
  • 84 10
 I think the main point here is, that many companies in the bike business somehow convinced themselves, that the pandemic-induced boom would go on for ever.
Surprise, it won‘t…
  • 31 3
 It's not progress, it's money. This was the price for entering DH, a simple deal. UCI is simply a kind of mafia corrupting everyone on their path.
  • 4 0
 indeed,i would say it was a goal to do so,theses organizations can whatever and they always go in the negative direction it is not stupidity , it is intentional imo
  • 24 0
 I'm happy for people to make money out of the racing side of the sport, but agree entirely that the UCI's grand plan for mountain biking seems best left on the Swiss conference room floor that it was thought up on.
  • 10 12
 @FuzzyL: you must have read a different article to the rest of us.
  • 1 1
 Victim of his own success
  • 9 0
 @bikefuturist @fatduke ESO built the product and got their £6m last year. Job done.
  • 25 10
 A sport was pinched and developed to the point where it had market value like it would never have again. The product was sold on and stripped of its assets and now is broken. Was it Chris, was it COVID boom, was it the emergence of EEBs as the new must have bike, was it folk having to go back to work post COVID... dunno, but we all know that the sport was sold, became something different and is now broken. The investors in the product cashed in as businessmen, pretended to be everyone pal to get what they wanted out of the product! Some called it out as business a long time ago and got flamed for it by the EWS fans! Such a shame as I used to really look forward to the coverage and it dominated DH. Now we are back to DH being the no.1 sport and enduro in the shadows. Such a shame.
  • 13 0
 the only disagreement I have is the phrase "that people don't seem to care much about anymore..." I think there is a fallacy of looped logic...do they not seem to care about it...because of what the EWS has become as per your argument? I think the answer is yes.
  • 2 0
 @willyheff: boy is that just stupid. not your point, but the fact that is is...
  • 39 1
 It's sad but UCI succeed in making Enduro WC not interresting at all. No live feed anymore, poor coverage,...
  • 5 1
 @lewiscraik:
Exactly what I was thinking damnit!
  • 32 0
 Yep only took one season for the UCI to screw it up. The coverage has nosedived since last season in terms of quantity and quality. The calendar is a shambles so very hard to get into it with the long breaks between races. I would argue the removal of the South American races was a big mistake as well if for no other reason than growing your audience. I also wonder why they did a rebrand from the EWS to the EDR? I presume coming under the UCI banner was to push enduro for the Olympics but the negatives of UCI far outweigh any benefits I can see
  • 43 2
 @betsie: sorry but enduro never dominated DH
  • 13 0
 This is exactly what played out with snowboarding in the 90s, with Terje Haakonsen boycotting the Olympics and having a ski federation take over a snowboarding one. Took five years to sort that mess out
  • 6 2
 @FuzzyL: True. But also this is evidence that world wide inflation caused by poor fiscal policy and global war impacts the daily consumer that drives the cycling industry.
  • 6 0
 @FuzzyL: now the warehouses are full ... which is good for customers wanting to buy new bikes ... but bad, when the company you buy a bike from goes bankrupt
  • 6 1
 10 years ago this was the press release: With a heart for Enduro racing, Chris was helping spearhead a movement for a UCI-sanctioned Enduro series. While progress was made, ultimately the UCI did not move forward with the discipline and as a result, Chris knew the time had come to move on and focus his efforts elsewhere.

Where are we now? Starting all over again soon.
  • 4 1
 @willyheff: you won't see privateers in the main event unless they are part of a factory team or have enough UCI points. The amateur race is today and that's the only way to get points for the main event on sunday as well.
  • 5 0
 Ya done gone and fucked it.
  • 4 0
 Good intentions meets real world corporate bottom line requirements.
  • 4 0
 @cypher74: Looks like it. Everybody else seems to have read an article that mentions something about UCI.
  • 9 1
 @vhdh666: Here in Germany I see many large online shops selling stuff at approximately the price they bought it, and far below the prices a local shop has to pay when ordering new stock. That‘s a huge downward spiral that‘s just started.
  • 2 0
 @trifecta: I hope not, but you might be damned right
  • 1 0
 @FuzzyL: that's exactly what I meant. Good for buying bikes now, but bad for the industry in the long term. I hope not too many will "die"
  • 2 0
 @FuzzyL: here they already have -30% on Ripmo V2 and -15% on Ripmo V2S
  • 12 5
 @FuzzyL: You are correct. This is a parallel to the legalization of marijuana in my state. It sounded cool Pot was gonna take off. Now the market is flooded with to many growers and dispensaries. Basically after an initial excitement the people smoking pot are mostly the same people smoking pot before it was legalized. I think there were individuals who bought bikes because they had free time and money to spend during the pandemic. They were bike curious and didn’t care about cost. Now new bike models are so expensive no one can afford them or wants them and older models are in discount because there are too many setting in a warehouse waiting to be sold.
  • 7 0
 Spot on. EWS was king, EDR will die.
  • 11 5
 @Dangerhill: lmao terrible analogy
  • 8 1
 @FuzzyL: I think you’re right, everyone seems to be focusing on UCI and coverage, but ultimately this comes down to cost and return on investment. I don’t think there’s ever been a huge correlation between enduro results and bike sales, but now with rising interest rates spelling “the end of free money” and bike sales falling back down to well below pre-pandemic levels manufacturers need to save money. Unfortunately, axing an enduro race team that doesn’t bring sales is going to make sense to the bean counters. If the bike market turns around or they find ways to turn enduro racing into sales they’ll be back. I’d say currently for a lot of manufacturers it’s just a development ground for bike tech.
  • 1 0
 That was poetry.
  • 3 0
 Add Devinci to this list as well. I hear they’re done.
  • 1 3
 Rocky - that’s the other team I’ve heard is out.
  • 4 1
 Big Mike dropping truth bombs!
  • 1 0
 @wellbastardfast: Nah bud.

