Gravity Group is pleased to announce their partnership with Morewood Bikes as bicycle supplier and co-title sponsor along with Kenda Tires for their World Cup Team.

TEAM KENDA MOREWOOD will be represented by two of the most famous names in downhill racing: Nathan Rennie (AUS) and Mitchell Delfs (AUS).

27 year old Nathan Rennie (AUS), a former overall UCI Elite World Cup Downhill Champion and Junior World Champion, is a regular World Cup podium visitor, multi-time high-class events winner and is a pleasure to watch on the bike. After several World Cup podiums in 2008, with his highlight being 2nd place on his home turf at World Cup number 7 in Canberra, Nathan Rennie is a definitive contender for podiums in both the 2009 World Cup series and the 2009 World Championships in Canbera, Australia.

Nathan Rennie, KENDA MOREWOOD Team Rider:

“I am super happy to be where I am in 2009. Not to mention that 9 is my favorite number, I am especially happy to be working with new people and working with people I already know. I am impressed with everything so far and how fast the ball has got rolling. I’m stuck in training already and my knee feels good. It wont be long before it will be 100%. I feel like the change for me is for the better for all parties and just want to get racing again. See you at the races.”

Nathan’s compatriot, 19 year old Mitchell Delfs (AUS) is still one of the young guns on the World Cup circuit. After a good performance during the 2007 World Cup in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada and a 4th place at 2007 Junior World Championships, Mitch was given the opportunity to participate in his first full World Cup season in 2008. Mitch has progressed from race to race and after 2 top 10 finishes in the second part of the season he has become a contender for consistent top 10 results in the 2009 season.

Mitchell Delfs, KENDA MOREWOOD Team Rider:

“I am super stoked to be working with Gravity Group again for the 2009 season. It’s going to be an exciting year, with a great bike and good factory support to race on. I’m sure there will be a few World Cups with my name on it. With a new team mate as fast as Nathan Rennie I know my riding will improve, which will make TEAM KENDA MOREWOOD the new power house team on the World Cup circuit.”

The Morewood Makulu will be the downhill weapon of choice for TEAM KENDA MOREWOOD in the coming season. Nathan and Mitch will also use the Mbuzi, Shova and Ndiza for off season training and selected events.

Richard Carter, MOREWOOD BIKES Marketing Director/Co-Owner

“Racing has always been a core value of the Morewood brand, so for us, the formation of a professional race team is a natural progression. It also further demonstrates Morewood’s commitment to Downhill, and our commitment to further developing our products at the highest level of the sport.

Gravity Group has a reputation for running one of the most professional teams on the circuit, so the opportunity of forming a partnership with them was something we just couldn’t pass up on, despite current economic sentiment.

I believe we have one of the most competitive packages on the circuit. Good bikes however are nothing without great riders, and we feel privileged to work with riders of Nathan and Mitch’s caliber.

Filling the shoes of a team as successful and respected as Syndicate is a big task for anyone, but I believe Peter Siulczynski and the Gravity Group are up to the challenge. With the right support and infrastructure I know Nathan will be right at home in no time and ready to retake his place on the podium where he belongs.
As Mitch is already familiar with the team, we hope to build on and maintain the momentum he gained last season.

With the level of commitment and determination already demonstrated by Riders, Gravity Group and Sponsors alike, anything is possible”

Further Team News including Team Co-Sponsors and Team Schedule will be announced shortly.

source: Gravity Group

Fontana, CA
March 30, 2008

The first round of the National Mountain Bike Series presented by Maxxis was held March 27th-30th in Fontana, California. The event was well attended with the parking lot overflowing in the Southridge Park under the trees, with pleasant weather greeting the racers. The downhill was internationally represented with world cup riders from New Zealand, Australia, Spain and the UK joining the US racers making it quite a competitive event. In the end, the southern hemisphere riders dominated the top five men’s downhill with two Aussie’s and three Kiwi’s on the podium.

Donny Jackson, Southridge Racing promoter, had a nice treat for the downhillers delivering the best Fontana race course of the season. Winding down the neighborhood hill, Jackson added more turns and challenging rock sections to meet up with the “Wall”, a long, flat, vomit inducing pedaling section that, according to Jackson, “The racers either love it or hate it, but always have something to say about it.” Rennie says, “It’s a good course and it’s unique and it’s hard; it’s really a complement to itself. It’s dry and dusty, and the upper sections make you really concentrate to do it properly. Then when you hit the wall you can finally let it go, and arrrggghhh…for 20 seconds you suffer, then right, left, and it’s getting black, then you’re across the line.”

Practice was ruled by Kovarik, and Rennie comments, “It looks like he’s raced here before!” Rennie quickly got his lines dialed and blasted rocky sections in practice to the whoops and hollers of spectators. It looked like it would be a two horse race, Kovarik in his new, white Chain Reaction Cycles kit, and Rennie, the dark horse in his stealthy, black Troy Lee Designs kit. In fact, the two Aussie’s must have been thinking alike as they ran their qualifier with just 1/100th separating them.

