Giant Announces Their 2017 Off Road Team

"Following an ambitious year that saw its riders compete at international off-road events of all disciplines, all around the globe, the Giant Factory Off-Road Team looks back at a successful 2016 season while also preparing for the year ahead.

The core of the team, including six-time Colombian downhill champion Marcelo Gutierrez and Australian enduro specialist Josh Carlson, will return for 2017, and at least three new riders will be added to the roster.

Highlights from the 2016 season included race wins and podium finishes at Crankworx World Tour events and Enduro World Series races around the world. Gutierrez won his sixth Colombian DH national championship, and Carlson continued his progression at the top level of enduro racing with a podium finish at the Whistler, British Columbia round of the EWS and a top-10 overall series ranking.

“It was another wild year on the enduro tour,” said Carlson. “I was especially stoked to come back from a crash and score that podium finish at Whistler with my friends and family there watching. We did a lot of development with our bikes and gear throughout the season, and I think it showed with some of our results.”

Carlson’s teammate Yoann Barelli also showed moments of brilliance in 2016, scoring two top-10 finishes in the Enduro World Series before he was slowed by injury in the second half of the season. And the surprise enduro racer for Giant last year was 20-year-old Canadian Mckay Vezina, a member of the North American Giant Co-Factory Team who broke onto the EWS circuit as a rookie and immediately became a consistent top-20 finisher.

The team’s U.S. riders Adam Craig and Carl Decker also chalked up some big results in North American racing. The versatile Craig scored wins in a variety of off-road events, from enduro to cyclocross, and Decker found success at races ranging from gravel grinders to XC and cyclocross competition.

Decker will return for 2017, targeting a mix of off-road races, events and festivals. Craig will also continue, but in a new capacity as an ambassador. The longtime Giant racer will evolve his role to help inspire riders of all levels, connect with retailers at events, and provide valuable rider input on new bike and gear development projects.

While the core of the team remains the same for 2017, French riders Yoann Barelli and Guillaume Cauvin, along with Spaniard Alex Marin and American Seamus Powell will depart at the end of the year.

“Each of those athletes brought a lot to our program,” said Giant Factory Off-Road Team manager Joe Staub. “Their energy and commitment has been a constant over the past few years. We wish them each good luck in the future.”

The coming year will also see some new faces for the team, with a focus on up-and-coming young talent. In enduro racing, Vezina will step up to become a full-fledged member of the Giant Factory Off-Road enduro squad. And for downhill racing, Gutierrez will be joined by young talents Jacob Dickson, a four-time junior national champion in Ireland, and Eliot Jackson, a former motocross racer from the U.S. who scored top-10 results at two Crankworx DH events last year.  

More information on the 2017 Giant Factory Off-Road Team, including the final team roster as well as all the details on new bikes, gear and equipment sponsors, will be announced in early 2017. 

 You can follow the Giant Factory Off-Road Team all season long on their Facebook page."

Giant Factory Off-Road Team Announces 2015 Squad

With the dust barely settled following a successful 2014 season, the Giant Factory Off-Road Team is already preparing for next year. For 2015, the team will continue to develop top young talent in the downhill and enduro racing disciplines.

Featuring an international lineup of riders from five different nations, the squad aims to build on the momentum that carried it to national championships, podiums and stage victories at major events this year including World Cups and Enduro World Series races.

Fresh off winning his fifth Colombian downhill national championship two weeks ago, Marcelo Gutierrez returns to lead the team’s World Cup downhill unit. The 24-year-old had a strong 2014 season, finishing the year ranked 14th in the world with some big wins including earning the “King of Crankworx” title at Crankworx Whistler.

“I’m looking forward to continuing my progression with the team next year and stoked to be wearing the colors of my Colombian national jersey again,” said Gutierrez who regained his title earlier this month after he missed out the previous year following a crash.

Joining Gutierrez on the downhill team is teenager Alex Marin, one of the top young talents in the sport. The 17-year-old Spaniard has a handful of podiums and wins at the World Cup and national level in the junior ranks and looks to continue his upward trajectory in 2015. A third up-and-coming rider will be announced in early 2015 to round out the downhill squad.

Departing the team in 2015 are former world champion Danny Hart and veteran South African champion Andrew Neethling.

“Danny Hart and Andrew Neethling have been vital in our progression as a team, whether it’s on the racecourse or in product development,” said Giant global marketing director An Le. “Needles brought experience, speed, style and a positive vibe. And Danny evolved from a teenager with raw talent into a world champion through our program. We’ve had a great run together and are super grateful for Danny and Andrew’s contributions the past few years. Our 2015 direction aligns with our team mission of building future champions through our system and cutting-edge products, and we’re looking forward to taking this young DH squad to the next level in 2015.”

The team’s enduro lineup will be led by Frenchman Yoann Barelli. This year, his first with the team, Barelli had two top-five finishes in the Enduro World Series, with his best performance coming at the last round in Finale Ligure, Italy, earlier this month. The 29-year-old won two stages at the finals and finished fifth for the weekend, securing a top-10 overall season ranking.

“I was 2.5 seconds from the podium in Italy, and just 14 seconds away from the win,” Barelli said. “That’s my motivation to train all winter long.”

Joining Barelli on the enduro squad will be Australian Josh Carlson and American Adam Craig. Both had some strong individual race and stage performances this year, and will look to move up the rankings in 2015.

Beyond the global riders, next year’s team also includes American XC and enduro racer Carl Decker. The veteran from Bend, Oregon, won his fifth Downieville All-Mountain world championship this year and will continue to focus on a variety of enduro, XC and cyclocross events in 2015. And Seamus Powell, a 24-year-old two-time U.S. Super D national champion, joins the team as a U.S. development rider.

