Justin Leov Wins At The 2012 Highland Park USGP

Trek World Racing's Justin Leov and Neko Mulally were in action yesterday at the 3rd round of the US Grand Prix of MTB at Highland Park, New Hampshire, on the US east coast. Neko stunned the field in Sunday morning qualifying with a run that was 5 seconds quicker than any rider, but unfortunately crashed in the finals in the first wooded section. Justin on the hand was nursing a broken finger from Windham and was a conservative 5th in qualifying but laid it down for the final run.

Fresh after his announcement that this year would be his last on the World Cup DH circuit, Justin showed why h e is still considered one of the class acts in Pro Men's DH racing. After the drama of last weekend where he was set to have a great World Cup race and then smashed his hand against a tree on his last training run, Justin wasn't sure he could race at Highland Park as the pain was still very evident. Nevertheless he buckled down and put in a solid run, one that he thought would be enough for 2nd. After the podium he got news that he wasn't expecting. Originally told by the Albany Medical Center that his fingers were free of any fractures, a late email came from the same medical center shortly after he'd won the race yesterday saying in fact they have since noticed a volar plate fracture in the finger. Justin will now be having the finger seen to on his return to New Zealand this week to ensure it's all good for the next World Cup in a few weeks.

Justin said: "I feel less soft now haha! Seriously though, this weekend was tough for me, after the crash of last week I hones tly didn't think I could really race this weekend. Cotton wool and tape helped a lot and after a roll down in qualifying I knew that I at least wanted to give it a real go in the final. I felt a lot faster and managed to put down a solid run. I know Neko would have beaten that time today if he hadn't crashed, so it's good to see him back on form again. He looked fast and committed all weekend. I'm so pumped to be going home for 10 days, I can't wait to have a little break and get healed for France." Justin now has a commanding lead after round 3 of the 4 race US series.

For Neko it was clearly a disappointing afternoon after posting such a strong time in the morning qualifier, one that stood as fastest of the day; all eyes were on the hill with his team mate in the hot-seat, as it all looked set for another 1-2 for the Session 9.9 equipped Trek World Racing. Just a small error at speed had Neko over the bars, uninjured but finishing down in 25th.

Neko said: "All weekend I felt that I'd found the flow that I was riding with at the beginning of the season and I was really pushing myself here today. I attacked the track the way I wanted to on all my runs and was really enjoying it. However, I went over the bars pretty hard in my race run but managed to come away from it unscathed and I'm totally OK. That happens sometimes when you're trying to ride at your limits. I can take a lot of positives out of this weekend, and I'm looking forward to taking on the next r ace with the killer attitude that I had this weekend."

2012 Windham WC Round 5 With Devinci Global racing

WINDHAM, NEW YORK—Devinci Global Racing celebrated Canada Day in style, seizing Top Team of the Day and a string of career-best results at World Cup No. 5. 

Windham is home to a lightning-fast course. Times are tight and small mistakes are amplified in the final results. Temperatures soared into the high 30s for Friday’s qualifier, which saw DGR riders lock in some scorching times. Stevie Smith rode to 2nd place behind current World Cup leader Aaron Gwin. George Brannigan pedaled to a career best qualifier, finishing 7th. And Nick Beer—riding from an unprotected position—slipped into 14th. 

Sunday’s main event brought fans out in droves representing the red, white, and blue. The first podium worthy time was clocked by World Champion Danny Hart. Nick Beer landed in 2nd place early behind Hart, but would eventually finish just shy of the podium in 6th place. Brannigan fell slightly off the pace, but still scored an impressive 16th—matching his career-best World Cup finish from earlier this year. Smith, starting from the back of the pack, exploded from the hotseat and went on the hunt. The effort earned him 2nd place, marking his best-ever World Cup finish. 

“To have three riders in the top 16 and only narrowly miss a double podium is amazing,” said DGR Team Manager, Gabe Fox . “Stevie backed up his great qualifier, Nick returned to form, and George showed us the level at which he can compete. It was a banger weekend for DGR.” 

Windham’s results move three DGR riders into the top 15 in the World Cup overall standings. Smith at 5th, and Brannigan and Beer at 14th and 15th respectively. Next up for Devinci Global is World Cup No. 6 in Val d'Isère, France. 

Devinci Global Racing is proudly supported by: Cycles Devinci, SRAM, RockShox, Avid, Truvativ, Easton Wheels, Schwalbe, E-Thirteen, ODI, Selle Italia, and Fox Head Clothing. 

Cycles Devinci is a Canadian bicycle manufacturer based in Chicoutimi, Canada. It has led the industry by way of manufacturing expertise and product development since its inception in 1987. Cycles Devinci continues to forge ahead with suspension guru Dave Weagle’s patented Split Pivot suspension platform. Combined with the company’s Axis Technologies, Devinci is set on a path for domination. For more details on Devinci and DGR, visit devinci.com

2012 Team BGB/MK Windham GES Report

Why would Team BGB-Mountain Khakis drive 15 hours to the state of New York? Let’s see.... Thursday/Friday ride your bike in the woods, Saturday race on a closed course,  Sunday a free day to watch the best Downhill Racers in the world. Sold yet? No sales pitch required here..... WE ARE THERE! 

