Racing
World Cup 2025 Round1: Bielsko-Biala: The first big test...
15 May 2025
All new bikes and a team brimming with enthusiasm and potential head to Bielsko-Biala in the Beskidy mountains of Poland for UCI Downhill Series 2025 Round 1!
Our 2025 Downhill team is packed with young talent and after a hard winter of training and testing the gang are already to put the A.200.G Gates belt-driven bike to the ultimate test on this unpredictable track. World Champion Charlie Hatton (27) is joined by Luke Wayman and George Madley (both just 18 years old). While many of their friends are gearing up for summer exams in school and college, Luke will race his first year as an Elite and George his second year as a junior.
Please spare a thought for our new female elite rider, Elise Empey, who is still recovering from surgery on her tricep tendon and MCL of the elbow and won’t be able to start the season.
In Poland the pits are up and the team are already raving as Head Technician Ben Lovell brings the customary tunes and endless good vibes. Ben will be looking after Charlie this year, assisted by new boy Johann Jenkinson who will mainly work with Luke. Team Manager Tom Lloyd seems like a permanent fixture after 10 years with the team, and Howard Stuttard (driver and George’s mechanic) brings a wealth of experience and steadying words for the youngsters. Also new for 2025 Elliot Doyle joins as team chef.
Team Manager
- Team Manager Tom Lloyd said, “We got here!” The First World Cup of the season is always a big push to get to; no matter what preparations we’ve put in place in the off-season, the last two weeks before always seem ridiculous!
- Howard has been driving for us for four years now and it’s great to be able to load the lorry in Wales and let him crack on without having to worry (still had a few sleepless nights though!) I’m gutted for Elise, but hopefully she’ll join us soon and be fit to race at La Thuile. Luke and George have spent a few weeks staying at my house in Dyfi which has been really good, plenty of bike time with the sunny weather in Wales!
- We also got some good time in with the rest of the staff and riders so we’re already feeling like a team– I’m excited to show them the crazy circus that is World Cup races!” Developing new talent has always been front and centre at Atherton Racing. Martin Maes, Kade Edwards, Taylor Vernon, Mille Johnset all realised their potential as World Class riders under the guidance of the team.
- Since 2019 our A.200 has meant that we’ve been able to contribute even more, the additional confidence that it brings is transformative, just look at Charlie’s World Champs win or Andi Kolb’s meteoric rise up the ranks for evidence of its almost magical effect. We are all confident that the A.200.G is going to ramp up that advantage even further.
A.200.G
Developing the new Gates belt-driven bike in Machynlleth as we train for the 2025 season has been a real positive for the team with riders, mechanics and engineers developing a super-close relationship and increasing their knowledge with every hour on the Dyfi Bike Park tracks.
As we write this piece, the team are yet to walk the track, so we’re not yet sure of changes from last year when the venue made its exciting debut; follow @athertonracing on Instagram for updates on that. What we can guess from last year is that there will be lots of wooden features and big jumps, and if the weather is anything like 2024 (serving up a heavy downpour on race day morning) the track conditions are likely to be changeable and complex! As lines were established in last year’s race, braking bumps formed and new roots and rocks emerged from the dark mountain soil, ensuring that no two runs were identical. The last word of this pre-season ramble should go to Charlie Hatton, who comes into this first World Cup fresh from victory at IXS DH European Cup Round 2 at Fort William.
Charlie Hatton...
Charlie said “I’m stoked! I feel like we’ve got a great set-up with the bike, even though we’ve had such a short time on it, the Gates belt-drive and gearbox, everything’s working really well so I’m super-excited to get it on a proper World Cup track against all the World Cup racers and put it to a proper test. I’m stoked to have such a fresh burst of energy on the team too. The boys are absolutely frothing for it as well, they are a great addition to have. It feels quite weird for me to have grown to be the older guy trying to pass on my “wisdom” like Gee and Rach did for me when I joined back in 2018. We’re together, we’re feeling good and we’re looking forward to get stuck in.”