The mountain bike off-season this year has been almost as interesting as the actual season with teams like Intense Factory Racing winding up, big-name riders without rides for the 2024 season, and the rumor mill of who will be riding where in full swing. Greg Minnaar, of course, has been the main subject of debate as the GOAT left Santa Cruz Syndicate after 16 years of stunning success, and if the rumor mill is to be believed, and it seems like a good bet, he'll be riding for the Norco Downhill Team this year.
One super exciting but unexpected bombshell move in the downhill mountain biking world is Thibaut Dapréla signing for the Canyon CLLCTV. Canyon announced the latest addition to its fully loaded team and it sees the balls-to-the-wall flamboyant Frenchman joining Luca Shaw, Troy Brosnan, Henry Kerr, and Mille Johnset in an absolutely packed with talent downhill team for 2024.
From the outside it looks like a real coup for the Canyon CLLCTV and the move will be a huge change for Dapréla, having ridden for the Commencal Muc-Off team since his junior days. Speculation is bound to be fueled around the future of the Commencal Muc-Off team, which has had major success the last few years with Amaury Pierron and Thibaut Dapréla when injury free consistently challenging for World Cup wins, while Myriam Nicole, again when injury-free winning the Women's World Championships and along with numerous World Cup wins.
At just 22 years old, Dapréla has already racked up an impressive list of wins and the Canyon CLLCTV will be hoping to continue his success. From multiple Elite World Cup victories to clinching the overall title twice as a junior, his thrilling mind-blowing pace and leave-it-all-out-there riding style make him a huge hit with fans, and has delivered incredible results.
Thibaut Dapréla spoke about his excitement about joining the Canyon CLLCTV in a press release from Canyon and said, "I’m very proud to be part of the Canyon CLLCTV. It’s a big family with multiple champions and results. The energy and technology that Canyon brings into the race world are amazing, and it’s the spirit I’m looking for. I am stoked to start the season with my CLLCTV Factory DH team mates. Also, it’s a great opportunity to be working with Gabe Fox and Fabien Barel, who have huge experience on the World Cup scene. I’m excited for this new chapter and already feeling at home on the bike. Let the fun begin!"
Dapréla and his Canyon CLLCTV DH teammates will be supported by handpicked partners in their search for wins and podiums around the globe including SRAM, RockShox, Troy Lee Designs, DT Swiss, Maxxis, Crankbrothers, Ergon, Maurten, Dynamic Bike Care, E-13, Chris King, and Albek who will all support the team in 2024.
With just 17 weeks to wait until the 2024 season kicks off you can follow all the action from the team at Canyon CLLCTV Instagram and check out the Canyon CLLCTV announcement below.
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