But what would we see after that long haul? The town of Windham had a rough closing to 2011 with Tropical Storm Irene leaving the town in total devastation. With challenge comes strength, the UCI World Cup and sister Gravity East Series race were back for yet another year. We all have to thank the race organizers and towns people for their efforts, bouncing back to make it all happen in 2012. Pulling into town, really the only visible reminisce of what took place in late August was the creek bed is now 3X wider than it used to be. Most importantly, at least to the team (quick shout out), “The Country Store” still stands!..... the best darn breakfast in all of New York State. A MUST stop if you ever decide to make the trip yourself! Trust us! 

Hotel still there – Check! Unload – Check! Some badly needed sleep – Check! Time to head up to the resort for the start of the 4 day event and first the course walk. Expecting to see some major water damage to the trail, but to no avail, for the most part there wasn’t much of any significance. Yeh, there were a few spots were you could tell that a Kayak would be in order on a wet and rainy day, but the flood really only resulted in a few course changes from the previous year. Props to the trail crew! 

With the weather/temps on our side and having to mix in with the UCI schedule, race day was late Saturday evening with the last rider heading down the course at almost 7:00 p.m. With the light diminishing fast and forcing some riders to question, “Should I have brought my night riding gear?” Team BGB-MK Pro Max Morgan was able come across the line with a time that put him into 13th spot. Considering that 80% of the riders that finishing just in front of him were World Cup Riders that failed to make one of the 80 spots in the WC field, you can’t argue with that result! Congrats Max! All other Team BGB-MK results are listed below. Congrats All Around Guys! 

Overall, as it was in 2011, GREAT TIME! Congrats to Aaron Gwin (USA) for his win in the UCI World Cup at Windham. Independence Day came early for the good ole US of A! We are glad to see the town as had such a great comeback and can’t wait to see you all again next year! Thanks to Daniel McDonald and the whole crew at the GES Series for a great event. 

Next up on the Team’s schedule.... we just love July! Just two weeks and it’s the second biggest event of the year, 

the 2012 US Gravity National Championships at Beech Mountain Resort.  

Team BGB-MK Results: 

Men’s Pro:   

13th – Max Morgan 

Men’s Cat 2 30 -39:   

16th – Nick Frantz (Flat Rear Tire) 

Men’s Cat 2 18 and Under:   

9th – Nich Ifkovits 6:33.66 

Thanks to all our sponsors: Mountain Khakis, Billy Goat Bikes, Rocky Mountain Bicycles, Loaded Precision 

Components, Black Market Bikes, Feedback Sports, Smith Optics, Zerode Bicycles, POC Sports, Suspension Experts. 

Aaron Gwin WIns WIndham WC 5 While Leov Announces Retirement

In front of the partial home crowd and a large contingent from the Gwin family, Trek World Racing's Aaron Gwin took his 4th World Cup win of the season, and a career 9th, when he bested the rest of the world class field here in Windham, New York. Drowned out by chants of U-S-A, U-S-A, Aaron battled to find the words to describe the feeling of winning in front of his American fans.

Aaron said: "Whether I won or lost today I knew the fans would have my back and be supportive of my racing, but there's no doubt that the win here feels very special. You can hear the fans all the way down and i t pushes you on. I actually took the chairlift quite late today and it allowed me to see what times the top guys were posting and I knew I'd have to be on it to win. I made a mistake early on where I hit 3 course marking poles and I know I lost time in the first sector but I was trying to stay cool and keep the pace right to the line. Walking out onto the podium here with the US flag here means a great deal to me."

Meanwhile it was a bittersweet weekend for Justin Leov. For a number of months now he has been preparing to announce that this season will be his last on the World Cup DH circuit. It's his 10th season and his career includes many highlights such as 3 World Cup podiums, winning some US national events, Crankworx Garbanzo, and importantly having a major impact on the careers of Aaron Gwin and has compatriots Sam Blenkinsop, Cam Cole and Brook MacDonald.

Justin said: "I've given this a lot of thought and for me there's no question that this is the time t o announce my retirement. The sport has given me a great 10 years, and these last 4 with Trek World Racing have been the real highlight. There are other things for me to do and both me and my wife Tory are looking forward to the future. I'll be giving it my all for the next races and aiming for the best results possible, I'll always be a super competitive and committed person but for now it’s time to turn these traits to another life."

In his last practice run before the final Justin smashed a tree with his left hand and raced the final with a suspected broken finger. The damage was evident but x-rays later confirmed he escaped serious injury and is off to Highland Park, NH, next week to race.

Team Director Martin Whiteley said: "While I've known for some time that this will be Justin's last year on the circuit, the public confirmation of it doesn't come any easier. Justin is an integral member of the team, a hugely talented rider, and an amazing mate and team m ate. We will savour every week we have with him for the remainder of this year and then wish him well in his new chapter in lifer. We are truly indebted to Justin and all he has given us, the team and this sport."

