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Specialized Factory Racing adds Firepower
posted by id* at 05:41 PM on October 01, 2008
September 30, 2008 – Morgan Hill, CA
Specialized is proud to announce the addition of two of mountain bike racing’s most prominent riders to its factory racing program, Burry Stander and Todd Wells. The riders join one of the longest-running and most successful racing teams in the sport’s history, with a roster that includes reigning UCI cross-country world champion, Christoph Sauser, and Norway’s Lene Byberg, with leadership from the legendary Ned Overend.
The men’s squad will compete on the Epic model, the only full-suspension bike to win XC Worlds. Lene will race on the Era with its geometry, frame layup, suspension, and components specifically tailored to competitive cross-country women riders. Both bikes feature patented FSR and Brain technology, providing unparalleled control and efficiency in the widest range of conditions.
21-year-old Burry Stander won the UCI World Cup Series in the U23 category and placed 5th overall in 2008. The resident of Port Shepstone, South Africa, had a strong 2008 season with a 2nd place finish in the Andorra round and a silver medal in the U23 World Championships. He was also a member of South Africa’s Olympic team
Stander was visibly excited by the prospect of racing with Specialized. “As a young rider, I am still aiming to achieve my full potential, and I feel Specialized has the team and the bikes that will get me there.”
Todd Wells is a familiar figure in cross-country racing. The 32-year old now lives in Durango, Colorado, and is coming off his best year of competition. Todd finished 10th overall in the World Cup series with a 5th place podium finish at Canberra, Australia, and had consistently strong finishes throughout the 2008 season. He is a two-time member of the United States Olympic team, most recently competing in Beijing.
“I am very excited about joining the Specialized Team,” says Wells. ”I started my career with the Specialized, and it's great to come back home. In addition to riding with my current teammate, Burry Stander, I'm really pumped to ride alongside the current world champion, Christoph Sauser, and once again work with my great friend, Ned Overend.”
Team manager, Bobby Behan, is eager to work with the new squad. “Burry and Todd will fit in perfectly,” says Behan. “Todd is a proven talent on both the mountain bike and in cyclocross. Burry and Christoph raced as teammates in the 2008 Cape Epic, and at only 21, he has already pushed the world champ to improve. We had to have him!”
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Comments (2)
03:35 PM on October 02, 2008 UTC KitC wrote:
I was pretty excited to read this, as I always thought it was sad that a great American bicycle company like Specialized didn't have an American rider on their marquee mountain bike team. (Ned can't count, since he's officially "retired".) It will also mean good things for domestic cyclocross.
It makes me wonder what in the world GT is doing though. They let Jill Kintner (Olympic medalist) go due to a "change in the sports marketing direction" at GT. They obviously didn't work too hard keeping Stander and Wells. Are they pouring all their focus into their road teams?
11:42 AM on October 10, 2008 UTC Phil Wille wrote:
Yes that's true.
And Todd wells had run for Specialized in the past.