www.pinkbike.com/news/pinkbike-primer-everything-you-need-to-know-ahead-of-the-chtel-edr-world-cup-2023.html

Racing is on Sunday.
  • 2 0
 @willyheff: they practice again tomorrow (Saturday) they aren’t doing anything on a Friday because the amateurs are racing.
  • 8 0
 Pretty much what I came to say - I used to follow EWS, but UCI / Discovery and all the BS new rules & changes have made it tough to follow. I see no reason that UCI has to be involved with this whatsoever. Enduro can & should leave the UCI umbrella and be its own thing. Ball / UCI & Disco have tried to make everything into Shark Week - and it shows. Its a joke now.
  • 2 0
 @willyheff: I think Chris just saw you're comment and said "I know - that's EXACTLY what we're trying to do... turn this into pro / big teams only and f*ck the small guys...hahahahaha" - and then he at the head off of a baby.
  • 4 0
 Guerilla Gravity is out of business too.
  • 1 0
 @thustlewhumber: Since when?
  • 2 3
 @thustlewhumber: website and socials are still up, so please reference a statement like that as it could be damaging if not correct
  • 2 0
 @mashrv1: they’ve sent emails to customers whose orders they couldn’t fulfill. Ceased operations September 1. Website doesn’t have anything for sale anymore - go look. You get a 404 if you can even navigate to a page where you’d build a bike.
  • 2 0
 @kwl1: not necessarily out of business, but massively reduced operation. They are still shipping old stock, but I don't think they are making anything new right now. We haven't heard anything from the company itself yet, but a lot orders are getting cancelled and refunded, while some others are still being shipped.
  • 1 0
 @shredddr: not getting a 404, but you’re right that there is absolutely nothing available to allow someone to order. Shame if they are completely done for.
  • 1 1
 @FuzzyL:

1-800-BIKEPRO
  • 15 2
 @gmiller720: maybe I’m one of one, but having purchased a bike from a manufacturer that is closing it doors I’ll say that having an organized international race team makes me want to buy “X” brand bike. In my opinion, and maybe I’m the only one that feels this way, It shows a long term commitment to development and support. I don’t necessarily care about how well a brand of bike does on the circuit, but knowing they’ve invested makes me assume they’re here for the long haul. Having a bike I love currently and no customer support (Guerrilla Gravity, yes they’re closing their doors but haven’t put out an official statement yet) makes me hesitant to spend my money on a brand that won’t potentially have a long term future. Again, this is my feeling and I know it’s a gargantuan leap in logic, but I was looking really hard at an HD6. Reading this starts to make me wonder about the long term viability of Ibis.
  • 4 0
 @gmiller720: 100%. ROI is the name of the game especially as wallets tighten. Inflated insane bike prices started before covid and ramped up with the free money and job market.

A few years before covid you could get a solid bike for around 4k (current inflation cost), and the resell once you got it was -20%~. After the explosion you were seeing bikes well over 5k with used prices through the roof.

Now used bikes are cheap, tech/geo is outstanding, and the changes are not impactful for refreshes. Transmission, mullet, tweaked geo, etc. are small improvements but not a reason to go dump 6k+ on a replacement and sell your current rig for 50%+ off.

It all relates back to ROI and the cost/benefit of advertising and supporting teams. It is also why direct-to-consumer models are blowing up. Margins are smaller, things are going to change. UCI is just helping it move faster with the terrible coverage and catering to big factory squads.
  • 2 1
 @wellbastardfast: you don’t have privateers on factory teams
  • 2 16
flag MasterSlater (Sep 15, 2023 at 9:50) (Below Threshold)
 But Enduro was supposed to be the next big thing!!! apparently not…

It’s so fun to watch. nope, it sucks

it definitely didn’t negatively impact and set back interest and coverage of DH World Cup by a decade… yup, it did

it also didn’t put thousands and thousands of weekend warriors on over-spec’d bikes that are far more than they will ever need… definitely did that

but we NEEDED Discovery to bring MORE people to the sport… nope, that’s what we’ve got ebikes for

