Madison Saracen is a British-based UCI trade team, specialising in

downhill Downhill may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Downhill'' (1927 film), a British film by Alfred Hitchcock * ''Downhill'' (2014 film), a British comedy directed by James Rouse * ''Downhill'' (2016 film), a Chilean thriller directed by Patrici ...

mountain biking. In 2018 the team announced the signing of two-time world champion Danny Hart. Founded in 2011, the team achieved great success with

Manon Carpenter Manon Rose Carpenter (born 11 March 1993) is a Welsh, professional racing cyclist formerly specialising in downhill mountain bike racing. Carpenter is from Caerphilly, South Wales. She was inspired to take up the sport by her father, Jason, a ...

and later Matt Walker. Carpenter became junior UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Champion in the team’s debut season, before going on to take the senior titles of the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup and World Championships in 2014. Walker became junior UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Champion in 2017.

History

Formation

Launched in 2011 the team’s aspiration was clearly laid out by Madison CEO Dominic Langan. “The first year is mainly a development squad, with a couple of people riding the world cup series. It’s a minimum three-year program and hopefully we’ll be doing much more beyond that – the aim is to get more riders into the world cup series. “We hope to build that up and hopefully we can get some champions. We just want to get good British riders out there.”

Team progression

took the team’s first major win at the junior world championships in Champery, Switzerland. The win was followed by the appointment of Tim Flooks as team manager in November 2011, but he was forced to stand down soon after due to health problems. In February 2012, Will Longden took the position of team manager. Longden – himself a four-time British champion in downhill, fourcross and dual slalom – took the reins of the team following a period of time coaching the

MBUK ''Mountain Biking UK'' (often shortened to ''MBUK'') is a British mountain biking magazine. It is published by Our Media, an Immediate Media group company, and is currently the UK's best-selling mountain bike magazine, with a circulation of 2 ...

development squad. He was also British Cycling’s rider representative for downhill mountain biking. In 2012 Manon Carpenter took the team’s first world cup and world championship podium results. Longden strengthened the team in 2013 signing Sam Dale, as Carpenter visited the world cup podium in five out of six rounds. By 2014 the team was split in two. A factory race team would contest the biggest races spearheaded by Carpenter, Dale and new signing Matt Simmonds. Alongside the factory team a development team was launched. Following the split the team had its most successful season as Carpenter won the world cup series overall and the world championships. A second-place from Simmonds at the final world cup of the season was enough to place the team third in the end-of-series standings. In 2015 the Madison Saracen factory retained the services of Simmonds, Carpenter and Dale. After a tumultuous start to the season, Carpenter would recover to finish second overall in the world cup and take silver at the world championships. In December 2015 Madison Saracen announced its ne
roster
and the signing of Marc Beaumont. But it was junior Matt Walker who would make the biggest impact, with his first world cup win coming in Cairns. In December 2016 Carpenter departed the team, with Alex Marin joining the lineup and the standalone development team re-launching. Matt Walker won his second junior world cup, before going on to win the World Championships in Cairns, Australia. In January 2018, the team announced their new lineup, with Danny Hart joining Alex Marin and Matt Walker.

Team roster

2018 Factory Racing Team 2017 Factory Racing Team 2016 Factory Racing Team 2015 Factory Racing Team Development Team 2014 Factory Racing Team 2013 2012 2011

Title sponsors

Madison Clothing Saracen bikes

Results

;2016 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Downhill :Round 5 Lenzerheide, Switzerland - 4th

senior women :Round 4 Leogang, Austria - 5th

senior women :Round 3 Fort William, Great Britain - 3rd

senior women :Round 2 Cairns, Australia - 1st Matt Walker, junior men; 3rd

senior women :Round 1 Lourdes, France - 2nd Matt Walker, junior men; 3rd

senior women ;2015 :2nd DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Overall -

:2nd DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, Vallnord, Andorra -

:3rd DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Team Standing Overall - Madison Saracen UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Downhill :3rd Round 2 Fort William, Great Britain senior women -

:2nd Round 4 Lenzerheide, Switzerland senior women -

:2nd Round 5 Mont Sainte Anne, Canada senior women -

:2nd Round 6 Windham, USA senior women -

:3rd Round 7 Val di Sole, Italy senior women -

;2014 :1st DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup -

:1st DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Championships,

Hafjell Hafjell is a village and a ski resort in Norway, in the Øyer municipality in the county of Oppland. Hafjell hosted the alpine skiing technical events ( giant slalom and slalom) at the 1994 Winter Olympics; the speed events were held at Kvitfje ...

, Norway -

:2nd DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Team Standing Overall - Madison Saracen UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Downhill :1st Round 1 Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, senior women -

:2nd Round 2 Cairns, Australia, senior women -

:1st Round 4 Leogang, Austria, senior women -

:1st Round 5 Mont Sainte Anne, Canada, senior women -

:2nd Round 7 Meribel, France, senior women -

, SILVER Matt Simmonds ;2013 :3rd DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup -

UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Downhill :2nd Round 1 Fort William, Great Britain, senior women -

:2nd Round 2 Val di Sole, Italy, junior men - Phil Atwill :2nd Round 3 La Massana, Andorra, senior women -

:2nd Round 4 Mont Sainte Anne, Canada, senior women -

:2nd Round 5 Hafjell, Norway, senior women -

:3rd Round 6 Leogang, Austria, senior women -

:2nd DH, British National Mountain Biking Championships, senior women -

;2012 :3rd DH, UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships Elite,

Leogang Leogang is a municipality in the district of Zell am See (Pinzgau region), in the state of Salzburg in Austria. It is a famous winter sports and summer mountain hiking resort. Population Sights :Mining and Gothic Museum :tourist mine Schwarzle ...

, Austria -

UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Downhill :Round 1 Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, senior women -

:2nd DH, British National Mountain Biking Championships, senior women -

:3rd DH, British National Mountain Biking Championships, youth men - Will Weston ;2011 : 1st DH, UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships, junior women, -

: 1st DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Series Overall, junior women -

: 1st DH, British National Mountain Biking Championships, junior women -

: 1st DH, British National Mountain Biking Championships, youth men - Phillip Atwill

References

{{Reflist Cycle racing in the United Kingdom Cycling teams established in 2011 2011 establishments in the United Kingdom