Gearbox bikes really could win a World Cup in 2025, after four elite race teams commit to Gates’ technology, with €100,000 rider prize money up for grabs – MBR

Atherton Racing, Aon on Gamux frames, Atherton Racing, MS-Racing, and Intense Factory Racing will use Gates’ carbon belt drive this season
Gates Belt drive on Zerode
One rider will scoop €100,000 in 2025, prize money for winning a World Cup race using a belt drive and gearbox bike, making history as the first rider to do so on a non-traditional drivetrain.
That’s according to Gates, which last year launched its Gates 100K Belted Purse prize to highlight the benefit of gearbox designs. Now that prediction is looking much more likely to come true as four World Cup teams including Atherton Racing will use Gates for the 2025 season.
We recently reported that Atherton Bikes was almost certainly working on a downhill race bike with gearbox and belt drive, and now it seems the rumours are real. Gates says it now has official partnerships with four elite teams, Aon on Gamux frames, Atherton, MS-Racing, and Intense Factory Racing.
That means we’re likely to see Intense’s Millie Johnset using a gearbox bike in 2025 and Reece Wilson on the recently launched AON Racing Team that he said on Instagram has been “completely new, built from the ground up, UCI Mountain Bike World Series Race team.”
With no rear mech to mangle, no chain to break and near zero maintenance, a belt drive and gear box actually makes a lot of sense for downhill
Could we also see the return of Rachel Atherton to downhill racing, in search of that €100,000 prize purse? It sounds pretty farfetched given the downhill superstar and former World Champion retired from racing some five years ago. But let’s not forget her comeback win in 2023 at Lenzerheide, proving she still has the skills to win races.
Gates launched its €100,000 Belted Purse last summer, designed as in incentive to reward the first elite racer, male or female, to win a UCI Mountain Bike Downhill event on a Gates belt-driven bike. We think this is limited to World Cups rather than the World Champs, meaning there are twenty chances to win the prize, at the 10 race events this summer. Juniors probably aren’t in the running for the prize either.
There’s very little information out there as yet on which riders will be using gearbox bikes, or even whether they can chop and choose between a belt drive and a more traditional derailleur drivetrain. Here’s what Dan Brown from Atherton Bikes said about the deal with Gates:
“We at Atherton Bicycles are thrilled to announce that we’ll be racing the 2025 UCI season powered by Gates Belts. Our manufacturing methods allow us to prototype and reiterate designs very quickly, ensuring we take learnings from the test track straight to the product. This technology has allowed us to develop a first prototype in just two months. Huge thanks to the design team, including Dave Weagle, for pulling this one together so quick! Gates has a long-standing reputation for innovation and excellence in product development, giving us the confidence to make this pivotal switch. We’re eagerly looking forward to an exciting race season with Gates as our trusted partner.”
 

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