but but but… wahmp f’ing wahmp

I’ve got nothing against the every day person racing whatever format they like… but the faster the industry infatuation with enduro dies, the better
  • 1 0
 @Mtn-Goat-13: what new rules
  • 1 0
 @chrismac70: exactly that's what I'm saying you're ruining nothing for privateers (extra days accommodation etc) by having the race Sunday as they are racing today. No such thing as privateers in EDR anymore unfortunately.
  • 7 0
 @MasterSlater: enduro is the format for the weekend warrior, enthusiast besides the pros of course.. and its a shame that the direction of this new organization is putting this pressure on the teams/brands and we as amateurs are impacted. I just finished open racing Chatel… many amateurs still, unreal tracks (first 3..) , but one feels the lack of focus on this from the organization, compared to even 2 years ago, more so to 2017-2019 gooden era, for pros and us amateurs.. the vibes are all time low. At least some tracks were just top5 in the workd for enduro racing. Imo.
Cheers
  • 1 0
 @shredddr: I didn’t realise they had started
  • 2 0
 @willyheff: nothing like the very inexpensive accomodations right there at the resort to keep the costs down.....yeah, right......
  • 3 1
 @Dangerhill: michgan had legal weed way before you did.......and while there is hypercompetition between retailers, that's how it works - boom, bust, boom bust.........anyone remember the mtb boom bust from the early 1990's and the Cannondale/Volvo implosion? Powerhouses and popularity ebbs and flows up and down.....EDR is just beginning the slide back to obscurity....
  • 5 0
 @PHeller: the rumor I've heard circulating the front range is revv'd was sold and the buyer didn't want the brand, just the technology. Don't know if it's true, but I've heard it from multiple dudes who usually know about the local goings on.
  • 1 0
 @vhdh666: Ibis have knocked a quarter off some of their bikes...
  • 4 0
 Best to pull out. Good rule of thumb…
  • 1 0
 @mashrv1: click on a bike and then try to use the build option - that's how I got it.
  • 1 1
 Yeah its all that, but its mostly the dumblfuckery
  • 5 22
flag FoesKnows (Sep 15, 2023 at 14:34) (Below Threshold)
 Progressives are destroying the Western World. Housing policy and affordability to energy, citizenry, identity and immigration. No longer can you just ride your bike.
  • 1 2
 @russthedog: Even in your home state you know that not to be true, 2013 onward. 450 vs 200 competitors, log jams, safety and EBikes. Enduro has been destroyed and DH in resurgence in terms of vibe and fun.
  • 1 0
 @chrismac70: My bad, was lumping DH in, but there have been plenty of time, practice & format changes for EDR that lots of riders are pissed about. Moir was talking on Downtime the other day about the Thurs racing and how no one was even there to watch b/c of being lumped w/ DH and XC.
  • 2 1
 @FoesKnows: I'm not talking participation numbers. Enduro has always been higher on participation. DH has a higher level of aspiration, is more exciting and watchable. The context above was about coverage of the race circuit more than anything else - even in peak enduro hype, it didn't match world cup dh for coverage.
  • 1 1
 “You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain”
(The Dark Knight Returns. 1986)
  • 1 2
 Hopefully the EDR dies quick to ease the pain. Then there's got to be someone out there with the energy and guts to try and start (again) a smaller independent international series...and have the contentment/awareness to keep it that way!!
  • 5 0
 @5chmaus: Small, independent, international - choose two ;-)
  • 2 0
 @betsie: Why can I picture you grinning as you type this Mr Young? ;-)
  • 1 0
 @FuzzyL: ok scratch small
  • 1 0
 Well said sir
  • 1 0
 Hear Hear! I will be supporting my local enduro races. The UCI is boring.
  • 188 4
 Word has it that they've lost their Mojo
  • 50 5
 This news should be in the next episode of Ripley’s Believe It or Not….
  • 36 3
 I was still surprised by their sudden Exie from the sport
  • 75 3
 This news is sad AF.
  • 34 4
 RIP... mo or less
  • 27 3
 Makes me want to hakka loogie at the uci
  • 41 3
 Oso sad.
  • 7 8
 Really is Oso sad
  • 15 2
 I hope the racer’s at least get a hand job as a parting gift.
  • 11 1
 No more HD slow mo’s
  • 15 1
 i was Bow Ti make a pun post but the good ones got taken
  • 7 1
 PRAY. FOR. MOJO.
  • 7 3
 And this is why i love all you funny bastards!
  • 1 0
 Yep, that'szazbout it for EDR!
  • 124 1
 Break the sport away from the UCI. Enduro and DH. Please.
  • 39 0
 Break the sport away from ESO. Enduro and DH. Please.
  • 2 1
 @commental: ESO doesn't exist anymore, now only operating under the guise of Warner Bros Discovery.
  • 18 1
 1000% agreed. I tried subscribing to Discovery / GCN - gave it a chance. There have been great moments & the riders are doing their best - but this is a failure. I have never disliked watching DH and EWS (highlights) ever, but Discovery's Shark Week presentation BS has made it nearly impossible to watch. Cancelled the GCN subscription and just gonna watch Edbull, Wyn, PB and other sources - f*ck these a*sholes & the mess they've created. Redbull already had it 90% of the way there & just needed more time & funding but instead they handed it over to Elmer Fudd & Bugs Bunny to make a cartoon of. So lame.
  • 68 2
 Enduro doesn’t need UCI. There are so many races around the world with the real “Enduro Spirit”. Let’s make a series like surfing…
  • 18 0
 Agreed. The upcoming mass exodus seems like a great opportunity for someone to start a new series that people can care about again.
  • 5 0
 The WSL is a shit show that no sport - ever! -should base itself on
  • 1 0
 @jimfredo: for sure… WSL is like UCI! I was thinking about ASP back in the days…
  • 1 0
 @stevemokan: And thats how this ALL happened anyway.....or so they thought
  • 67 4
 Well done Chris Ballbag
  • 61 18
 Honestly, I am sad but not surprised. I have an enduro bike, I am in the freeride/mtb/trail/enduro/e-bike subculture, I read pinkbike, vmtb, watch videos, meet riders daily, ride daily, but I have never ever had the intention to watch an enduro race or follow them online even though I am stuck to the screens when DH or Rampage is on. For some reason this race format is not that entertaining, and I guess brands realise this. Or let me know, am I the only one not being hyped on enduro contests?
  • 53 1
 I think it´s a really cool format, if you race yourself - but it´s incredible difficult to broadcast in an entertaining way:
multiple, long stages, big distanes, lots of riders
with DH you have that one (semis suck!) run where everything peaks towards to;
with Enduro it´s a one or two day competition that has no "real" climax. A little bit like rally racing. It´s just difficult to follow and get excited.
I was kind of watching the highlight videos the lst years that seem to have disappered for this year, but never really more
  • 24 0
 @michaelheinrich: I used to love the YouTube recaps. Great editing on new locations each year that allowed a region to showcase itself. I doubt Madeira would be as much of a MTB destination without EWS for example. The current series just lost all of that. Once there is no viewership, there's not much point for sponsors either. I expect this series to die a slow but certain death and a lot of its athletes to be relegated to bike testing and coaching. It is unfortunately the way of the world.
  • 16 0
 @michaelheinrich: but rally re-caps over 1-2 hours were always awesome. also, ignoring the fact that there's a bigger pool of eyes, TdF is run over a million days, and a million nerds still watch it, for hours and hours and hours. and its way more boring. maybe an instagram/tik-tok world has ruined the ability to do that a few days later, forever now, but still... i'm shakey on that being the reason. its difficult to follow because of how they've decided to try and present it, not cause of what it is.
  • 5 0
 Just as WRC in motorsports.
  • 3 1
 I feel the same...kind of don't know what to say. Even when you watch chest-cam footage of downhill stages, after about 10 minutes you're kinda like "OK I get it...it's a super long single track DH line...wonder what Sam Pilgrim's up to..."
  • 7 0
 Any time there's been good coverage, it's been extremely entertaining. They're top riders, riding interesting tracks that are different from what we see in DH, and the big draw was that we saw them in locations that we didn't tend to see in DH. Now that they're a sideline to DH races in big ski resorts, with races happening on weekdays - yeah, no wonder people aren't watching.
  • 8 0
 @michaelheinrich: Like rally racing, they should have every rider set up with POV cams. It should all be handled by the broadcasters and mandatory for all the top riders. Hell, even find a way to run them as live feeds.
  • 2 0
 @Sweatypants: TdF had the wheel to wheel racing aspect which makes it more exciting to watch, same reason I watch F1 and not WRC
  • 1 0
 @xciscool: lol for the last 2 miles of a 100 mile stage you mean? otherwise, sure, there are technically people riding with their wheels next to another person's wheels while in an event sanctioned as a race.
  • 1 0
 @Sweatypants: there’s a reason I only watch the Lanterne Rouge recaps of stages
  • 34 4
 UCI killed Enduro. What a shame!
  • 29 1
 It was ESO (now Discovery) that rode a fantastic series into the ground, of course backed up by the UCI.
  • 22 1
 loved following the ews back in the days with mainly 2 days of racing in some awesome locations. Great Fotocoverage on pb and vital and a nice recap video. Now it has gotten boring with the one day format DH race style. Coverage has gotten worse ....... Same witg DH with the new format ...not intersted anymore .... Qualiy and then racerun was awesome. Now i skipped watching it live.....
  • 21 0
 First they dropped their YouTube sponsorships (JKW, BKXC, etc), now this. Hopefully it’s not a bigger sign of trouble for Ibis, they’re a staple of the bike industry run by some amazing people.
  • 8 0
 The entire bike industry got lost in the sauce over the past 3 years and is now hurting. Racing is EXPENSIVE, and sponsorships and racing teams are marketing expenses at the end of the day. Anything marketing related is the first to get cut when revenue is down.
  • 4 0
 @MattyRides: "Anything marketing related is the first to get cut when revenue is down."
Especially when there's only a few scattered spectators, zero TV coverage and minimal press reporting of world championship events. What would be the point?
  • 20 0
 Chris Ball - 2018

