The TFR Downhill and Enduro remain the best looking teams on the World Cup circuit
New year, new kit. The Trek Factory Racing gravity riders — Loris Vergier, Reece Wilson, Bodhi Kuhn and Sacha Earnest on the Downhill squad, and Hattie Harnden on Enduro — will once again be sending into the season with a brand-new look, courtesy of their friends at 100%.
Eagle-eyed observers may have noticed the new training kit out in the wild, taking podiums in New Zealand and Portugal. The black-and-white design will eventually become the riders’ adornment for practice and quali runs, with the official race day kit to be revealed at a tantalizingly later date.
Reece Wilson is ready to fly this season.
100% delivers on every detail.
The design matches the riders’ “Argent Drizzle” paint scheme, which returns after being introduced at World Championships last season. You’ll be seeing it throughout the year, including during racing leading up to the start of World Cup racing on May 3 in Fort William for downhill, and May 10 in Finale for enduro.
Big-time racing is almost here. While you wait, feel free to ogle the new threads to your heart’s delight, and read on to catch up on what the riders have been up to since the end of the 2023 season.
Sacha Earnest showing off the kit and bike combo.
The same gorgeous bike returns.
The 2024 TFR Downhill squad is all about welcoming back old friends and making new ones.
Loris Vergier, Reece Wilson and Bodhi Kuhn all return, though Wilson wasn’t able to do much with the squad in ’23 due to injuries. If you follow him on Instagram, you know that he is absolutely flying on his Session again. He has his sights set on a return to World Cup podiums, but whatever happens, he’s going to enjoy the process of getting back up to full speed. Wilson’s time off the bike gave him a fresh perspective on what it means to be able to race for a living.
“After fighting injuries for two years straight I’m beyond excited to go racing in ’24,” Wilson said. “For me, the goal has never been more straightforward: Get to the races and build on what I have. In a situation like mine, expectations could be the biggest killer of joy so I’m here to simply enjoy racing my bike with the team again. The rest will come with time.”
Hattie Harnden doesn't mess around.
Loris Vergier leading the way.
Vergier and Kuhn, meanwhile, will be looking to continue their podium ways. Vergier was the most consistent rider in downhill racing last season, finishing in the top 10 in 19 of his 21 World Cup race runs. A win eluded him, but if he maintains his form, it may not be far away. Kuhn, meanwhile, is stepping up to the elite level after winning in Val di Sole and taking second at World Championships as a junior last season. Transitioning to higher caliber racing is never easy, but Kuhn has the focus and physicality to handle the pressure.
Earnest is officially joining the squad after swapping over to a Session and racing out of the TFR pits in the midst of the 2023 season. She handled the change with aplomb, taking third at World Championships to complete an all-Kiwi podium, and recording her second ever World Cup win in Loudenvielle. The 17-year-old will be racing another year of juniors, and is excited for the opportunity to develop with the help of world-class support.
Nobody gets rowdy like Bodhi Kuhn.
Stunner.
“Transitioning over to Trek was such a great opportunity, much bigger than I ever thought,” Earnest said. “I was really aiming just for a small team [last year], because that’s really all that I thought I could get. But to be on Trek is insane. Like one of my biggest dreams.”
Hattie Harnden needs little introduction. She’s been one of the dominant forces in enduro racing ever since joining TFR in 2020. The last two seasons, she’s finished third in the Enduro World Series/World Cup overall standings while racking up two race wins. As always, the multi-disciplinary star is aiming ever higher, while likely trying to expand her vast repertoire with some downhill racing whenever possible. In 2023, Harnden won the British downhill national title, and finished fifth at Mont-Sainte-Anne.
Loris is flying high.
The TFR Gravity crew has big plans for '24.
“I’m looking forward to getting back to racing,” Harnden said. “I feel like it’s been a while. And I’m looking forward to going to a couple of new venues in Poland and Switzerland. It’s going to be a compact, short season, so I’m looking forward to just getting underway and giving everything I got all year.”
TFR is on deck for a fascinating year of gravity racing. Haven’t had enough? Here are a few more links to some of our best content since the 2023 season to help whet your appetite for racing.
