Belt drive innovator Gates has partnered with four elite race teams for the 2025 UCI World Cup Downhill season. The partnerships will push the limits of research and development, with these top teams rigorously testing Gates Belt Drive systems in some of the world’s toughest downhill racing conditions.
The 2025 season also sees Gates continuing its trailblazing €100,000 Belted Purse contest for the 2025 race season. This incentive rewards the first elite racer, male or female, to win a UCI Mountain Bike Downhill event on a Gates belt-driven bike. Designed to spotlight the unique performance advantages of a belted downhill bike, the challenge aims to inspire teams and athletes to embrace this revolutionary technology.
To date, the four teams vying for the purse are: Aon on Gamux frames, Atherton Racing, MS-Racing, and Intense Factory Racing.
“Being part of bringing belt drives into professional downhill racing has been an incredibly rewarding experience. Working with Gates has been fantastic—together, we’ve learned so much throughout the 2023 and 2024 race seasons, and we’re thrilled to continue this partnership into 2025. Everyone on the team has poured so much effort into this over the past few years, and it’s exciting to see how belt drive system technology and downhill racing continue to grow.” said Dominic Tinner, co-founder of Gamux.
“We at Atherton Bicycles are thrilled to announce that we’ll be racing the 2025 UCI season powered by Gates Belts,” said Dan Brown, founder and owner of Atherton Bicycles. “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.”
“We look forward to seeing how belt drive mountain bikes compete in the UCI series this season,” said Chris Sugai, General Manager of Mobility at Gates Corporation. “With the changes in the competition structure, the playing field is smaller, and the competition is tougher. Working with these great race teams will help us improve our belt drive systems.”
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