Interview: Chris Ball, Director of the EWS - 'Why Would We Mess With A Good Thing?'

www.pinkbike.com/news/interview-chris-ball-director-of-the-ews-why-would-we-mess-with-a-good-thing.html
  • 3 0
 Welp
  • 15 0
 'Why Would We Mess With A Good Thing?'... MONEY, that's why!
  • 22 0
 the first of many.....
  • 2 0
 "other potential team shutdowns" the writing is on the wall
  • 2 0
 indeed
  • 1 0
 gt (dh) riders seem to be looking for new rides too..
  • 1 0
 Just read Devinci is out.
  • 18 0
 Guess they didn't let their Ibis do the work.
  • 19 1
 They should've kept the head tube badge.
  • 17 1
 Crankworks Enduro World Series 2024 has its first team
  • 35 4
 I think it would be good for mountain biking as a whole if more riders focused on the crankworks series. They seem to care about the product a hell of a lot more than discovery. They also have Rob Warner in the commentary booth, and Eliot Jackson and needles also have so much knowledge of the sport too.
  • 5 1
 @TheSlayer99: and the prize money is actually worth the effort
  • 12 1
 RedBull has so much potential right now to develop it's own downhill and enduro championship apart from the UCI.

Why the hell do we have to accomodate with this oligarchy to monetize and suck all the glory of all pedal powered sports?
  • 14 0
 Yeh screw this oligarchy we want a different oligarchy
  • 7 2
 Get real. RB have never organised a single DH or enduro in their lives. Why would they start now. They would only do it if they thought it would sell more drinks. It’s just marketing to them
  • 1 0
 Yea, a breakaway of the rebel kids, just like Liv golf ⛳️ did with the PGA.
  • 1 0
 @paulmurphy1989: comment gold
  • 10 1
 What needs to happen is team managers getting better at selling sponsorship to outside of the industry brands, just like in pro road cycling. Look at the Rockrider Ford XC team - reportedly doubled their annual budget, just from Ford France.

