Last night, we announced the winners of MBUK Rider of the Year 2024, sponsored by Lezyne, at our star-studded awards ceremony in Bristol.
We received no fewer than 457 nominations for the coveted awards, held by our sister titles, MBUK and Cycling Plus magazines.
The judging panel had a tough job drawing up the final shortlist across the three MTB categories, showcasing the incredible talents and achievements of mountain bikers in 2024.
From there, we left it down to you to vote for the final winners of the Rider of the Year and Newcomer of the Year categories, while MBUK's expert panel selected the winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Here's how it panned out – and if you want to find out the winners of our road cycling categories, head to our Cycling Plus Rider of the Year announcement.
Rider of the Year: Rónán Dunne
Smashing the popular vote – and nearly winning the newcomer category too – young Irish racer Rónán Dunne has had an incredible year.
Top achievements
- Irish national DH champ 2016 (12-14), 2017 (15-16), 2019 (17-18), 2022 (Senior)
- 4th Snowshoe World Cup, USA, 2022
- 2nd Snowshoe World Cup, USA, 2023
- 1st Red Bull Hardline Australia, 2024
- 1st Szczyrk World Cup, Poland, 2024
- 1st Red Bull Hardline (Wales), 2024
It’s a beautiful crisp October day and we’re on our way to meet Rónán Dunne in his hometown of Enniskerry, half an hour south of Dublin, in the build-up to the awards.
The 22-year-old has grown up in County Wicklow, known as the ‘Garden of Ireland’ because of its natural beauty, which includes secluded beaches and rugged mountains as well as extensive woodlands.
We’re greeted by four very excited dogs in the driveway, and the sun is just rising over the top of the Great Sugar Loaf mountain, turning everything in the garden a shade of gold. Rónán doesn’t know about winning Rider of the Year yet.
He thinks we’re here to get a potential cover photo for MBUK magazine, along with some shots of his day-to-day life.
Many of us have been watching him progress rapidly in the downhill scene over the past few years, so it’s good to chat to him in person and see what makes him tick.
Tucked away in a corner of Rónán’s garden is what some may call the ‘shed of dreams’, packed with mountain bikes, motocross bikes, tools, tyres and all the other gear you could need.
The walls are covered with bike frames, number plates and race posters. With all four dogs as our audience, we sit down to discuss his breakthrough year, starting with a look back at how it all began.
Friendly competition
“My brother Anthony and I used to make jumps in the back garden on the farm and mess around on them,” Rónán tells us.
When his older sibling began racing, it wasn’t long before Rónán followed in his tyre tracks. “Now, I always beat him, but before it was always 50/50,” he laughs.
“He beat me a lot when we were younger. It was pretty cool having him there, and wanting him to do well, but also wanting to beat him!”
Rónán’s first race – an IDMS (Irish Downhill Mountainbike Series) round in Mallow, County Cork in 2016 – didn’t go well.
“I think I crashed twice!” That didn’t put him off, though, and he took the National Championships win in his age range later that year, a feat he repeated in 2017.
Two years later, Rónán made the step up to racing World Cups.
“I’d never raced a proper race abroad and went straight into Junior World Cups, which was a big jump,” he recalls.
“I did it because I knew I could do it and thought I may as well! I was so inexperienced. I got a bike for free but had to purchase all the parts. It was so hard trying to stay afloat.”
“I wasn’t allowed to race in 2020, because you had to be on a factory team to race during COVID,” he continues.
“Then in 2021, I returned to World Cups as an Elite, and it went pretty well. I was just hoping to qualify, but in my first race I got within the top 30 – I was shocked!
“I hadn’t raced in so long, so I wasn’t sure where I was at, pace-wise. As a privateer it was pretty much unheard of to get within the top 30. That season followed on quite well.”
Boy Dunne good
Riding for Continental-Nukeproof Racing, Rónán finished 46th in the World Cup rankings that year, but there was better to come. In 2022 he bagged his first podium, at Snowshoe in the US, where he finished fourth, helping him to climb to 30th overall.
Then last year, he beat that with a second-place finish in Snowshoe and 12th overall. With some top results under his belt and Nukeproof in financial difficulty, he was snapped up by Mondraker Factory Racing.
It proved a savvy move, because Rónán started this season with a win at Red Bull Hardline Australia in Tasmania, followed by victory at the Szczyrk World Cup in Poland (helping him to fourth place in the series rankings) and then a win at the original Red Bull Hardline in Wales.
“I was hoping to be a consistent top-10 overall rider, but I was also on a new team, which needed time to adjust to,” he explains.
