The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame has announced its 2026 inductees, with four influential figures from downhill racing, bike design and component technology set to receive one of mountain biking’s biggest honours.
Max Commencal, Tracy Moseley, Greg Minnaar and Stan Day will officially join the prestigious group during a ceremony on October 4 at the Lake Placid Olympic Center. The event will take place alongside the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series season finale at The Golden Arrows, a new annual awards celebration.
Their induction recognises four very different careers, united by a lasting contribution to the progression of mountain biking.
Greg Minnaar: A South African Downhill Legacy
For South African fans, Greg Minnaar‘s induction is a celebration of a career that helped put the country’s downhill scene on the global map.
The Pietermaritzburg-born rider made his UCI World Cup debut in Stellenbosch in 1997. He went on to compete at the highest level for 27 years before concluding his professional racing career at the final round of the 2024 season.
Minnaar won three UCI Downhill World Cup overall titles, four World Championships and 22 World Cup races. His record also includes 86 podium finishes from 167 World Cup starts.
His World Championship victories came in 2003, 2012, 2013 and 2021, demonstrating the longevity and consistency that defined his career.
At 44, Minnaar remains involved in elite racing as Team Director of Norco x adidas Race Division. In that role, he has helped guide Gracey Hemstreet‘s development from a regular top-10 finisher to a three-time UCI Downhill World Cup winner.
His influence now extends beyond his own results, with the next generation benefiting from his experience at the sharp end of downhill racing.
Tracy Moseley: Dominance Across Gravity Racing
British rider Tracy Moseley established herself as one of the most versatile athletes in gravity mountain biking.
Her downhill career reached its peak with UCI World Cup overall victories in 2006 and 2011, alongside a World Championship title in 2010.
But Moseley’s competitive ambitions did not end with downhill. After transitioning to Enduro, she won three consecutive Enduro World Series overall titles between 2013 and 2015.
Moseley became a leading figure in both downhill and enduro, proving that elite gravity racing demands more than raw speed.
Although she stepped away from Enduro competition in 2016 to start a family, she returned to the e-MTB version of the discipline in 2020 and continues to compete.
Her influence also reaches beyond racing. Moseley has mentored riders including Evie Richards, Ella Conolly and Harriet Harnden, helping develop the next generation of women in mountain biking.
Max Commencal: Building Race-Winning Machines
Max Commencal’s contribution to mountain biking stretches from the sport’s formative years to its modern professional era.
He founded Sunn Bicycles, the French brand associated with Nicolas Vouilloz‘s record 10 UCI World Championship titles, before establishing Commencal Bicycles in Andorra in 2000.
Through his work as a designer and brand founder, Commencal helped shape the machines used by some of downhill’s biggest names.
His Commencal brand has supported riders including Amaury Pierron, Vali Höll and Myriam Nicole, while contributing to the professionalisation of downhill racing.
Commencal’s legacy is built on the relationship between bike design, competitive performance and the progression of the sport.
Stan Day: The Technology Behind the Ride
Stan Day represents another side of mountain biking’s evolution: the technology that allows riders to perform at their limits.
As co-founder of SRAM, Day helped introduce Grip Shift in the late 1980s. He remained CEO of the company until 2019, overseeing its expansion into one of cycling’s most influential component manufacturers.
SRAM’s development of the universal derailleur hanger, 1x drivetrains and wireless shifting helped change how modern bicycles are designed and ridden.
The company also expanded through brands including RockShox, Quarq and Hammerhead.
Day’s work extends beyond cycling technology. He serves on the board of World Bicycle Relief, an organisation that distributes bicycles through programmes aimed at supporting communities in developing countries.
Four Careers, One Lasting Impact
The 2026 Mountain Bike Hall of Fame class reflects the many forces that drive mountain biking forward.
Minnaar and Moseley represent elite racing and the athletes who push the limits of gravity disciplines. Commencal represents the designers and brands that turn ideas into race-ready machines, while Day highlights the importance of component innovation.
Their induction also places them alongside established legends such as Rachel Atherton, Steve Peat and Gary Fisher.
For the downhill community, Minnaar’s recognition carries particular significance. From his first World Cup start in Stellenbosch to his continued work with emerging talent, his career represents a connection between South Africa‘s mountain biking roots and the sport’s international future.