Not many pro tour teams are owned & operated by a bike brand - there's a team owner, a headline sponsor (or 2) from outside the industry (cars, construction material, supermarkets, betting etc etc), then down the sponsorship tiers, a bike partner, then components. That's where MTB needs to go, it's just a bit behind the curve.
  • 2 0
 DH and enduro don't have the viewership to entice sponsors from outside the sport. You can't sell wht you don't have. What hardcore mtb race fans want may simply not be possible.
  • 9 0
 Lots of happy new Ibis customers have been enjoying the 25% off bikes these last couple months, but things must not be going well at the home office with that kind of cut to the bottom line. The post-Covid overstock and dismall Oso reception hit hard at the same time.
  • 1 0
 The Swiss importer only knocked 15% off Big Grin
  • 3 0
 back to pre-pandemic pricing
  • 8 0
 So NOT surprising, it's an Enduro Tragedy screenplay. First act, kill the 'Spirit of Enduro' by selling out to UCI. Second act, turn Enduro World Series into European World Series. Third act, only the largest American bike companies continue sponsoring teams that only race in Europe at the cost of bleeding profits (and ultimately a greater looming fate), and the rest return to home with the glory days of World Enduro being a memory of the past.

The bike industry is a business, and when the business model is no longer viable businesses adapt like Ibis pulling out of EDR, or fading away like GT. History repeats.
  • 12 0
 TIME for COLE to PIVOT
  • 3 0
 This wouldn't surprise me, he's been hanging around the Pivot team/pits alot the last few weeks.
  • 4 0
 @Gregmurray50: He's just close with Wax and Eddie, they hang out all the time and have for years. But, I could see him joining if Pivot is still racing enduro next year.
  • 6 0
 I'll put it out there, pretty sure they sell the vast majority of their bikes in the US, yet not a lot of the way of sponsorship of US riders, at least at elite international level. I can kinda see why they didn't see the return on their investment, in not sure it has given them the boost in sales say in Sweden and NZ... Add in all the other factors, it doesn't stack up. Anyway, good luck to the riders, and the others let go as a result. Hope they land on their feet, and can still get decent riding in.
  • 3 2
 You’re probably right. Ibis also seems to be one of those brands that have weirdly little presence abroad compared to how big they are in their domestic market. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an Ibis in the flesh here in Europe, but a couple of my American friends ride them.
  • 9 1
 Bring back super D, they could film the whole thing of people racing down dh tracks on enduro bikes with a random uphill sprint in the middle.
  • 9 0
 Unexpected considering the recent launch of their new enduro bike. Shame.
  • 5 1
 Surely manufacturers just need to look at a more cost effective way to support riders, they might not be able to support a full factory setup but providing parts wouldn't be very expensive and perhaps a shared mechanic between a few riders? I'm not that familiar with it all but it seems to me a middle ground would be a great solution rather than all or nothing.
  • 12 0
 That's kindof the issue the whole industry has to tighten its belt and EDR provides no value as there isn't any coverage to speak of, no hype around the races.; Basically there's nothing in EDR that sells bikes for these companies
  • 7 0
 If an Ibis gets fifth in the forest, but nobody sees, it it still a fifth?
New Ibis Ambassador program incoming…
  • 5 1
 I’ve never considered mountain biking from a racers perspective because I don’t care about racing. The same goes for driving a car, skiing, climbing, kayaking, and running.

If it matters to you and you don’t race, that’s kinda wierd …reminds me of the people who watch the big three pro sports from their living room, beer in one hand, bag of chips on the other.

If I was the owner of a company like Ibis, I’d sponsor demo events, group rides, etc, for regular folks.

This ^ is how you grow your user community.
  • 7 0
 Silver lining, closer to just calling them mountain bikes again
  • 3 0
 @chillescarpe: They used to have end of stage interviews in the highlights package. The funny thing was that a lot of the riders were boring they would talk to the guys who were maybe 20th cause they were fun and also it was a good way for them to represent their teams. They need to go back to the roots of the sport races over 2 days with little to no uplifts to give the superfit instead of the super strong riders a chance. But fundamentally I get a really strong highlights race package together that drops on a Monday after a race. This format works well for the Dakar
  • 3 0
 While WBD Discovery didnt cause the market to slow down, they surely are the reason behind the value reduction in Enduro racing. With just a bit more effort in reporting from races, interviewing riders, so on and so forth, they could help maintain the value that the sport not only has to it's participants, but also to the brands that fund said participants.
  • 5 0
 UCI is going to kill elite level DH teams too if they arent careful. Our side of the sport, gravity, needs to break from the UCI and be done with it.
  • 2 0
 Thats the plan.
  • 1 0
 @KingPooPing: What’s step 3 of this theoretical plan?
  • 6 0
 Bummer to see especially with the HD6 out. Looked like a great platform for the future. Hope these boys land on their feet.
  • 4 1
 Well, with the lack of race coverage, sadly I think we can expect more of this. I don’t know why the Enduro series is treated like the red headed step child, but it’s ruining the series. It could be and should be given as much coverage as the downhill series. The interest is there, just not the coverage.
  • 3 0
 ibis can learn plenty from others racing efforts and pretty much fluid and transparent tech revealings these days . Ibis can concentrate on their bread and butter, the soul cyclist, one who goes out and shreds without a team of gnar groms and bro-brah’s. Like the ibis of old. Maybe this will help to pass some savings on to their main customer base.
  • 9 4
 Downhill and Enduro are dead, time to bring Red Bill on to do a series for both
  • 2 19
flag FuzzyL (Sep 15, 2023 at 2:24) (Below Threshold)
 And make it invitational only, just like Rampage.
  • 15 6
 How can you say DH is dead? This has been one of the most exciting years of racing and it's not over. If ESO stay in control I suspect that the semi format will be abandoned as only a few riders seem to embrace it. As a spectator I am ok with it (or without it) but it seems like most don't like it (at least the ones who comment in PB). It will be easy for them to change things once the season is over but they couldn't be expected to abandon it mid season. Same with point allocation and the Brayton fiasco. EDR definitely looks to be in trouble and needs a major reorganization.
  • 7 6
 @singletrackjamaica: it’s been sh1t, almost as bad as @pinkbike not doing a Fantasy this year

