Well, it’s been a busy week at Dirt HQ as we gear up to put the final touches to another issue of the magazine, which is due out later this month. Deadline is always busy but that hasn’t stopped our bike tester Steve Jones from getting out and about; he’s been in Israel with a select few from a certain young bike company, testing what he predicts as one of the bikes of the year. What is it? You’ll have to wait and see in Dirt #145, but for now you can take a wild guess from the clues here and read what else has been happening in our world below.
Title photo: Hafjell by Laurence Crossman-Emms.
Tracy Moseley joins Trek Factory team
Long-term Trek-sponsored athlete and 2013 Enduro World Series (EWS) winner Tracy Moseley will join Trek’s factory team for 2014 along with a host of other racers, with a major focus on the World Series.
Tracy talking enduro, along with Anka Martin.
Tracy ran her own set-up for the last couple of seasons, competing under the banner of T-MO Racing, having previously been on Martin Whiteley’s Trek World Racing team (which operates separately to Trek Factory Racing). The ex-Downhill World Champion will join the following riders, who will mix their efforts between EWS and National-level enduro races:
Tracy Moseley (GBR)
Rene Wildhaber (SUI)
Justin Leov (NZL)
Ross Schnell (USA)
Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (USA)
Heather Irmiger (USA)
Harry Heath joins newly-formed Dirt-Orange World Team
Harry Heath joins newly-formed Dirt-Orange World Team
Harry Heath.
As reported today on our front page, Harry ‘Baz’ Heath, the privateer who turned heads at a number of World Cup races in 2013, and young talent Jacob Dickson will join our very own team for the 2014 season.
Orange Bikes are also new to the team line-up and we will be very proud indeed to be flying the flag for the British brand.
Read the whole story here.
Hafjell Bike Park to open for 2014!
Hallelujah! One of the most perfectly formed bike parks in the world looked like it was dangerously close to closure for the 2014 season – a move that seemed mad considering it will be hosting the World Championships in September – but thanks to huge support from the public via Facebook, Hafjell Bike Park in Norway will open after all.
Here’s the bottom line from Thorvald Sverdrup, Chairman of Alpinco(the lift operator in Hafjell):
Visitor numbers have unfortunately not been responding to the costs. The visitor number must increase for the cost of the operation to be covered. The number of guests will ultimately determine the product’s future
Eric Carter joins Specialized as manager of Gravity Team
Earlier this week it was revealed by PinkBike that ex-World Cup DH star and previous 4X World Champion Eric Carter will join Specialized as manager for their gravity team, taking the reigns from Sean Heimdal. With a new manager and fresh slate for 2014, will Aaron Gwin return to his dominating ways?
