Giant Bicycles to sponsor Crankworx for two years

Giant Bicycles has announced that it will be a Crankworx World Tour sponsor starting this year. The Taiwan-based company will provide support to all three events in the Crankworx World Tour—the original Crankworx Whistler in B.C., Crankworx Les Deux Alpes in France and a new event this year, Crankworx Rotorua in New Zealand. Sponsorship will run until 2017.

Canadian Cycling Magazine March 3, 2015

Giant Factory Off-Road Team rider Josh Carlson is an Australian who lives in British Columbia near the Whistler Mountain Bike Park. This year he’s gunning for a top result back in his native Southern Hemisphere at the opening Enduro World Series event at Crankworx Rotorua.

Giant Bicycles has announced that it will be a Crankworx World Tour sponsor starting this year. The Taiwan-based company will provide support to all three events in the Crankworx World Tour—the original Crankworx Whistler in B.C., Crankworx Les Deux Alpes in France and a new event this year, Crankworx Rotorua in New Zealand. Sponsorship will run until 2017.

“Crankworx represents a celebration of mountain biking, from pros pushing their limits to newcomers and kids discovering the pure joy of riding,” said Giant global marketing director An Le. “We’re proud to elevate our partnership with Crankworx on three continents to help showcase the sport globally, and to inspire the next generation of rippers.”

The 2015 Crankworx World Tour starts March 25-29 at Crankworx Rotorua in New Zealand. Competition will include the opening round of the 2015 Enduro World Series—a major focus for riders of the Giant Factory Off-Road Team and a series that also received Giant support. The event in New Zealand will feature Mount Ngongotaha, using the 145-km trail network in the Whakarewarewa Forest.

The second round of the Crankworx World Tour, in the French Alps, which runs for its fourth year July 9-12. It will have DH, enduro and slopestyle.

In August, Giant returns as a sponsor at the event that started it all, Crankworx Whistler. This is the focus of the season for many pro athletes, and the No. 1 dream destination for many off-road riders around the world. Staged in the world’s largest lift-accessed mountain bike playground, Whistler Mountain Bike Park, it’s an event that draws an audience of more than 300,000 annually over a week-and-a-half on Whistler’s 4,900 vertical feet of big-mountain terrain. Giant will be both an event sponsor and the title sponsor of the Giant Slalom competition.

Five-time Colombian national downhill champion Marcelo Gutierrez will lead the Giant Factory Off-Road Team as it competes in a variety of events at Whistler, August 7-16. Gutierrez will attempt to win the Garbanzo Downhill event for the third time and also reclaim his “King of Crankworx” title from 2014.

“Having Giant’s support for the Crankworx World Tour is awesome,” said Darren Kinnaird, general manager of the Crankworx World Tour. “The athletes, the teams and the staff at Giant have long been a part of Crankworx. The people at Giant have been integral in the growth of the Crankworx brand. Without their support, the Crankworx World Tour wouldn’t be possible today.”

French rider Guillaume Cauvin is a newcomer to the Giant Factory Off-Road Team this year, but not to Crankworx. The 20 year old finished second in the DH event at last year’s Crankworx Les Deux Alpes.

Giant Slalom competition Crankworx Whistler — The crowds always come out for the Giant Slalom event at Crankworx Whistler.

Five-time Colombian national champion Marcelo Gutierrez has earned a name among the Crankworx greats, winning two titles at the gruelling Garbanzo DH race and taking home the King of Crankworx crown in 2014.