Rounds spaced oddly, smaller fields, crap coverage, I get it and for the forst year haven’t watched it…
  • 6 11
flag thenotoriousmic (Sep 15, 2023 at 6:38) (Below Threshold)
 I mean mountain biking as whole is in a pretty rough place right now. Feels to me like the entire sport is dying not just racing. Sales are at an all time low in the UK, most of my friends have lost interest / quit riding me included. I can’t motivate myself to ride anymore and when I do I don’t see many riders and those I do are usually older lads on e-bikes. Personally don’t think the mtb industry crashing would be such a bad thing. Get all these parasites out of the sport get it back to where it should be.
  • 4 3
 @singletrackjamaica: One of the most exciting years of racing?!?! I'm just gonna go ahead and assume you've only been watching DH since Covid or something, cos frankly this years racing has been well below average. Sure there's been a few exciting moments (of course there has been, it's DH and it's awesome) but it's been shite compared to how it was 4 or more years ago. f*ck Chris Ball and f*ck Warner Bros.
  • 7 3
 @gabiusmaximus: Nah, DH this year is great, despite all the UCI f*ckery. We've had 6 races and 6 different winners. I can't remember another season where there wasn't a repeat winner by race #6. It's so much more interesting than Gwin / Pierron / whoever walking away with the season and everyone else racing for the scraps.
  • 4 0
 @thenotoriousmic:

Notorious just curious why you’ve personally cut back on riding?
  • 14 0
 @thenotoriousmic: What the heck does racing and industry trends have to do with you and your friend quitting mtb? Trails are still awesome, bikes are better then they've ever been, and over the last year or so there have been deals to be had on bikes and consumables. If anything, you should be biking more.
  • 2 4
 @mammal: just that it felt like the whole sport is dying not just the racing aspect. Sales are at an all time low and the trails are empty or abandoned.
  • 1 5
flag thenotoriousmic (Sep 15, 2023 at 22:29) (Below Threshold)
 @WasatchEnduro: my hearts not in it at the moment and there’s not really that many people riding anymore. Ive just moved recently also and Ive got mountains running right to the doorstep and I have to force myself to ride them. I made myself ride every day last week and I didn’t see a single mountain biker. Got buzzed by an American fighter pilot though who’d obviously watched too much Top Gun.
  • 6 0
 @thenotoriousmic: Sounds like a "you" thing.
  • 2 2
 @mammal: definitely not. Scenes dead. Sales at an all time low, racing on its arse, trails are dead.
  • 2 0
 @thenotoriousmic:

Dream scenario for me!
  • 3 0
 I’m unsurprised. It’s super hard to watch races. I’m a casual fan, I’d love to have a race on in the background. I’m not going to get another subscription to do so though.
  • 2 0
 SH*T! I was just thinking to myself that whilst Downhill can probably survive terrible coverage Enduro won't.

Really sad news; although in practice the business model doesn't really deliver $$ for riders. Those racers probably sold a lot of bikes.

Also the racing itself is awesome. Needs a reboot ASAP
  • 4 0
 How many bikes does Ibis sell in Europe? Now that the EDR is out of North America (where 60% of global mountain bikes sales occur) why would they focus their efforts there?
  • 2 0
 This is too bad. The practice coverage for Chatel Enduro World Cup is the best it has been all season and finally getting back to the EWS coverage I used to expect. youtu.be/sm9MjZcBCKM?si=8eV1GJvxDTs_mU3k

I’m sure the increased UCI fees are a limiting factor and ideally something that can be negotiated when times are tough (no bike sales). I make a lot of my bike buying decisions based off some of my favorite riders and some of the inputs from their race teams. The new ibis hd6 was high on my list.
  • 9 8
 Hopefully teams leaving enduro will invest in DH or XC both of which are formats that translate very well to live coverage.