While Decker and Powell will race some XC events, Giant has ended its sponsorship of the XC World Cup-focused Giant Pro XC Team for 2015 to focus its support on the Giant Factory Off-Road Team.

All of the Giant Factory Off-Road Team riders will have a full quiver of Giant bikes to choose from including Glory 27.5 downhill bikes, Reign Advanced 27.5 enduro machines, Trance Advanced 27.5 trail bikes, and Anthem Advanced 27.5 and XtC Advanced SL 27.5 XC bikes.

Full details on the 2015 Giant Factory Off-Road Team, including the final rider lineup as well as partners and sponsors, will be announced in January. To follow the team throughout the year, go to facebook.com/giantfactoryteam.

Danny Hart Podiums at Mont-Sainte-Anne World Cup!

Giant Factory Off-Road Team rider Danny Hart of Great Britain scored his second World Cup podium of the season Saturday, finishing third at Mont-Sainte-Anne on a prototype Giant Glory 27.5 team bike.

Hart, the 2011 downhill world champion, qualified with the seventh fastest time on a tough, physical course at the Mont-Sainte-Anne ski area near Quebec City, in eastern Canada. His teammate Andrew Neethling of South Africa, also riding the Glory 27.5, had a super strong run to qualify third.

In the finals on Saturday, Hart put in a near flawless run, taking the leader’s position from Sam Blenkinsop with a time of 4:12.205. In the end, Hart was edged out by Australian winner Sam Hill and fellow Brit Josh Bryceland in second.

Neethling was unable to match his stellar qualifying run, and finished 14th in the finals. The team’s third rider, Colombian Marcelo Gutierrez, crashed in his finals run and finished 47th. Gutierrez is now 18th overall in the standings.

Hart’s podium finish allowed him to retain his seventh place overall standing in the World Cup, with two rounds left to go. Round 6 takes place next weekend in Windham, New York.

Pit Pass: Danny Hart's World Champ Glory

You’ve probably heard about Danny Hart’s scorcher gold medal downhill run at the 2011 Mountain Bike World Championships in Switzerland.

Maybe you’ve also read a bit about the bike Danny has been riding during his rapid rise through the ranks of the downhill elite. It’s called the Giant Glory. The latest version of the Glory, the one Danny rode to that big win last month on a stormy, mud-soaked day in Champéry, Switzerland, was created this year for one purpose: to help Danny win races.

Those who have been following Danny have witnessed him redefining the possibilities of what downhill mountain bikes can do. With his signature no-holds-barred style, he’s blasting through boundaries and throwing in a whip just for fun. With riders like Danny leading the charge, the sport’s progression has suddenly sped up. This unassuming yet immensely talented 20-year-old from the seaside town of Redcar, in the northeast of England, is part of a new generation of riders who demand more. From themselves, and from their bikes.

A former BMX racer who regularly trains on a motocross bike, Danny knows exactly what he wants in his bikes. And before his second pro season he sat down with Giant engineers, product developers and Factory Team mechanics and articulated his ideas.

Giant is unique in its capabilities to fine-tune the ride qualities of professional-level bikes. It’s the only major manufacturer that literally builds its bikes from scratch—including producing its own aluminum frame tubing. Giant’s formula is simple: It brings together athletes and bike-builders, linking craftsmanship and performance.

With one season of racing the Glory under his belt—his rookie 2010 season—Danny knew exactly what was working for his attacking style on the world's most challenging DH courses. The super-strong, lightweight ALUXX SL frame material formed the perfect foundation. The Maestro Suspension gave him confidence and control. And going into 2011, he had a major new team sponsor, SRAM, that promised the lightest and most dependable components.

At that point Danny was looking for small adjustments that could make a big difference.

Over the following months, Giant engineered a modified race bike for Danny and his teammates Andrew Neethling and Duncan Riffle. The prototype Glory bikes were quietly unveiled at Round 2 of the World Cup series in Fort William, Scotland. The very first time he raced it, Danny scored a career-best second-place finish.

The rest is history: Danny went on to have a breakout season, getting on three World Cup podiums and laying down the run of a lifetime to win the World Championship in Champéry. Not bad for a second-year pro.

Here are the specs for Danny’s prototype World Championship Giant Glory, which will continue to be refined throughout the 2012 racing season. For more details on some of his race-day set-up secrets, click on the photos above.

Build Kit

Model: Giant Glory Prototype, size Medium
Frame: ALUXX SL Grade Aluminum with 8-inch Maestro Suspension
Fork: RockShox Boxxer with BlackBox internals and stanchions
Shock: RockShox Vivid R2C, custom-tuned for Champéry course; 350-pound RockShox Ti spring
Handlebar: Truvativ BooBar, 20mm rise, 780mm width
Grips: ODI Ruffian, non-locking type. Glued and wired
Stem: Truvativ Holzfeller direct mount 50mm
Seatpost: Truvativ Holzfeller straight
Saddle: Fi’zi:k
Pedals: Crank Brothers Mallet
Shifters: SRAM XO 10-speed trigger shifters
Rear Derailleur: SRAM XO DH 10-speed short cage
Brakes: Avid BlackBox Code calipers, 20mm disc front and rear
Brake levers: Avid BlackBox
Cassette: SRAM PG1070 11-23
Chain: SRAM PC 1091, hollow pin
Crankset: SRAM XO DH prototype with 38-tooth chainring, 165mm length
BB: Truvativ GXP 83mm
Rims: DT Swiss EX1750 white
Hubs: DT Swiss 240 red
Spokes: DT Swiss Competition
Tires: Schwalbe Danny Hart, custom labelled and custom compound (Dirty Dan)
Extras: Full titanium bolts (except stem bolts), RRP Fork splash protector, Carbon Kevlar caliper mud cover