Team rumors 2014

[ThePubSA]

Intense Announce New CEO and CFO

 

Intense Cycles founder Jeff Steber and partner Marv Strand, announce yesterday that Andrew Herrick is joining the company as its Chief Executive Officer.

 

Herrick had spent the prior 11 years in an executive leadership position at crankbrothers , having sold the business 5 years prior and staying on as CEO until handing over the reins last summer. At that time, he stated that he wanted to find the next great opportunity in the complete bike industry.

[ThePubSA]

 

http://es.pinkbike.org/sprt/f2/s/35.gif shitface3 (2 days ago)

Crankbrothers has a long history of making bike components that last forever and never have problems.... what could go wrong?

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http://es.pinkbike.org/sprt/f2/s/193.gif bigburd (2 days ago)

At least the bikes will come in boxes that you cherish for ever.

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http://es.pinkbike.org/sprt/f2/s/194.gif Blueberrymuffin (2 days ago)

Or pulverized by careless airport baggage employees..

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http://es.pinkbike.org/sprt/f2/s/193.gif <a href="http://www.pinkbike.com/u/joe701/" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none; color: rgb(16, 92, 255);">joe701 (1 days ago)

Need to get some Europeans in

[ThePubSA]

Peter Henke on Red bull

 

http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p4pb10509302/p4pb10509302.jpg

[Guest Omega Man]

Cam Zink Joins YT Industries Factory Freeride Team

 

 

If you have an opportunity to ride YT bikes why wouldn't you? Sickest bikes in the world and the only mountain bike brand that is run by a bunch of crazy misfits compared to the rest of the industry. - Cam Zink

 

http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p4pb10513427/p4pb10513427.jpgAfter Andreu and Yannick this is a huge step for us, and I was excited when we managed to get Cam signed up to the team. He just fits in with YT; the way he sees mountain biking and his style are like the missing pieces of the puzzle. Cam will not just help us to develop the brand, he will also be a very important part of the development of new bikes in the future. Cam knows more about bikes, geometry and kinematics than most people would guess. - Florian Lehmann, Marketing Manager, YT Industries

This is HUGE In my opinion.

 

Cam Zink and Semenuk have to be the biggest names in freeride and YT clearly have designs on the US Market with this signing. Big up to them. We spoke to the YT guys in Morzine in 2012 and they are clearly all amped on riding and were suuper stoked to have the little Spaniard on board at the time.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

On the local rider scene Johan Potgieter is going full privateer this year.

 

He was up at Tokai yesterday on the worlds first Afrikaans downhill bike. The GT Fourie.

 

He was offered a renewal on his RRP Ghost deal but he's going to go it alone this year with help from Omnico (GT, Bell Helmets) He'll be living the privateer life pitting with the Bulls DH team and contesting the European World Cups and IXS races.

 

He said the team structure he was on last year was just too restrictive for him with no input into race schedule and equipment choice.

 

He is on the 2014 GT Fury with Fox Front & Rear. Zee running gear and with Bell Helmets.

 

If anyone has a bit of spare cash to throw at a South African world cup rider Pottie is your man. You will not find a more well liked guy on the scene and he'll be a great ambassador for any brand.

 

Oh hells yeah. Couldn't find a nicer guy. He's so in to the riding itself, and just wants to help fellow riders. Skills clinics for the masses, always ready with a quip and always ready to shoot the breeze. Really really hope he does well this year. He definitely deserves it.

[Capricorn]

I think iXS inadvertently announced on behalf of Evil that Morgane Charre has joined that team for 2014. That or it's a major typo..