I do think that the core of the problem is enduro simply doesn’t translate well to a live broadcast. Blame the organizers as much as you want but I’ve yet to see a significantly better alternate format being proposed.
  • 15 1
 Once you get into XC it is incredibly and addictive, plus the coverage is generally good, rules are easy to understand and in general there is plenty of action. Especially the womens field. Enduro needs to be covered like WRC, but needs heavily invested in. End of stage interviews, on board cameras, footage at key areas and timed splits would help but is never going to happen with less teams investing and money going elsewhere into youtube and vblogs
  • 3 10
flag tigerfish50 (Sep 15, 2023 at 4:29) (Below Threshold)
 @chillescarpe: Nope, it's never going to happen because the format is stupid. End-of-stage interviews won't resuscitate this dying dog because athletes tend to be a bit boring and all say the same thing.
You already have the solution when you say "XC is incredible and addictive, plus the coverage is generally good, rules are easy to understand and in general there is plenty of action". Why do mid-travel bikes need a format that is chopped up, over-complicated and overlong?
Give the enduro riders a lap with more chunk than XC - maybe some gaps too - and let them have at it as a time trial. Coverage would be easier, rules simple and there'll be plenty of action.
  • 3 2
 Why do you suppose it's so hard to come up with a superior alternate format? Doesn't seem like rocket science to me.
The bikes themselves are supposed to be uphill and downhill chunk capable. The current format essentially neglects the bikes' uphill capabilities, and focuses on the DH aspect - while also making decent TV coverage next to impossible. Why is it so hard for enduro bike lovers to come up with a competition that showcases these machines' character? And - this is important - while also providing an entertaining spectacle.
FWIW I don't know why anybody would watch Enduro's soft DH version when there's already the real thing out there.
There's lots of whining about the UCI, whoever and whatever, but few solutions have been offered on this thread.
  • 2 1
 Someone needs to revive the EWS as a new stand alone race series as it was how forkbrayker describes. I wish I knew how and had the pockets deep enough to do it. If anyone does I’ll gladly help you do all you can to make it happen.

Not sure what you’d call it?
Global enduro series
International enduro series
F@ck the UCI?
Someone must have a cool name for it
  • 2 1
 There's no foul in a sport ending. Some new format will come along. First there's tennis then there's pickleball. First there's downhill then there's Enduro. First there's golf then there's Frolf. To me Enduro has overlapped too much with DH. I'd like to see a mtn format that didn't really allow any pre-riding/course previews. Riders show up and do a mostly dh course but not get 10 practice runs. Blinduro?
  • 4 4
 Repackage it as blind racing. No practice. Live feeds on every Gopro. Or if not totally blind do like the rally cars. Each racer has a partner like a co-driver who rides the course first, and records verbal instruction that is geo-linked. The racer has to work off that, only. The viewers see and hear what the racer sees and hears. All to convey more DRAMA for the viewer at home, which is what we all are apparently looking for here. ???
  • 15 0
 Tandem Enduro with the back seat calling the corners!
  • 4 0
 Man! And they had just released that sweet HD6!
  • 3 1
 Was about to take advantage of the Ibis sale but I’ll wondering how bad they are hurting and if their business is on the cusp of closing their doors? Hopefully not.
  • 2 2
 Enduro racing is dead. I've said it one year ago and I was right unfortunately. We all love it and do it but it can never be a spectator sport. Maybe it will turn into a feeder series for dh wc riders, as just the edr100 is for the current edr
  • 2 0
 Most competitors in the Megavalanche ride enduro bikes. Kilian Bron's 2022 ride had over 5.5 million views last time I checked - while highlights from this year's Leogang EWS event had only 93K. Even Liam Moynhan's 2023 Mountain of Hell ride has 3.4 million views - and he has a far smaller following than Kilian.
It isn't hard to draw a very simple conclusion from those figures alone - namely, the EWS format is unattractive to viewers. Maybe at grassroots level it attracts contestants, but TV viewers on the world stage? Dead in the water!
I'll leave it to some UCI admin genius to figure out a solution - but I fear the enduro suits are asleep at the wheel.
  • 5 2
 Okay this is Apocalypse now... some heads needs to roll off...
  • 5 2
 What a bless it is having UCI. Redbull please do something
  • 5 1
 Let my Ibis take my job
  • 3 1
 All in all it's a pretty damn good news, I hope all teams will left UCI next year and then we can start again :-)
  • 6 2
 Make Enduro Great Again
  • 4 1
 has it been ever great? or it was just the stoke of a new thing...
  • 1 1
 MEGA!
  • 4 1
 UCI is strangling dh and enduro
  • 1 0
 I would reckon up to 50% of the elite field will be cut for 2024. DH will fare better as it has far better coverage (albeit not as good as it used to be).
  • 6 5
 Its websites like pinkbike that are to blame. Driving the prices of mountain biking to insane levels through paid promotions.
  • 3 0
 Did ibis lose too much money on the Oso?
  • 1 0
 Have any of you seen the swank slopeside accomodation that the YT Enduro squad is occupying in Chatel? They're gonna have a nice time til race Sunday.
  • 1 1
 The whole World Cup season for XC, DH and enduro has been wrecked this year. It’s going to be like the British national point series has been for many years now with really low entries and nearly no coverage by the media.
  • 1 0
 How many 180 forked mullet bikes do you see finishing on the podium? Kind of seems like they’ve been thinking about this for a while
  • 2 0
 Chris Ball single handedly destroying top level mountain bike racing as we know it.
  • 2 0
 Devinci is announcing their resume hmmmm action from racing as well. Bummer
  • 1 0
 Resignation *
  • 4 5
 Heck! Do we really alow them to destroy our sport, future talents and the joy our spor is givin us just in the name of a stupid television? Seriously ? Damn... I want #redbulltv back !
  • 3 0
 I honestly can't remember. Did Red bull used to organize and/or broadcast EWS?
  • 6 0
 @singletrackjamaica: Redbull TV had zero to do with the organisation and the official broadcast of the EWS.