The finals played out just as it looked it would from observing practice. Kovarik cracked into the ‘teens with a 2:19.6, the only rider to do so. Rennie was on his tail with a 2:22.2, but the experience Kovarik has at Fontana bested his best friend by 2.6 seconds with a decisive win on this physically demanding track. Justin Leov was third with a 2:24.6, followed by teammate Sam Blenkinsop at 2:25.1, and fellow Kiwi, Cameron Cole took fifth with a 2:25.3.

Rennie was satisfied with second place to Kovarik and says this about his run, “I’m pretty tired now. That is a gnarly thing to do, that pedaling, you start to pass out, at least I do! The last five pedal strokes I don’t think I was even pushing on the cranks.” Kovarik agrees, “I started to pass out too, everything starts getting black at the end. I shouldn’t have had a breakfast burrito an hour and a half before my race. When I was done I vomited, but I’ve had training doing the Fontana ‘Vomit Series’ all winter.”

Nigel Page, Chain Reaction Cycles team manager says, “I’m pleased that Chris’s hard work all winter is going to pay off not only here, but for the world cup season. He’s now back on top where he always belongs, so we should have some good results this year. I’d like to thank Chris for all his hard work.”

Donny Jackson was pleased with the spectator turnout, “There were so many people on the side of that mountain like I’ve never seen before!”

In the pro women’s class Melissa Buhl crushed the nearest competitor by 8.3 seconds!! Her strength and fitness is a stand out amongst her peers and shows that her training program is working. Lisa Myklak took second place with Joanna Petterson in third. Claire Buchar raced her new Intense to a 4th place finish and Fionn Griffiths managed a podium position after crashing in her race run.

SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE ALL-RIDE ACADEMY WITH KIRT VOREIS VISITS FONTANA

Kirt Voreis launched the new Santa Cruz Syndicate All-Ride Academy, a junior development program, here at Fontana with 10 year-old Troy Sladek taking instruction from Kirt. Troy won his downhill race and placed 3rd in his cross country race. Kirt worked with Troy on the downhill course showing him lines that Troy said, “I never would have done that line if Kirt hadn’t shown me. I was surprised. And in my race run I did some of my lines, and some of the lines Kirt showed me. I was happy with my race and I learned new things today.”

Kirt got out for some fun himself with the big boys and broke in his new Santa Cruz V-10 the hard way. He asked himself, “What was I thinking following Rennie?” as he cart wheeled his new steed into the ground. “I saw Rennie bunny-hop into the slab rock section and I wasn’t expecting that, didn’t bunny-hop, and got to the bottom and wadded it up.” Kirt laughed it off to the crowd’s amusement as he picked himself up and rode away.

Kirt will have his All-Ride Academy kids at Sea Otter in just a few weeks, joining up with the Syndicate downhill squad of Steve Peat, Greg Minnaar, Nathan Rennie and Josh Bryceland.

MEN’S DOWNHILL FINAL RESULTS:

1) CHRIS KOVARIK (CHAIN REACTION CYCLES/INTENSE)
2:19.6
2) NATHAN RENNIE (SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE/SRAM) 2:22.2
3) JUSTIN LEOV (YETI/FOX) 2:24.6
4) SAM BLENKINSOP (YETI/FOX) 2:25.1
5) CAMERON COLE (MAXXIS) 2:25.3
6) DUNCAN RIFFLE (CANNONDALE) 2:25.5
7) WAYLON SMITH 2:26.5
LUKE STROBEL (MAXXIS) 2:26.6
9) JARED RANDO (GIANT) 2:26.7
10) OSCAR SAIZ (GIANT) 2:27.1

WOMEN’S DOWNHILL FINAL:

1) MELISSA BUHL (KHS) 2:41.9
2) LISA MYKLAK 2:50.2
3) JOANNA PETTERSON 2:51.0
4) CLAIRE BUCHAR (SOMBRIO/INTENSE) 2:51.8
5) FIONN GRIFFITHS 2:52.6

MEN’S DOWNHILL QUALIFIER RESULTS:

1) Cameron Cole (New Zealand): 2:23.22
2) Jared Rando (Australia) 2:26.74
3) Sam Blenkinsop (New Zealand) 2:26.98
4) Duncan Riffle (USA) 2:27.25
5) Chris Kovarik (Australia) 2:27.55
6) Nathan Rennie (Australia) 2:27.56

THANKS TO THE SYNDICATE SPONSORS:

Santa Cruz Bicycles
SRAM
RockShox
Truvativ
Avid
Maxxis
DT Swiss
WTB
Crankbrothers
Lizard Skins
Clif Bar
Troy Lee Designs
Chris King
Five Ten

source: Kathy Sessler, Santa Cruz Syndicate Manager