 

Downhill

When developing new protective gear and helmets, downhill racing is still considered as the true test in terms of optimized protection and freedom to move. This is why iXS has further expanded its commitment to this important category for 2014. Norco’s factory team with Jill Kintner and Bryn Atkinson will be riding both protective gear and clothing from iXS. We also continue to support the Evil World Cup Team with riders Morgane Charre, Luke Strobel, Florent Payet, Toni Ferreiro, Cyrille Kurtz and Filip Polc. We are also supporting the American KHS factory team with Logan Binggeli with iXS’ helmets, clothing and protective gear. Last but certainly not least two additional teams have decided to cooperate with iXS for 2014: Hutchinson United Ride’s Tracey Hannah, Fabien Cousinie and Guillaume Cauvin will be riding iXS helmets, and the RRP Ghost Team with Johannes Fischbach, David Trummer, Harry Molloy and Phil Atwill will get the full treatment with iXS providing the protective gear, clothing and helmets.

 

PinkSauce

 

I see Pottie's replacements also mentioned there at the RRP Ghost team.

Edited January 18, 2014 by Capricorn

[Capricorn]

word floating around is that Cam Cole has left Yeti and could be riding for Commencal.

 

Cam's own instagram:

 

and the commencal FB page:

Edited January 19, 2014 by Capricorn

[ThePubSA]

This is HUGE In my opinion.

 

Cam Zink and Semenuk have to be the biggest names in freeride and YT clearly have designs on the US Market with this signing. Big up to them. We spoke to the YT guys in Morzine in 2012 and they are clearly all amped on riding and were suuper stoked to have the little Spaniard on board at the time.

word floating around is that Cam Cole has left Yeti and could be riding for Commencal.

 

Cam's own instagram:

 

and the commencal FB page:

Ye no doubt.. those arent just run of the mill signings

[Capricorn]

just how flipping hardcore isn't Jared Graves, winning the first round of the Aus XC series, with a blown fork..

 

 

 

Vitalsauce

Edited January 20, 2014 by Capricorn

[ThePubSA]

just how flipping hardcore isn't Jared Graves, winning the first round of the Aus XC series, with a blown fork..

 

 

 

Vitalsauce

Ya... hes way past cups of HTFU

[ThePubSA]

I just straight up didn't execute race runs top to bottom last year. I was off the pace at Fort Bill, but every other race I just didn't ride to my potential. I was riding really good in practice, I felt faster and more relaxed than any of the previous years I've had, but the mistakes and crashes just kept coming for some reason. I was on race runs that felt perfect, runs that almost never happen but a few minutes in I'd wash the front wheel or something stupid and end up stopped out in the trees. They weren't huge mistakes but I'd make them in critical sections of the track and they added up to four, five, or six seconds on the clock. It was really frustrating, man, and I felt like I was handing out time all over the place. You can say that all you want though, it just sounds like an excuse, and people only see the end result and whatever few shots they happen to show online. A rider's thoughts of "If only I wouldn't have messed up I could have won", even though being sometimes true, don't mean a thing when you look at the results and you're out the back. But you know what, I did mess up, I made the mistakes, nobody else. Things don't always go as planned, and it definitely wasn't from a lack of effort or preparation from me or my team, I can promise you that. I had the bike, the equipment, the team, and I had the speed to win, but it just didn't come together. That's racing, and these guys are all extremely talented and driven, they throw it down when it counts and if you want to win you'd better have your stuff together. I've been on top before and I know what it takes to be back there now. I'm excited for the challenge. I don't know what the end result will be but I know I'll show up ready to race like I do every year and, if I ride to my potential, I'll be stoked. - Aaron Gwin

 

http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p5pb10499846/p5pb10499846.jpg

[Capricorn]

oh wow, this is HUGE! Yeti pulls World Cup DH team and shifts focus to Enduro racing!

 

Yeti Racing Shifts Focus and Expands Enduro Presence

 

Historic Racing Team Commits to Thriving Enduro Scene

 

(20 January 2014, Golden, Colorado) For the 2014 racing season, Yeti Cycles will focus their international race efforts solely on the Enduro World Series with a fully supported team that includes 2013 EWS 2nd Place Overall and DH World Championship Bronze medalist Jared Graves and 2013 Junior DH World Champion Richie Rude. In addition to the EWS World Cup team, Yeti will support a number of select athletes via their US National team and regional Racing Ambassadors who will race primarily in the Big Mountain Enduro Series, Oregon Enduro Series, and select EWS events.

