Luke Williamson & Propain Part Way with No Team Sponsor for 2021

 Brands prefer guys doing videos than racers.

 @zoobab2: i suggest the problem is people . If people stop to give follow to every guys/girls who are more influencers( boobs/ass photo , speedup video, crappy filtered gopro photos,video cutted off on the raw part of the trails, same
old videos of skidding every berms etc )
than mountainbikers , industry'll restart to sponsor racers or the guys/girls who make quality contents.

 @Cookiefr: Tom isted is out of a frame sponsor to and he throws some good quality bangers together maybe its companies keeping there wallet in the pocket hmmm

 @charlief5: my guess is it’s an over reaction to the lack of stock based on increased demand that they are seeing this year due to Covid. The bike companies feel they don’t need to spend money from their marketing budget since they can’t keep stock as it is.... boom for the manufacturers and bust for the riders.

 @Mattysville: bingo. This is a big part of the sponsorship situation presently. Funds in a lot of companies are being diverted internally to provide support for continued operations and reduce chances of layoffs in the face of supply chain and logistical complications.

 @Cookiefr:
Well said. Mediocracy rise with the youtubers.

 @Endurip: Yes, look at guys like paul the punter, hes a nice guy, but a very average rider, hes not very entertaining but look at his sponsors.

 @Afterschoolsports: Underated comment, everyone is quick to point a finger but this makes allot of sense.

 @Jaib06: Still goes a long way to create good content.

 @charlief5: quality doesn't always ensure success .

 Yoo

 @Afterschoolsports: maybe true but there are still lots of sponsored riders who are not racers or medicore races who have big sponsors becuase they pump out content every day and get lots of likes.

 @Cookiefr @zoobab2: It's partly people and partly the companies. I can see how the marketing meeting goes. Hey big boss we have a space for a new rider this year, this guy is a racer who races all over europe and his country, he even wins sometimes. It must cost him €20k a year from his pocket. But he only has 500 instagram followers and only made 1 Youtube video with 10 views. We have this other guy, he races sometimes at his local uplift only and comes nearly last every time, he races for FUN! But he has 3 quidillion followers. Look look look at him doing this 5 meter jump and crashing. It got a billion views!!! Imagine he was riding our bikes. 1 billion views = 0.00001% chance someone will buy...

Social media is a posion to racing! But a marketing manager's dream.

Nothing wrong with producing content, you pulling a skid or a wheely. But the hard work, dedication, cost and sacifice that goes into competing is now being ignored. It's now all about posing looking good putting out youtubes or instagrams every other day. Its a sad world now.

 @Cookiefr: I agree, but... those influencers (or what ever they are called), are like politicians........
Wins the best video edition / best talktive (I don't of this word exists!!!).

Races on the other end, are won through seconds or decimals....
No vidio editing, no funky jersey, just pure PERFORMANCE and a bit of luck!

Maybe racers could adapt and be more visible - just saying!
I understand it can be difficult, but it's their profession... so probably it's time to move on and change, and continue on the game


Best of luck to him

 @Balancing: I don't disagree with you. I'm just clarifying the situation a lot of companies are facing across all markets around the world.

It's not just the leisure industry that are experiencing these issues. Sadly many companies won't survive despite significant demand for their products and services at present.

 @archiesgm:
@archiesgm:

Crap??

www.rootsandrain.com/rider72091/luke-williamson/results

They dont look like a bad set of results to me, 5th at Maribor, 7th at Worlds, 6 at Lousa 2.

Look at the percentage of riders he has beaten week in / week out at WC level - no wins but he's up there. Think of some of the riders he's been up against over the last 2 years, and not all of the tope guys now had absolutely stellar junior careers.

 @jemscott: yeah but this season he’s been beaten by riders in their first season and by privateers. At junior level when your on a factory team you really should be performing better, especially as their isn’t as much depth as elite men.

 @archiesgm: Without the insane finish line crash at loasa he would have come first no doubt. 10th place with a 30ft drop to face plant is pretty insane at that level. He must have lost 15 seconds right at the end and still came 10th

 @archiesgm:
Fair point but juniors mature at different times, not always the top jumiors who go on to be the best elites.

 only the kit the bikes gotta go back