Gates – maker of cycling’s leading belt-drive system – is offering a 100,000€ prize to the first elite man or woman to win a single round of the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup on a bike with a Gates belt-drive. It’s only actually been UCI-legal since last season, and Gamux Factory Racing dropped in on a Gates Carbon belt-drive Pinion gearbox prototype bike last spring. So get out there and race the Gamux crew on a belt-drive bike and win a bunch of bonus cash!
That’s right, all you need to do to get a 100,00€ bonus is win a DH World Cup on a Gates-equipped bike. Just rock up to the start line and lay down the fastest time against the best mountain bikers in the world, on a bike that’s not yet even made it onto the podium.
It may not have been done yet. But a belt-drive makes a lot of sense for racing DH.
No derailleur flapping around waiting to get bashed off by some passing rock. Maybe a gearbox in the middle of the bike for better weight distribution and more ability to tune suspension around its sprung weight. Gamux has known that for years, and you could already buy the chain-drive Sego since 2021. But now the Gates Carbon drive prototype that we spotted last season, is officially in their line-up – as the 2024 Sego!
And your reward would be 26x what the last World Cup winner earned. Yep, the prize money for winning an elite UCI DH World Cup race is just 3750€ again this season. Sounds like a pretty good motivation
You just better do it fast if you want to beat those Gamux Factory Racing kids. They’ve already got a good head start!
One nice bit of extra info, Gates isn’t in a giant hurry it seems. Their €100K bonus prize will roll over to next season, if no one wins it this year!
Read the full wording of their “contest” below:
DENVER, April 12, 2024 – Gates (NYSE: GTES), a global provider of innovative highly engineered power transmission and fluid power solutions – and pioneer in belt-driven micromobility – has raised the stakes for mountain bike racers around the world. Gates announced a massive €100,000 belted purse for the first elite racer to win a Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Mountain Bike Downhill race on a Gates belt-driven bike.
This Gates Belted Purse Prize, which will roll over if not claimed this season, is intended to inspire teams and athletes to consider the unique performance advantages a belted downhill bike offers.
“With the advancements Gates has achieved through materials science and engineering innovation, the time has come to make history,” said Chris Sugai, General Manager, Gates Global Mobility. “Gates intends to show that the benefits of belt drives and advanced gearing solutions are applicable at the highest levels of mountain bike racing. And along with sport fans around the world, we’re eager for the 2024 UCI downhill races as the Gates Carbon Drive Prize adds to the excitement.”
Using a belt drive in conjunction with a gearbox on a mountain bike offers several key advantages. A rider has greater control, improved balance, and better handling due to lower unsprung mass in the rear wheel and concentration of mass in the center of the bike. Unsprung mass refers to the weight of components that are not supported by the suspension system, such as wheels, tires, and drivetrain. Reducing the unsprung mass of the rear wheel allows for more control and less rebound forces when riding. Navigating tight corners and technical sections are improvements enabled by this radically different drivetrain configuration.
Another benefit of a belt drive mountain bike is reduced risk of malfunctions versus a traditional chain system. Chains are prone to stretching, derailleurs are often damaged, and cassettes can clog with dirt and debris which can lead to poor performance and frequent mechanical issues. Gates Carbon Drive belts are made from highly durable materials that are resistant to stretching and corrosion, and importantly have no weak link.
Downhill racing has always been an adrenaline-fueled sport that pushes athletes and bicycle technology to their limits. Skill, courage, and determination are critical for success, and technical improvements to the bike can lead to race-winning seconds off the clock. With the Gates Carbon Drive €100K Prize, we’re about to see history in the making. It’s going to be a great season.
For more information including contest rules, visit: GatesCarbonDrive.com/products/100k-belted-purse
#GatesMTB100K #GatesBeltDrive
GatesCarbonDrive.com
Cory Benson is the EU Tech Editor of Bikerumor.com.
Cory has been writing about mountain bikes, enduro, cyclocross, all-road, gravel bikes & bikepacking for over 25 years, even before the industry created some of these names. Prior to Bikerumor, Cory was a practicing Architect specializing in environmental sustainability, has designed bike shops & bike components, and worked as a bike shop mechanic.
Based in the Czech Republic for 15+ years, he is a technical mountain biker, adventurous gravel rider, and short & medium-haul bikepacker. Cory travels extensively across Europe riding bikes, meeting with key European product developers, industry experts & tastemakers for an in-depth review of what’s new, and what’s coming next.
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