2012 Pro GRT Dates Announced
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 1:34PM
Colorado Springs, Colo. (February 9, 2012) —USA Cycling announced today the 2012 USA Cycling Professional Mountain Bike Gravity Tour (Pro GRT). In its fourth year, the series has expanded to six races and continues to raise the level of competitive gravity racing across the United States. As the country’s premier gravity calendar, the Pro GRT aims to provide a consistent stage of international-caliber events for elite gravity racers to showcase their downhill skills.
The nation’s top gravity racers will be looking to dethrone 2011 champions Cody Warren (Alpine, Calif./DRD X-Fusion Intense) and Jill Kintner (Ferndale, Wash./Transition Racing) as the downhill-only series visits five states from April to August.
The calendar will begin with a visit to Port Angeles, Wash., for the fourth consecutive year as the NW Cup will once again kick things off, this year April 26-29. The Mountain Creek Bike Park will play host to the calendar’s newest event, the Eastern States Cup in Mountain Creek, New Jersey, on May 20. The series will then head just up the road to Roxbury, N.Y., for Plattekill Mountain’s stop on the Eastern States Cup, May 27.
Things again heat up out west, June 9-10, when the Mountain States Cup – Chile Challenge offers riders a preview of the 2013-2014 USA Cycling Mountain Bike Gravity National Championships venue in Angel Fire, N.M. The nation’s top gravity riders will head back to New York the following weekend for the Pro GRT’s fifth stop, the Whiteface Pro GRT 5K Downhill in Wilmington, N.Y. The only UCI category two event on this year’s Pro GRT schedule, the Northstar Pro GRT will wrap things up in Truckee, Calif., Aug. 3-5.
Each of the six stops will offer series ranking points to top finishers, resulting in overall individual titles for professional men and women. The racers with the most points throughout the six-race series will be recognized as the best gravity athletes competing on U.S. soil.
The highest ranked American in the Pro GRT overall rankings (provided he/she is in the top three) as of July 30, 2012, will also be an automatic selection to the United States’ World Championship team. In addition, Pro/Category 1 junior men athletes, racing age 17 or 18, with the fastest finishing time in each round of the USA Cycling Pro GRT Downhill series prior to July 30 will be placed into a world championship selection pool. For more on World Championship selection check out USA Cycling’s Mountain Bike Gravity World Championship selection document. All athlete selection procedures can be viewed on USA Cycling’s Team Selection page.
2012 Pro GRT Schedule
Bicycle, Downhill Mountain Bike, Downhill Racing |
2012 NW Cup Tentative Dates Announced
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 8:29PM | Round 1 | Dry Hill / Port Angeles | April 6-8 |
| Round 2 | Dry Hill / Port Angeles | April 26-29 |
| Round 3 | Dry Hill / Port Angeles | May 11-13 |
| Round 4 | Skibowl / Mt. Hood | June 15 -17 |
| Round 5 | Skibowl / Mt. Hood | July 20-22 |
| Round 6 | Steven's Pass (Finals) | August 3-5 |
Bicycle, Downhill Mountain Bike, Downhill Racing |
Fox Inverted Downhill Fork?
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 6:39PM Fox posted this on their Facebook page today.
Bicycle, Downhill Mountain Bike, Fox Forks, Fox Shocks, Fox USD Fork |
Marzocchi Supports The 2012 MS Mondraker Team
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 7:12AM 
Marzocchi is proud to announce their support of the MS Mondraker team for the 2012 season. The team’s DH athletes have been able to climb to the top of the world ranking list and are no strangers to the podiums of UCI World Cups and UCI World Championships. Team MS Mondraker will be riding our DH flagship, the 888 RC3 EVO TITANIUM and Roco RC World Cup rear suspension.
The team delivered a particularly impressive performance at the World Championships in Champery (SUI) last year. Emmeline Ragot climbed to the top of the podium at the most important event in the mountain bike world and now bears the title of World Champion. Damien Spagnolo only barely missed first place and is currently vice World Champion. At other races, the MS Mondraker team was definitely a force to be reckoned with as well: Brook MacDonald took three podium spots in the UCI World Cup circuit and Markus Pekoll is the crowned king of the iXS European DH cup.
“Partnering up with the MS MOndraker Downhill team is a great start into the new mountain bike season. We’ve had a great 2011 season andare ready to begin the 2012 season at full force. We feel that the MS Mondraker team truly represents that spirit and are excited to have them on board”, says Simone Bassi of Tenneco Marzocchi.
Currently, the MS Mondraker team are in New Zealand conducting extensive testing of Marzocchi suspension products. Markus Stoeckl, team manager of the MS Mondraker team asserts: “We are really looking forward to the cooperation with Marzocchi. It is one of the few suspension systems that is perfect straight out of the box so we are thrilled that these are the products we get to use. From the start, working with Marzocchi couldn’t have been easier; they really listen to our input and are always working on tweaking their products to perfection. Especially on our suspension of choice, the 888 RC3 Evo Titanium and Roco RC World Cup.”
Speaking of the 888 RC3 Evo Ti; listening closely to their pro athletes in the past has allowed them to develop a fork that is the lightest coil DH fork on the market, only barely heavier than its air equivalent. At the same time, it offers all the advantages of a coil: stability, reliability and durability and no stress. Combined with a rear shock from the Roco series that offers the perfect setting for every terrain and makes your back wheel stick to the ground like glue, our gravity suspension systems will always create the best riding experience for you when gravity calls!