They had a series that followed Redbull ride Curtis Keene but that wrapped up pre COVID.
  • 5 4
 Oh no now I can't watch my favorite ibis team riders!!! Who were they again?
  • 3 1
 Lol...watch
  • 1 1
 @gnarnaimo: exactly
  • 1 1
 Seems like this is the motivating factor behind Sam Hill and Richie Rude trying to jump back to DH. They saw the writing on the wall.
  • 2 1
 Meanwhile there's barely any pb hype about rampage less than 1 month away...?
  • 2 0
 Racing results influence me zero in my bike purchasing decisions.
  • 1 0
 It feels like this season uci just kept ews in the crawl space giving it bucket of fish heads every month.
  • 3 1
 Bin chicken!
  • 2 1
 The death of enduro leaves the door open for DCO (downcountry)!
  • 1 0
 Its going to make selling $10,000 bikes more difficult
  • 1 0
 Feels like 2017-2019 were the golden years of Enduro and DH.
  • 1 0
 There is nothing wrong with pulling out.
  • 1 0
 Huge bummer. Hope all riders will soon find a new team.
  • 21 22
 No money to invest in racing. Companies are struggling. It has nothing to do with the new format or Discovery.
  • 14 3
 Beg to differ. Brands find a way to divert their budgets to things/events that get them the most exposure. EWS has never provided that...and only got worse.
  • 7 0
 @yakimonti: you will see, it's just the beginning. Some will go bankrupt, others will cut all the marketing expenses (they are already doing it).
GCN is for sale. If that's not a sign of the times we're in...
  • 3 4
 @cashew: I did not say marketing expenses won't be cut-but, its about diversion. You have to lean into marketing when times are tough and reach customers and EWS is not it, preaching to your point of 'has nothing to do with...." ball, discovery, format, etc
  • 5 0
 "eam registration fees saw a huge bump this year. An Elite UCI team fee went from €3,500 in 2022 to €11,000 (for a single discipline) this season. Non-elite team fees were doubled this year."
I would not call a 7500EUR increase "nothing".
  • 4 9
flag cashew (Sep 15, 2023 at 2:46) (Below Threshold)
 @lkubica: 7500€ is not even 1 bike sold by Ibis. A WC team costs way more than that.
  • 2 1
 @cashew: oh come on... do you really think the price of a bike is all revenue? Wink There are dealer and distributor margins than want to be paid too.

7500€ might not sound like too much but it adds up.
  • 4 0
 @nolimit: obviously is not all revenue, but it's peanuts compared to the costs of a wc team. If you're looking for someone to blame, go look at the pricing of the bikes, starting from Ibis's ebike: from 10k to 7k. Guess why.
  • 9 2
 @lkubica: the UCI fees increase would be peanuts to the total budget.

Costs are higher for everything (accommodation, flights, transport, food, parts).

Bike sales are down.

Does not take an accountant to do the math's.
  • 7 0
 + 1 !
Looks like people here forget that sport marketing costs a lot of money...All the brands brands are now with huge cash flow issues...
Most of the brands will stop Enduro Racing next year...and it's not because of Discovery or UCI...
  • 1 0
 It can be a combination of several things. Lack of interest from fans due to the changes, increase in costs, a downturn in sales means that it isn't worth companies sponsoring teams any more.
  • 3 0
 I believe this as well. Ibis sales are down 50% YOY. They’re having to discount to compete with Specialized and their peers, because everyone is discounting.

Pretty sure this is Ibis cutting where they can to keep the boat above water.
  • 4 0
 People who think that this is the UCI's fault apparently haven't really been following industry news for the past 2 years.

All the PB industry round-ups recently have been talking about massive drops in sales and revenue. Fox sales are down over 30%, as an example. Almost all bike brands are offering huge discounts.

The industry is just in a bad spot, and no matter how much some of us like racing it just doesn't really make a huge difference to how well bikes do or don't sell. Does an Ibis team rider getting a mid-pack Enduro result help them sell bikes? Does it help them sell enough bikes to for the cost of flying that rider out? Their wages? The mechanic's wages? Food costs? Accommodation costs? Rental vehicle costs? Let's say their margin on a bike is 30%. How many bikes do you have to sell just to break even to recoup those costs?

With how much companies are cutting back even if the UCI were doing an incredible job the halo effect from what they might have achieved still isn't going to make someone go "oh cool, this guy who just got P26 must be riding a great bike, I will buy one immediately".

Brands that have nothing to do with racing are massively suffering too, in the same way that many industries and sectors across the world are suffering in the current economic climate. No doubt this is all the UCI's fault too.
  • 4 0
 @CleanZine: 30% drops in revenue is just getting back to pre-covid times. So how did they manage to survive before 2019?
  • 2 0
 @lkubica: they didn't have all their cash stuck into inventory they are not able to sell.
  • 2 1
 @cashew: So to put differently, they were greedy mf*rs who believed that the hype (30% gorwth) will go on, bought too much stock for higher prices and now they realized that people will not buy overpriced sh*t anymore. Well, that's their fault entirely.
  • 1 0
 @lkubica: exactly. There is a word for it: Greedflation.
  • 1 1
 so, what's the reason they are pulling out of racing?
  • 2 2
 MEGA!!!
  • 2 3
 CHRIS BALL
  • 5 0
 DICK POUND!
  • 3 0
 I'd like to hear from the baller himself, what's his take?
  • 3 0
 @mountaincross: What's his take? Take the money and run.
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