“So, I was hoping for a great year but wasn’t expecting to get consistent top fives, win a race and win the two Hardlines!
“You can always hope and dream, but there’s that voice in the back of your head telling you, ‘Come on, you need to work harder for that!’ Halfway through the year, when these things started happening, I kind of knew I could do it [and that gave me a] boost.”
What changed to make him faster? “Coming into the new team with amazing support from a factory program was great,” says Rónán.
“We had four team training camps starting off the year, more staff and a bigger setup. Seeing this, you tell yourself, ‘You need to make this work, you’ve gotta go fast now!’
“I was also in New Zealand in the summer, so it was a mixture of the factory team support and riding abroad that had a huge impact. I wasn’t worried about parts and we have a lot of support, with physio and mechanics, so there was more time to focus on riding.”
Another high point of Rónán’s year was being picked as a Red Bull athlete, with all the financial, medical and exposure benefits that entails.
“It was a dream come true for me!” he exclaims.
“I’d been pushing to promote them, because I love everything they’re involved with, and then from the season start – winning Hardline Tasmania – I thought it might be possible.
“I was invited to team camps, because they knew I was so into it, but so many riders go and don’t get signed that I didn’t think much of it.” He got the news, aptly, at Red Bull Hardline in Wales.
“Riding in the helmet the very next day for practice was pretty cool!”
Aiming high
After such a stellar year, Rónán has high hopes for 2025. “Getting top-three overall would be great,” he says.
“It’s always good to set your eyes on more and more! I’d like to be a bit more consistently on the podium.
“This year, there were a lot of races where I could have won or podiumed but I was just pushing a bit too much. I was consistently in fifth or sixth place in the semi finals.
“In Les Gets [France], I could have podiumed if I didn’t crash. At Val di Sole [Italy], I made a few mistakes, which was another podium gone.
“Then, at World Champs, I was one second up on the splits, but I backed off and told myself to chill out, and ended up one second off the win.
“There are definitely still a lot of improvements to be made. My pace is good but I need to dial it up and be on the podium more – and chill out in the wet!”
If it were up to Rónán, he’d introduce Hardline-style jumps at World Cups.
“I’ve been quite vocal that they should have bigger features, 90ft jumps, because it makes it more interesting, and it would break up the field,” he says.
“There’s a feeling [among some riders] that bigger jumps should be left to the bike parks, but I think it would be more spectacular and change up the results.”
Éire time
Enough chatting – time to shoot some photos! Rónán takes us to his local riding spot, Djouce Mountain, which is extremely steep, with plenty of trails.
“The scene in Ireland is getting so big, it’s pretty great at the minute,” he says.
“It has the potential to be a world-class scene, but it just needs the backing, from the government and Sports Ireland.”
Access to the countryside on the Emerald Isle is a lot more restricted than in the UK, and private venues can find it hard to get insurance.
“We don’t have huge bike parks like the rest of Europe,” explains Rónán.
“There’s the GAP (Glencullen Adventure Park), but not many other places where you can do laps. We have better hills, it’s just whether we’re allowed to build on them. They’re very good for trail centres here, but not the more extreme side.”
His dream is for Ireland to have more bike parks, and to one day host a World Cup round or Hardline event.
“The IDMS races are selling out in less than an hour – everybody wants to race!” he tells us.
“We all started off pushing up hills, we didn’t have uplifts, so we don’t take it for granted.
Also, we have plenty of the technical, sketchy, slippy stuff, which always helps as a pro!
“The World Cups can have a lot of riders complaining about weather, the track, etc, so it’s handy to be able to show up and be content with any conditions, because that’s what we’re used to. We can’t exactly drive south and get better riding weather!”
While Ireland has produced other mountain bike stars –including Greg Callaghan, winner of three Enduro World Series races, and Oisin O’Callaghan, who won the Snowshoe DH World Cup in 2023 – Rónán has eclipsed them all this year.
He hopes that he’s helped kids with big dreams to see a future for themselves in the sport.
“I’d like to think so. I love meeting the kids at the local bike park and signing autographs for them!” he says.
“I’d hope they can see it’s possible if they put the work down and know what they have to do. There are a lot of kids now who are training way earlier than when I started, so there are big possibilities for them.”
Aged just 22, a world of possibilities awaits for Rónán too. We look forward to watching our Rider of The Year winner chase his dreams with passion and determination, and seeing him ‘getting it Dunne’!