The MS Mondraker athletes’ best results summarized:
Brook MacDonald
3 podiums at UCI World Cup races 2011
Damien Spagnolo
Vice Champion at the 2011 World Championships in Champery (SUI)
Emmeline Ragot
World Champion at the 2011 World Championships in Champery (SUI)
Markus Pekoll
Campeón de la European IXS Cup2011
Santa Cruz Syndicate San Romolo Testing
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 7:19AM SYNDICATE TEST SESSION WELCOMING
FOX AND SHIMANO!!
Early season testing started for the Santa Cruz Syndicate with mechanics, engineers and riders arriving in the town of Imperia, Italy, for three days of extensive testing aboard the latest Santa Cruz full carbon V-10s. The bikes were decked out with the Syndicate’s newest sponsor products from Fox and Shimano. The Syndicate’s choice to join forces with Shimano and Fox proved to be a great decision as the test session was incredibly successful.
“Testing was amazing, the most productive test session I have ever been to. Besides good riding and eating killer Italian food, our Syndicate family expanded with Fox and Shimano. I feel this was a great start to the year and I’m looking forward to more positive things to come in 2012,” said Greg Minnaar.
The testing took place on the long downhill racetrack in San Romolo with shuttle assistance from Roberto Vernassa from Argentina Bike. The five-man Fox crew was ready to gather information from suspension testing using their state of the art data acquisition equipment. Spirits were high as everyone got started off on the dark chilly mornings while the mechanics built a bonfire at the bottom of the track to stave off a bit of chill. Riders were warm and tingly inside with big grins after the first run.
“We were getting everyone up to speed on the new full carbon frame, Fox suspension, and Shimano components. With the frame being much lighter than the previous version we had to dial the suspension in because of less un-sprung weight. I’ve also been riding the new XTR brakes for some time now and can’t get over how impressive they are, particularly with modulation. Feedback from all the racers was what I was expecting, a new milestone in performance.” Says Rob Roskopp.
Greg Minnaar exclaims, “I was blown away on the first ride down the rugged San Romolo track. The first thought was, this is a winning combo! Fitzy and his crew worked flat out to get us up to speed. Their passion, enthusiasm and suspension knowledge is going to be very positive to the Syndicate. It’s been awhile since I was last on Shimano, 2003... and that was a good year for me. I hope this is the good luck I’ll be needing to win another World Championship.”
Santa Cruz engineer Joe Graney says, “We look forward to a close relationship with the suspension experts at Fox. They arrived in Italy with a team of engineers and technicians—blowing everyone away with how they were able to accurately translate each rider’s input into measured improvements in speed and control. Shimano continues to push the envelope with technologies like Ice Technology brakes and the Shadow Plus derailleur, as well as the variety of options that can be configured for different conditions fits perfectly with Santa Cruz Bicycles’ core values of customer choice, usable performance, durability and long term support. ”
Our newest addition to the Syndicate, mechanic Jason Marsh says, “I’m super happy that we are using Fox Racing Shox and Shimano for the 2012 season. The new Fox 40 forks suit the carbon V-10 frame perfectly and the RC4 rear shock really compliments the VPP suspension design. The riders were all impressed on how good the bikes felt, even after the first run. I have worked with the Saint group-set for the last three seasons and I really like how they work. Saint cranks are super strong, brakes are simple to set up and the rear derailleur and shifter are super smooth and a nice set up. Finish and attention to detail can’t be matched. The support offered by the Fox team over the last few days has been superb and their race support is second to none. 2012 will be a great season.”
Steve Peat was surprisingly pleased, “We have had three awesome days testing and training in Italy. It was great to catch up with all my crew after a few down months throughout the winter and I was happy to get out on the Santa Cruz V-10 and trash it in the test situation. Fox is a company that I have watched over the years. They obviously have great product because the fast guys are using it and winning races now and again on it. And Shimano needs no introduction. It’s a no brainer that they have great products and I am looking forward to working with them at the races! We came up with some great set ups and I am now looking forward to the season. Now it’s our turn to give it a thrash on our V-10’s, 2012 should be fun!”
“The test session was a big learning curve for me. Having ridden Boxxer’s since I was about 14, I’m very used to the look and feel of the fork so it was a huge change. I really enjoyed the process of getting my new bike set up and it was interesting getting to know the characteristics of all the new products. The suspension seems almost limitless with it its adjustability and I think our bikes have entered a whole new realm of adaptability. Despite getting my ass kicked in the final race I had a really fun and productive four days,” said Josh Bryceland.
“Tradition is that the last day of testing we always have a race to see who is quickest. Once again, for the second time in a row Peaty took the win, but unlike the first time when Greg wore the dress to dinner, it was Josh’s turn to wear a skirt. Since there were no women’s clothes handy, Josh had to improvise and craft a fashionable number out of a pair of pants. “His outfit was complete with his ‘special’ tiger underwear”, chimes in Roskopp.
Joe Lawwill, Shimano’s MTB marketing manager says, “Shimano is very proud and excited to be working with Santa Cruz bicycles and the iconic Syndicate race team. We are looking forward to a successful and exciting 2012 season.”
Fox’s Mark Fitzsimmons says, “We are very excited to work with a team at this level. The professionalism of the team has shown in their years of great results and we look forward to bringing our suspension expertise to the program. We here at FOX thrive on the pure honesty racing brings to our development process and look forward to learning from Steve, Greg and Josh to continue to improve our products and aid them in their mission for podiums. Our goal is to provide our athletes with a suspension performance advantage and look forward to continuing this into the 2012 season.”
Syndicate head mechanic Dougie “Fresh” Hatfield says, “The Fox and Shimano Saint equipped bikes ran silky smooth during our test camp in San Romolo. The riders really liked the responsiveness and quality of the product. We are ready to go racing!!”
