Jeep, iXS and
Bell join Silverline in the GT Factory Racing team for 2015
Atherton Racing is pleased to announce the
continuation of their successful relationship with GT Bicycles and to welcome
three new partners for the 2015 season. Silverline Tools has been a long-term
supporter of the GT Factory Racing mountain bike team headed by Atherton
brothers Gee and Dan, and sister Rachel.
Jeep, the iconic 4x4 brand is now an Official Team
Partner, providing team vehicles including the legendary Wrangler and the
all-new Cherokee and Renegade models, and collaborating on some exciting new
media projects.
The other two partners are iXS, which will provide apparel
and protection, and Bell which will supply helmets.
The GT Factory Racing team is currently throwing
themselves full tilt into their first intensive training camp in Del Mar,
California.
The Downhill team will continue to ride the GT Fury equipped
with components from Shimano, Fox, Continental and Pro. This is the bike that
carried all of the team to World Cup wins this year and saw Gee Atherton take
the 2014 World Championships. This year Stan’s No Tubes will officially supply
rims for the Downhill team.
The Enduro team will focus on the GT Sanction with Shimano
XTR wheels.
In this fourth year of partnership with GT Bicycles, the
team will be aiming to defend and recapture the World Championships as well as to
regain the title of “World’s Fastest Downhill team” which they held for both
2012 and 2013.
The Enduro team will look to notch up some wins in the
Enduro World Series.
However, the team has said a sad goodbye to fellow GT
rider Marc Beaumont. Team Director Dan Brown said: “Slugger is a force to be
reckoned with. He made an enormous impact on the team and I know that I speak
for all of us when I say how much we’ll miss his mischievous presence in the
pits and at training sessions as well as his serious contributions to team strategy
and the huge support that he offered to the other riders.”
Dan Brown continued: “We are delighted to head into
2015 with the same brilliant bike and component sponsors as well as our long
term supporters Red Bull and Silverline Tools who will continue to be an
integral part of our team. Along with GT, Shimano, Continental and Fox we will
continue our successful associations with Pro and Stan’s No Tubes and off the bike
GoPro, Muc-off, Oakley and SRM will remain a valued part of the set-up.
“We are delighted with Gee’s World Championships win
this year but I’m 100% certain that we have even better things to come in 2015
and I’m confident with our excellent support team and all of our sponsors behind
us, we’re going to deliver.”
Reigning
World Champion Gee Atherton said, “I honestly believe that we have the best team in the world. When I get to the
start-gate, I know exactly how much expertise and dedication it has taken to
get me there - mechanics, support team
and sponsors all pulling together. I can’t wait to welcome Jeep, iXS and Bell
to the family.”
A lingering
illness picked up in South Africa made 2014 a difficult year for Rachel
Atherton, though she still posted glittering results including a UK National
Championship, two World Cup wins, second in the World Cup Series Overall and second
by a cruel 0.08 seconds in the World Championships.
Rachel said: “I am so motivated for 2015. 2014 was
hard, really hard especially as I watched the other women racers get stronger
and faster but they’d better watch out for me in 2015 because I want those
titles back!”
Taylor Vernon who won his first Junior World Cup at
Windham, New York, last August, just 13 months after breaking his T7 vertebrae,
will race as an Elite for the first time.
For the Enduro team, Dan Atherton is back to full
racing fitness and is impatient to get started on the Enduro World Series 2015
where he will ride with 18-year-old Martin Maes for the third consecutive
season. Martin, who won a World Cup in Downhill this year at Fort William in
Scotland, will continue to race in the General Classification – despite his
Junior status.
Dan Atherton said: “For me, 2015 is going to be all
about Enduro, all about racing with Martin and putting together a set of
top-class results. I was involved in every stage of the Sanction’s development
and now I want to demonstrate exactly what I can do with it. Gee’s right about the
key role that sponsors play in our team, our partnerships are working
collaborations with brands that we really believe in.
GT Factory Racing’s
new partners shared their thoughts on the new deal…
Jeep
“The Athertons are at the top of their game and embody
much of what the Jeep brand signifies – adventure, determination and
capability.
“We’re incredibly excited about the opportunities that
being an official Team Partner brings and sharing this with the Jeep community
over the months ahead. This is a new era for the Jeep brand in the UK and we’re
thrilled that Atherton Racing is going to be part of this.”
Damien Dally, Jeep Head of Brand
IXS
“iXS are a family owned company with racing in our
blood so we are delighted to welcome Atherton Racing to our team. We are all
extremely excited to work with such professional athletes, seeing them trust
our products and enjoy riding in them makes us very proud and I personally
believe that working together will allow us to reach even greater heights.”
Pascal Haf, Brand Director
Bell
"We are thrilled to have the Atherton's back on
Bell helmets. Aside from the fact that they are great individuals, and a
very fast team of riders, they also LOVE riding bikes. And that’s what we are
about. The thrill of the ride. Gee has already been out in the San Diego
hills wearing his Full 9. Its good to know that the professionals are
choosing Bell Helmets because of the quality products we make."
Scott Sharples, Bell Helmets
2015 Downhill Team
Gee Atherton, Men’s Elite – World Champion, World Cup
Ranking 5th
Rachel Atherton, Women’s Elite – World Champion
2013, World Cup Ranking 2nd
Taylor Vernon, Junior World Cup ranking 3rd
Enduro Team
Dan Atherton
Martin Maes – Junior World Champion 2013
Atherton
Academy
Kade Edwards – Overall British Downhill Series
Juvenile Champion
We will continue to support 15-year-old Kade as he
moves into the Youth category. Atherton Academy is our stepping-stone programme
to guide young talent through the initial stages of their race careers.
A brand new team strip will be launched at the end of
March prior to the whole team racing at Crankworx, New Zealand.
On arrival we were greeted with the regular hot, sunny and light-wind Miami conditions - perfect for easing ourselves back into the boat. We are based out of the rowing club on Key Biscayne, so a short sail out past the city and under the bridge puts us out into the bay where we will be racing at the end of the month. 
The last few days have provided some great breezes on the bay, which blew out the cobwebs and allowed for some speed testing and boat handling. We have been training with Stevie Morrison and Twiggy, whilst Nick Asher and Bill followed behind offering their opinions. We've been working through two new sets of sails trying to pick out the one that's going to give us the most boat speed across a range of conditions, as well as tuning our mast to suit. It is a huge boost to be back on our own equipment, which we know is fast, having been on foreign kit in Rio and Abu Dhabi. We had the chance to catch up with some old friends and took Rodrigo, a local Opti and 420 sailors out for a ride, four years on from his last go on a 49er. 
Alongside the sailing it's an action-packed lifestyle here! We've managed to find Bill's all-carbon, signle-scull rowing boat, which is much more fun than using the rowing ergo in the gym. Table tennis in the evenings and if we run out of wind we head out waterskiing for the real leg burner! Island life here is going well, which makes the sailing and our stay productive and fun!
