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Downhill Athletes Announced For New Trek World Cup Team
One month following the announcement of the three Cross Country riders
that will form half of the new World Cup team sponsored by Trek, 23
Degrees Sports Management announced today that the downhill half of the
new team will also be made up of three riders; two men and a woman. The
two men will be Justin Leov (NZL) and Andrew Neethling (RSA), while the
top level woman rider will be announced on December 1st.
Having just turned 24, Justin Leov is a highly accomplished rider who's
had a great season in 2008; most notably was his 6th place finish at
the World Championships, the best ever performance by a New Zealand man
at the Downhill World Championships. Justin has had a string of top 10
results over the past few seasons and therefore joins the team as a
regular World Cup top 10 rider.
Also 24 years old, Andrew Neethling has impressed many in his past
three seasons, showing constant progression. His 6th place on the
physical track at this year's Canberra World Cup (the venue for the
2009 World Championships), and his impressive top 10 on the steep and
technical Schladming course in Austria, shows that 'Needles' has the
potential to be top 10 on any course he races.
Team Director Martin Whiteley said: "Apart from always striving to run
one of the most professional teams on the circuit, one of my goals has
always been to take riders and give them the opportunity to shine and
reach their absolute goals. Our previous two teams have satisfied both
these goals, and in the case of these two talented top 10 riders and
our new program, we will be giving them every opportunity to improve
further on their results to date. With the first round of the World Cup
in South Africa next year, we are thrilled to have a super competitive
South African on the team, and we feel that our combination of two top
10 men, and a top level woman, will put us in a good place to compete
with the leading gravity teams for the coveted UCI DH Team trophy,
something our teams have won three times before."
Trek Mountain Bike Brand Manager Michael Browne noted: "Trek believes that the Session 88
is the best downhill bike on the market with exceptional technology
that spans the breadth of the Trek suspension line-up. Trek also
believes in the power of racing to prove both the solvency of, and
further evolve, a product. We are happy to offer the best downhill bike
to an elite roster of athletes. Like Trek, these riders are driven to
outperform their competitors. We look forward to the challenge that
lies ahead."
Further details on the team's female downhill rider will be released on
December 1st, and details on the team's co-sponsors and race schedule
will be released at a later date. |
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