Competitive enduro does not seem to be growing: from a super cool discipline in the early days it is now in a phase of decline. The entry of Warner Bros. Discovery has brought with it many changes but has not managed to bring live coverage and therefore many doubts have arisen among those in the sector. Now even one of its biggest stars is looking for a future in other disciplines: this is the case of Richie Rude who will compete in DH in 2025.
BACK TO THE ROOTS
Let's remember that as a Junior Richie Rude was World Champion in 2013 and silver medalist, behind Loic Bruni, in 2012. We would like to point out that this is not the final farewell to enduro but he will continue to have goals in enduro: his main goal will be the world championships. However, the loss of importance of the Enduro World Cup has led him to opt for DH.
Yeti doesn’t have a DH bike yet, which means we’ll see a prototype Yeti DH bike on the circuit. It will be a bike built under the “Yeti Special Projects” program and will represent a return to the roots for the American brand, which was just starting out as one of the most prominent companies in world DH.
Over the past few years my interest in downhill racing has increased and I have competed in select events over the years alongside enduro. I am grateful for the success I have had and how it has shaped my career. Looking ahead to 2025 as the reigning UCI Enduro World Cup overall champion and US National Champion with multiple titles in the enduro discipline, I see this as a perfect opportunity to step into the discipline and take on a new challenge. –Richie Rude
It will be a similar path to the one that Martin Maes will follow in the new Orbea FMD Racing team.
