Giant Announces Their 2017 Off Road Team

"Following an ambitious year that saw its riders compete at international off-road events of all disciplines, all around the globe, the Giant Factory Off-Road Team looks back at a successful 2016 season while also preparing for the year ahead.

The core of the team, including six-time Colombian downhill champion Marcelo Gutierrez and Australian enduro specialist Josh Carlson, will return for 2017, and at least three new riders will be added to the roster.

Highlights from the 2016 season included race wins and podium finishes at Crankworx World Tour events and Enduro World Series races around the world. Gutierrez won his sixth Colombian DH national championship, and Carlson continued his progression at the top level of enduro racing with a podium finish at the Whistler, British Columbia round of the EWS and a top-10 overall series ranking.

“It was another wild year on the enduro tour,” said Carlson. “I was especially stoked to come back from a crash and score that podium finish at Whistler with my friends and family there watching. We did a lot of development with our bikes and gear throughout the season, and I think it showed with some of our results.”

Carlson’s teammate Yoann Barelli also showed moments of brilliance in 2016, scoring two top-10 finishes in the Enduro World Series before he was slowed by injury in the second half of the season. And the surprise enduro racer for Giant last year was 20-year-old Canadian Mckay Vezina, a member of the North American Giant Co-Factory Team who broke onto the EWS circuit as a rookie and immediately became a consistent top-20 finisher.

The team’s U.S. riders Adam Craig and Carl Decker also chalked up some big results in North American racing. The versatile Craig scored wins in a variety of off-road events, from enduro to cyclocross, and Decker found success at races ranging from gravel grinders to XC and cyclocross competition.

Decker will return for 2017, targeting a mix of off-road races, events and festivals. Craig will also continue, but in a new capacity as an ambassador. The longtime Giant racer will evolve his role to help inspire riders of all levels, connect with retailers at events, and provide valuable rider input on new bike and gear development projects.

While the core of the team remains the same for 2017, French riders Yoann Barelli and Guillaume Cauvin, along with Spaniard Alex Marin and American Seamus Powell will depart at the end of the year.

“Each of those athletes brought a lot to our program,” said Giant Factory Off-Road Team manager Joe Staub. “Their energy and commitment has been a constant over the past few years. We wish them each good luck in the future.”

The coming year will also see some new faces for the team, with a focus on up-and-coming young talent. In enduro racing, Vezina will step up to become a full-fledged member of the Giant Factory Off-Road enduro squad. And for downhill racing, Gutierrez will be joined by young talents Jacob Dickson, a four-time junior national champion in Ireland, and Eliot Jackson, a former motocross racer from the U.S. who scored top-10 results at two Crankworx DH events last year.  

More information on the 2017 Giant Factory Off-Road Team, including the final team roster as well as all the details on new bikes, gear and equipment sponsors, will be announced in early 2017. 

 You can follow the Giant Factory Off-Road Team all season long on their Facebook page."

Giant Factory Off-Road Team Announces 2015 Squad

With the dust barely settled following a successful 2014 season, the Giant Factory Off-Road Team is already preparing for next year. For 2015, the team will continue to develop top young talent in the downhill and enduro racing disciplines.

Featuring an international lineup of riders from five different nations, the squad aims to build on the momentum that carried it to national championships, podiums and stage victories at major events this year including World Cups and Enduro World Series races.

Fresh off winning his fifth Colombian downhill national championship two weeks ago, Marcelo Gutierrez returns to lead the team’s World Cup downhill unit. The 24-year-old had a strong 2014 season, finishing the year ranked 14th in the world with some big wins including earning the “King of Crankworx” title at Crankworx Whistler.

“I’m looking forward to continuing my progression with the team next year and stoked to be wearing the colors of my Colombian national jersey again,” said Gutierrez who regained his title earlier this month after he missed out the previous year following a crash.

Joining Gutierrez on the downhill team is teenager Alex Marin, one of the top young talents in the sport. The 17-year-old Spaniard has a handful of podiums and wins at the World Cup and national level in the junior ranks and looks to continue his upward trajectory in 2015. A third up-and-coming rider will be announced in early 2015 to round out the downhill squad.

Departing the team in 2015 are former world champion Danny Hart and veteran South African champion Andrew Neethling.

“Danny Hart and Andrew Neethling have been vital in our progression as a team, whether it’s on the racecourse or in product development,” said Giant global marketing director An Le. “Needles brought experience, speed, style and a positive vibe. And Danny evolved from a teenager with raw talent into a world champion through our program. We’ve had a great run together and are super grateful for Danny and Andrew’s contributions the past few years. Our 2015 direction aligns with our team mission of building future champions through our system and cutting-edge products, and we’re looking forward to taking this young DH squad to the next level in 2015.”

The team’s enduro lineup will be led by Frenchman Yoann Barelli. This year, his first with the team, Barelli had two top-five finishes in the Enduro World Series, with his best performance coming at the last round in Finale Ligure, Italy, earlier this month. The 29-year-old won two stages at the finals and finished fifth for the weekend, securing a top-10 overall season ranking.

“I was 2.5 seconds from the podium in Italy, and just 14 seconds away from the win,” Barelli said. “That’s my motivation to train all winter long.”

Joining Barelli on the enduro squad will be Australian Josh Carlson and American Adam Craig. Both had some strong individual race and stage performances this year, and will look to move up the rankings in 2015.

Beyond the global riders, next year’s team also includes American XC and enduro racer Carl Decker. The veteran from Bend, Oregon, won his fifth Downieville All-Mountain world championship this year and will continue to focus on a variety of enduro, XC and cyclocross events in 2015. And Seamus Powell, a 24-year-old two-time U.S. Super D national champion, joins the team as a U.S. development rider.

While Decker and Powell will race some XC events, Giant has ended its sponsorship of the XC World Cup-focused Giant Pro XC Team for 2015 to focus its support on the Giant Factory Off-Road Team.

All of the Giant Factory Off-Road Team riders will have a full quiver of Giant bikes to choose from including Glory 27.5 downhill bikes, Reign Advanced 27.5 enduro machines, Trance Advanced 27.5 trail bikes, and Anthem Advanced 27.5 and XtC Advanced SL 27.5 XC bikes.

Full details on the 2015 Giant Factory Off-Road Team, including the final rider lineup as well as partners and sponsors, will be announced in January. To follow the team throughout the year, go to facebook.com/giantfactoryteam.