Neko Mulally made a solid return to racing after his nasty crash last weekend in Canada and scored a 36th place which he was happy with and gives him the confidence that he's getting back on track after the recent setbacks.

2013 Transition Carbon Covert Announced

Transition Bikes unveils the new carbon Covert. See the bike in action as well as some of the new features and design inspiration that went into creating Transition Bikes first carbon bike.

The 2013 Carbon Covert is Transition Bike’s first carbon frame offering. The 160mm travel Covert was the perfect candidate to bring to carbon as it allowed the bike to shed weight, improve strength, add new features, and update the look at the same time. 

“In my mind, this bike really represents the ultimate no holds barred quiver killer. It's really everything I would want in a single do-everything type of bike and we've tried pretty hard to ensure all the right features are there without including things that don't really matter. A big goal of ours with this project was to develop something with very unique lines that you don't often see in bicycle frame design...and we feel we've really accomplished that. This was a long development effort so we're pretty pumped to finally unveil our first carbon frame.” Says Kyle Young, Transition Bikes owner.

Transition Bikes took the essence of the previous Covert but started from the ground up to produce something all new and extremely exciting. For design inspiration they looked outside the bike world towards Italian super cars. The carbon material allowed a no compromise design approach that allowed them to achieve exactly what they envisioned; powerful lines and a unique bold look. The frame uses some exciting new materials and an evolved suspension platform for the best possible performance on the trail.

The 2013 Carbon Covert is the first bike on the market to offer both C.O.C.K. and B.A.L.L.S. technology. The Completely Optimized Carbon Kinetics utilized in production of the carbon structure are an industry first; only available on Transition Bikes. The careful use of C.O.C.K. makes the Carbon Covert one of the strongest frames on the market today. The Basically Aligned Linear Leverage System suspension works with the shock making the suspension incredibly easy to tune; once again, only available on Transition Bikes. Our B.A.L.L.S. are only there to make sure you have fun on the trail. Unlike other suspension systems, our B.A.L.L.S. aren’t overly complicated, it’s just the right suspension technology to keep the ride smooth and predictable.

“When we first met in the lab to develop these new technologies, I didn’t realize just how big they would become. I am proud to see this bike released so everyone can experience the ultimate package.” Says Sam Burkhardt, Transition Bikes product manager. 

Working in conjunction with the B.A.L.L.S. suspension system, the 2013 Carbon Covert features a longer 8.5” x 2.5” custom tuned Fox CTD Adjust rear shock. The longer shock helps contribute to improved suspension performance and easier shock setup for riders of any size. The rear travel has been increased from 150mm to 160mm further expanding the performance in gnarly terrain. For riders looking for ultimate downhill performance, an optional Fox RC4 coil shock is available as well. The B.A.L.L.S. suspension system uses a higher main pivot placement for improved pedaling performance with modern 2x10 and 1x10 drivetrain setups. An all new hardware system, with single allen key tightening, has been developed to keep the pivots tight. While the front triangle features full internal cable routing, including the Reverb Stealth routing for clean looks and integrated performance.

FEATURES

• Carbon Front Triangle with Carbon Seatstay and Alloy Chainstay and Rocker
• 160mm Rear Travel
• 8.5” x 2.5” Fox CTD Adjust Custom Tuned Rear Shock
• Optional Fox RC4 Coil Shock Available
• All Front Triangle Cable Routing is Internal
• Reverb Stealth Seat Post Routing
• New Pivot Hardware System
• 12 x 142mm Dropouts (10 x 135mm Dropouts Sold Separately)
• Press Fit 30 Bottom Bracket Shell
• Frame Weight 6.75 lbs (Including Rear Shock and Rear Axle)
• PRICE: To Be Announced
• C.O.C.K & B.A.L.L.S Technology (Only Available From Transition Bikes)

GEOMETRY 
Head Tube Angle: 66.5 Degree (Fox 36 160mm) / 67 Degree (Fox 34 160mm) 
Chainstay Length: 430mm 
Seatube Length: Sm 563, Md 593, Lg 623mm 
Reach: Sm 378mm, Md 406mm, Lg 431mm 
Wheelbase Length: Sm 1106mm, Md 1137mm, Lg 1169mm 
Bottom Bracket Height: 349 mm

"This is definitely the most exciting bike we have ever done. It took much longer than we anticipated but when doing full suspension carbon you can't rush anything. Seeing carbon bikes being produced in person really makes you appreciate the massive amount of work that goes into each frame. I think there is a misconception that these bikes just pop out of molds and are good to go and that couldn't be further from the truth. Each frame is like a sculpted work of art.” Says Kevin Menard, owner of Transition Bikes. 

The 2013 Carbon Covert will be available in three colors (Lemon Lime Metallic, Stealth Black & Matte White) with multiple build kit options to meet different rider preferences and price points.

• TRANSITION BIKES
• 2641 Delta Ring Rd.
• Ferndale, WA 98248 USA
• (360) 366-4960