Canyon Factory Freeride Team Aced 2016

The Canyon Factory Freeride Team finished the season with a bang, bringing home gold with the 2016 FMB Factory Team World Championship Title.

Factory teams must register a minimum of 2 athletes. Each athlete can contribute a maximum of 3 results and the final team score is the total of the best six results. This year, Thomas Genon (BEL) and Tomas Lemoine (FRA) each secured top ranks at different FMB Events and showcased their top level riding as well as unified team spirit.

Thanks to top performances by Thomas Genon and Tomas Lemoine for their manufacturer, based in Koblenz, Germany, the team beat their competitors and can proudly celebrate their team efforts. In addition to Thomas and Tomas, the Canyon Factory Freeride Team 2016 lineup consisted of three other members, including Anton Thelander (SWE), Darren Berrecloth (CAN) and Peter Henke (GER).

Tomas Lemoine: “The fact that we won the FMB Factory Team Ranking, shows me once again that our team is perfect. Each and every one of us is so stoked to ride for such a sick brand like Canyon. Personally I just tried to do my best during every event and I feel the same vibes go for everyone in the team. We will continue to train and give our best.”

Thomas Genon: “I have known my teammates for a very long time and we are super stoked to ride together. Everyone did great this season and now we´re all going to spend the winter riding, training and improving the things that didn´t work out this season.”

Sports Director MTB at Canyon, Florian Goral: “Our athletes can choose from a range of bikes, which have been developed by the engineers, being as close as possible to the riders. When we created the team back in 2013, it was our intention to build the best bikes possible. We started from scratch and have been listening to all their needs right from the beginning. Winning contests is the logical proof of pure talent combined with excellent material.”

Congratulations to the Canyon Factory Freeride Team and good luck for the next season.

About Canyon Bicycles

Canyon was founded in 1985 as Radsport Arnold and was officially renamed Canyon Bicycles GmbH in 2001. Bikes have been sold under the Canyon name since 1996. Everything from product development, assembly and direct sales of their mountain bikes, road bikes and triathlon bikes in addition to accessories and clothing takes place in Koblenz, Germany. Canyon employs its own engineers, composites experts, designers and quality controllers to ensure in-house quality management of the highest level. Canyon counts a number of prestigious design awards, reader’s choice awards and hundreds of test victories carried out by international publications to its successes.

www.canyon.com

It’s Back: The FMB Diamond Series 2016

Munich, March 7^th 2016: The FMB Diamond Series is back! As we speak the top FMB athletes are jet setting across the globe to New Zealand for the initial FMB Diamond Series stop at Crankworx Rotorua. This season, the FMB Diamond Series ranking will be made up of five events: all four Diamond stops and, the best result from a Gold event, taking place before the last Diamond stop. The top eight athletes from 2015 are pre-qualified for the Diamond Series and the season finale will return to the home of slopestyle, Red Bull Joyride at Crankworx Whistler. Supporters can follow all the live action from New Zealand this weekend on Red Bull TV.

The 2016 world title battle will commence at the first Diamond event, Crankworx Rotorua on March 12^th. With the first points on the board, it will become clear who put in the extra effort in the off-season. Athletes will then have eleven weeks to fine-tune their tricks before the second stop, Crankworx Les Gets (FRA). The third event will be shortly after at Swatch Prime Line (GER) as part of the MASH Action Sports Festival at Munich’s Olympic Park. While in previous years, the season finale was held at the infamous Red Bull Rampage, this season, the showdown will be held at the fourth Diamond stop and the mecca of slopestyle: Red Bull Joyride at Crankworx Whistler.

Diamond stops are the toughest, biggest and most competitive events in the sport. However, Gold events are also crucial for having a well-rounded season, which is why the fifth result counting towards an athlete’s standing in the Diamond Series will be from a Gold event. Their best result from any Gold event, held before the finale at Crankworx Whistler will count for the overall result. Supporting progression is a major goal of the FMB World Tour. Which is why this is also a great opportunity for upcoming riders, who might not yet be invited to Diamond stops, gain experience competing against the very best in the sport. Heavy weight Gold events, like the newly upgraded Swatch Rocket Air (SUI) and long-standing contests, 26TRIX in Leogang (AUT) and the Colorado Freeride Festival in Winterpark (USA) are all confirmed. The FISE World Series will bring three Gold events to the tour this year as well, including MTB contests in Montpellier (FRA), Chengdu (CHI) and Edmonton (CAN). The latter two events however, take place after the Diamond Series finale on August 20^th.

The top slopestyle athletes are gearing up for another epic throw down at the world’s toughest events. After a remarkable 2015 season, will Thomas Genon be able to stay on top? Maybe Brett Rheeder will breakthrough and bring home the world title he has come so close to clinching in the past. Or perhaps trick machine, Nicholi Rogatkin will ride to the top. The FMB Diamond Series is their proving ground.

Competing in the FMB Diamond Series, athletes’ efforts will count towards the most elite world ranking in the sport. The top 8 Diamond Series riders from last season are automatically invited to compete at all 2016 Diamond Events. The remaining spots will be decided based on the FMB World Ranking – taken four weeks before each Diamond event as well as deserving wildcards.

Athletes that are not pre-qualified for the Diamond stops will have to secure their invitations at the Gold and Silver events, the FMBA will hand out two wildcards for each Diamond Event. With the inclusion of a Gold event result in the FMB Diamond Series, there is plenty of motivation to climb the rankings. More information about Silver and Bronze events can be found on the FMB World Tour

website.

 A full FMB World Tour calendar will be published soon.

Like the newly upgraded Swatch Rocket Air (SUI) and long-standing contests, 26TRIX in Leogang (AUT) and the Colorado Freeride Festival in Winterpark (USA) are all confirmed. The FISE World Series will bring three Gold events to the tour this year as well, including MTB contests in Montpellier (FRA), Chengdu (CHI) and Edmonton (CAN). The latter two events however take place after the Diamond Series finale on August 20^th.

The breakdown:

• FMB Diamond Series comprises of 5 results: 4 Diamond events plus 1 Gold event result prior to August 20^th 2016.
• Season finale will take place at Red Bull Joyride at Crankworx Whistler.
• Silver and Bronze event applications are still open. Hosts can apply here
• Follow RBTV for Live event broadcasts
• Athletes can still register for their FMB license, here.

Useful links:

More information about the Diamond Series can be found on the FMB World Tour website:  www.fmbworldtour.com