What you said: "He’s a machine. He’s won two Hardlines in a year, a World Cup DH stage, and is pure energy and balls. And his career is only just starting too!"
Newcomer of the Year: Ffion Pickstock
Aged just 13, Ffi has taken on the UK’s biggest jump lines and was the first female rider to take part in Dirt Wars UK – on a £200 bike!
Who is Ffion Pickstock?
I’m a 13-year-old who loves riding bikes! I enjoy helping others who are getting into the sport and progressing my own skills too.
Where are you from?
North Wales, from a town called Holywell. I’m lucky to live where I do because there are places to ride MTB and BMX.
Favourite places to ride?
Antur Stiniog bike park – it’s helped me so much with riding downhill and it’s so fun! Revs [Revolution Bike Park] is really sick too.
The first time I rode there was at the Project EVOLVE girls’ jam, then I hit the Vision line when I was 10 – [my brother] Morg towed me in!
I’ve had so many fun times at Farmer Johns [sic] MTB Park as well. Deeside skate park is my local, and Greystone in Salford is awesome for practising tricks.
How did you get into MTBing?
I got a Carrera MTB and, in lockdown, me and my brother used to ride on the local mountain a lot.
We’d make jumps from my dad’s scrap timber and cut-down bracken. That’s when I learnt my first trick – a one-footer!
Morg would encourage me. We also practised in the garden, with planks – we still do now, sometimes!
What does mountain biking mean to you?
It means the world to me. I live for biking.
Who’s your inspiration?
Vero. She’s killing it for the girls. I was stoked to meet her at the EVOLVE jam, then she let me and my bro ride Lucky Dip [Sandler’s jumps], gifted me some shoes and invited me to Backyard Battle.
Becci Skelly [Skelton], Siany Dillon and Charlotte Worthington are sick too. Tahnée Seagrave is a legend – I love watching How We Roll [the FMD team’s video series]. I won a tiara helmet sticker from her and was so stoked!
Sam Hodgson and Shaun Gornall are so good and really nice guys, and so is Ems Davies. His girlfriend, Meinir, let me borrow her DH bike.
Kade Edwards is sick – I’ve met him at Deeside. I love watching Sam Pilgrim too – he’s so funny and sends anything! Last but not least… Morgan. He progresses so much and never gives up.
What bikes are you riding?
Mudhugger got in touch after I won a competition run by Jess Stone, and when they found out what I was riding – a £500 Cube hardtail I’d saved up ages to buy – they offered to loan me a Specialized Stumpjumper. I’m really grateful.
For dirt jumping, I was riding a heavy bike we got from Facebook Marketplace, but then Shawnee from Shred Like A Girl [now Unbound Collective], who’s been supporting me with awesome clothing, gave me her DMR. On the BMX side, my friend Millie surprised me with a Tall Order bike last year. So kind!
Favourite trick and why?
A one-foot can. I love doing them – it was one of my first tricks.
Favourite riding buddy?
My brother and my friends. I enjoy riding with my uncle and cousins too, but they live in Switzerland.
I’ve met some awesome friends through riding, and have even converted one of my friends who used to ride a skateboard.
I’m always stoked for a day riding with the girls and also for a day riding with the lads.
What’s your perfect day?
Antur in the morning on a sunny day (I love an uplift and warm weather!), a skate park with air-con in the afternoon and a Chinese for tea! I’d be riding with my bro, all my friends and my heroes. Imagine!
Favourite snack?
Olives! I love tomatoes too, and a bag of Haribo.
What do you get up to away from bikes?
Most of my time is spent on my MTB or BMX, but I do play netball and football, and I’ve represented my school in athletics. I like bouldering, too.
Also, I love a pamper night with a movie, face mask and getting my nails painted, and I have sleepovers with friends.
Where do you want the sport to take you?
Professional. I’d love to do Red Bull Rampage one day.
How did it feel to be nominated for Newcomer of the Year?
So, so good! I couldn’t believe it, especially after my brother won last year. I really am so grateful for all the nominations and votes.
What would it mean to win?
It’d mean the world. I’d be so happy, I wouldn’t know what to say!
Any shoutouts?
Shawnee and Unbound Collective, Millie, Mudhugger, Jess Stone, Vero Sandler, Meinir, Silverfish (for the Race Face and SDG components and 100% helmet), Antur Stiniog (for letting me ride there as much as I can), Deeside skate park, Life on Wheels in Holywell (for keeping me rolling), Peaty’s Products (for supporting me), all my family and friends, Morg for being Morg, my mum and dad, every single one of you who voted for me and MBUK for featuring me.