 

“Racing has been the cornerstone of our product development for over twenty-five years,” said Yeti President and co-owner Chris Conroy. “We are excited about enduro racing and have athletes that are uniquely suited to the discipline. Focusing on enduro racing will allow us to concentrate our marketing and product resources exactly where enthusiasm is growing from our sponsors, supporters, and customers.”

Yeti Cycles Enduro Team

 

EWS World Cup Team:

• Jared Graves
  
• Richie Rude
  

US National Team:

• Mike West
  
• Chris Heath
  

Racing Ambassadors:

• Joey Schusler
  
• Nate Hills
  
• Alex Petidemange
  
• Sarah Rawley
  

 

totally did not see that coming, especially for Richie Rude. I wonder what Yeti bigwigs and Gravey train whispered in his ear to convince him to not race world cups given he is the reigning junior champ.

So many ways to peel this apple:

* finger to the UCI?

* greater marketing prospects?

* cash flow issues?

* Jared Graves' salary?

 

 

 

Now it makes me wonder if this is the start of a mini-trend, like Santa Cruz jumping ship as well.

Edited January 21, 2014 by Capricorn

[Mackie]

My gut says that Enduro racing will be bigger than the DH World Cup circuit in a few short years, non of the UCI crap to contend with and a bigger captive market for the factory's bikes. Yeti have maybe seen the writing on the wall, a few more teams to follow suit shortly, the bigger factory teams may even field a DH team and Enduro team.

[nigelhicks]

 

So many ways to peel this apple:

* finger to the UCI?

My gut says that Enduro racing will be bigger than the DH World Cup circuit in a few short years, non of the UCI crap to contend with

 

Hahahahaha ... the std miss conception that the UCI do nothing for the sport and are just full of *** ...

 

Although most std riders dont believe it as they are "guided" by what internet press releases say etc, the UCI has actually done (and continues to do) amazing stuff for our sport ... Remember that without the UCI taking on and embracing MTB in the early 1990's with the opening of the UCI World Cup ... there would never have been a series. ...

 

Although there have been some shady ears - most of these were solely related to Road as MTB has its own "governing body" persay ... Melanie, Simon and David (the MTB crew) do a fantastic job and always try and make MTB better! ... Chris Ball and MArtin Whitely before him did the same thing and MTB grew from strength to strength under their rule ...

 

Fine there have been some weird rules and stuff that have come out that people moan about - and in hindsight they shouldnt have even been considered ... but this is the way it works ....

 

The same will happen with the EWS in the long run - (20 years down the line) ... where plans will have changed and the focus will have shifted to try and keep up with market needs and media etc .... Some people wont like it - others will be dying for change ... this is just the way things happen ... when a series has been running for that long ... you are bound to have people wanting something fresh ... so at that point something may turn up to take the limelight from EWS.

 

But what im trying to say is that ... the UCI does not cause crap as Mackie said ... they do a TON of work to host an amazing series that we all love to watch (with a round on home soil - which we should be exceptionally grateful for) ...

 

Most National events are all affiliated to the UCI as they are run by their national federations as are most international teams ... so i can assure you that (unlike Caps comment of "middle finger to the UCI) ... Yeti will still register as a trade team with the UCI - as both Jared and Richie will likely try and race World Champs DH on its own - like Jared did this year! ... and for that and many other reasons at a National and international enduro level - the company will need to be affiliated. ...

 

So before branding the UCI as a bunch of c0ck spanners ... think what they have done for the sport over the last 20 years building it into an amazing series that we all get to enjoy.

[nigelhicks]

PS - im not trying to start an argument - just pointing out some facts that most people forget about :thumbup:

[Capricorn]

PS - im not trying to start an argument - just pointing out some facts that most people forget about :thumbup:

 

ya, thanks for noting that i posed a question, (there were actually 4 btw) as opposed to making a statement.... way to go.

 

and before u go overboard some more, i posed the question because i dont actually know what the beef is with the UCI. that's how you start a debate, without crucifying someone without real and proper cause.

Edited January 21, 2014 by Capricorn