To every nominee – I’m stoked to have my name listed next to these legends. I appreciate you all so much.
What you said: "Ffion is leading the field for girls’ MTB and BMX in her age group. She’s been the winner at multiple freeride and DH comps, and has been invited to numerous invitation-only jams, where she’s usually the youngest rider hitting these lines.
"Plus, she’s an awesome human being! Progressive, brave and committed, she’s a role model for young riders."
Lifetime Achievement Award: Greg Minnaar
After much debate, we decided that the 2024 award had to go to Greg, to mark this incredible athlete’s retirement from racing this year.
When Greg Minnaar hit the Downhill World Cup scene in 1997 as a fresh-faced 15-year-old, few would have suspected he’d still be notching up podiums 28 years later.
In that time, the 43-year-old has won an incredible four DH World Championships and 22 DH World Cups.
An amazing accomplishment in a fast-changing sport where injuries are prevalent and youthful risk-taking can trump experience. Hell, he once bagged a 4X World Cup win, too, for good measure!
Greg may be South African, but he became an honorary Brit in 2000 when he joined the Animal Orange team.
Riding alongside the likes of Steve Geall, Tim Ponting and Rob Kitchen, he raced his Orange 222 DH bike and Ms Isle dual slalom rig in the domestic RAV4 National Mountain Bike Series as well as at World Cups.
That year, he bagged his first World Cup podium, finishing fifth in Vail, Colorado – a race won by his mate Steve Peat.
He went on to ride for Global Racing, again on Orange bikes, winning the World Cup series title in 2001, before moving to the Haro-Lee Dungarees team, piloting an Intense DHR and winning his first world champ’s rainbow stripes in 2003.
Greg then became the ‘face’ of Team G Cross Honda, riding the gearbox-equipped, $70,000 Honda RN01 – the most hyped bike on the circuit at that time – and racked up another World Cup series title.
In 2008 Greg switched to the Santa Cruz Syndicate alongside Peaty, plus Nathan Rennie and Josh ‘Ratboy’ Bryceland.
He enjoyed huge success aboard the Santa Cruz V10, winning three more World Champs (2012, 2013, 2021) and another World Cup overall (2008).
It was a surprise last year when it was announced he was leaving the Syndicate to join Norco as director of their new downhill team.
In August, Greg revealed he’d be hanging up his full-face helmet after this year’s World Champs in Andorra (a country where he’s now based for much of the year).
“Over the last three decades, I’ve raced against the best our sport has seen, and they’ve all pushed me to transform myself over and over again,” he said.
“It’s been an absolute privilege and honour, and I’m grateful for every person who’s been a part of this journey with me.”
That announcement came after he racked up a 98th podium (by our calculations) on the world circuit with a third-place finish in Les Gets, France – a fitting end to an incredible career.
Greg is widely regarded as the GOAT (greatest of all time) of men’s DH racing, having beaten Aaron Gwin, Steve Peat and Nicolas Vouilloz’s tally of World Cup wins (20, 17 and 16, respectively).
And that’s without mentioning his segments in movies such as GAMBLE, plus how inspirational his success has been to mountain bikers in South Africa and beyond.
We’re sure this won’t be the last we see of him. When Greg joined Norco, it was with the aim of helping them develop their prototype downhill bike and nurture young racing talent.
Speaking to us for an upcoming feature, he told us: “Norco said they didn’t mind if I wanted to race or not [but] I would’ve had a lot of regret finishing off with a season [2003, his last with Santa Cruz] with so much stress.
“This year, it was challenging, it was hard, but we had a lot of fun. Watching Gracie [Hemstreet, his Norco teammate] finish off the season with a podium was really special.”
He continued: “It’s now time for me to hand over the reins and put some new horses in the race. I want to work from a technical side, develop the bike and try to get it to be the fastest bike out there.
That’s exciting. But then also to work in performance, with athletes and [team coach and MBUK How To regular] Alan Milway.”
We’ve got a feeling that Minnaar, like his buddy Peaty, will be a familiar face in the pits for years to come.
What our judges said: "This is a really difficult award to judge, with huge figures in the UK scene such as Steve Peat and Martyn Ashton vying for well-deserved recognition of their incredible achievements.
"However, we felt that the 2024 award had to go to Greg Minnaar because it’s not every year you retire from racing after an incredible three decades at the very top of the sport.
"Greg has inspired generation after generation of riders, both across the world and at home in South Africa. He’ll be missed from the circuit – but we’re sure this won’t be the last we hear of him."
