The new Cannondale-3 Rox launches with team presentation
Mountain bike squad 3 Rox Racing takes on a new sponsor, and new riders, for 2017
Who's that reading the latest issue of Canadian Cycling Magazine? And what does he expect to learn about cover model Derek Zandstra? Photo: Matt Stetson
The Cannondale-3 Rox team strikes poses. From left: Raphaël Gagné, Derek Zandstra, Erin Huck and Keegan Swenson. Photo: Matt Stetson
From left: Raphaël Gagné, Derek Zandstra, Erin Huck and Keegan Swenson. Photo: Matt Stetson
Gershom Morris (left) Cannondale-3 Rox team mechanic and Kyle Douglas, team manager.
Photo: Matt Stetson
MC Brendan Arnold introduces the team. Photo: Matt Stetson
National BMX coach, and the evening's MC, Brendan Arnold. Photo: Matt Stetson
Raphaël Gagné. Photo: Matt Stetson
Canadian cross country champion Derek Zandstra answers the MC's questions.
The 2017 Cannondale-3 Rox, in green plaid shirts, and Team Progressive mountain bike squads, from left: Owen Flood, Jan Kocemba, Erin Huck, Keegan Swenson, Raphaël Gagné, Dana Gilligan, Derek Zandstra, Gershom Morris (mechanic), Liam Mulcahy, Malcolm Barton, Kyle Douglas (3 Rox principal) and Tyler Orschel. Photo: Matt Stetson
Photo: Matt Stetson
Members of the Maverix Racing development squad, Team Progressive, from left: Malcolm Barton, Jan Kocemba, Dana Gilligan, Liam Mulcahy, Owen Flood and Tyler Orschel.
Cory Hancock of 3 Rox Racing checks out a Scaple from the team's new sponsor, Cannondale. Photo: Matt Stetson
Michael Cranwell, general manager of Gears Bike Shop - Canary District in Toronto (left) and Cannondale territory manager Neil Gold. Photo: Matt Stetson
Sean Ruppel of Superfly Racing, like 3 Rox Racing, is a supporter of the Marvix Racing development team. Photo: Matt Stetson
Redline Brewery provided suds for the event. Photo: Matt Stetson
On Friday night, the effects of the U.S. presidential inauguration could even be felt at the launch of the Cannondale-3 Rox mountain bike team in Toronto. Those effects ranged from MC Brendan Arnold saying, “Tonight, we’re here to help make 3 Rox great again”—which got laughs from the crowd at Gears Bike Shop—to rider Erin Huck (of Boulder, Colo.) saying that teammate Raphaël Gagné (Quebec City) referred to her and Keegan Swenson (Park City, Utah) as “American refugees.”
The team has undergone some significant changes for 2017. Cannondale is a new title and equipment sponsor. With the Wilton, Conn., bike maker came Gagné and Swenson, both of the former Cannondale 360fly powered by Sugoi squad. Huck returns for her third year with the 3 Rox project. Canadian XC champion Derek Zandstra has been with the team since 1999, the first year he started racing. He’s the old man of the outfit, but will point out he’s not the oldest in age. (Yet, he’s too much of a gentlemen to say that Huck is three years his senior.)
Huck is the current U.S. national champion. She plans to defend the stars-and-bars jersey in 2017. Swenson, who’s been second at U.S. XC nationals for the past two years, wants to get on the top spot of the podium. Both Huck and Gagné will be racing some longer-format events, such as those put on by Epic Rides. Gagné will not only ride some Canada and US Cup races this year, but will complete in most of the World Cups event. He hopes to race at the world championships in Cairns, Australia. “It’s a big goal of mine,” he said. “Cairns is a good course that I like with some good climbing and good technical—good balance.”
In 2016, 3 Rox Racing started a partnership with Maverix Racing, an Ontario development outfit. The Maverix team is called Progressive and several of its members came out to the Cannondale-3 Rox launch. New riders on Progressive include Owen Flood, Dana Gilligan and Tyler Orschel. Flood and Gilligan will target as many Canada Cup and Ontario Cup races as possible. Orschel has an ambitious plan. The first year under-23 rider will try to rack up enough UCI points at Canada and US Cup events to qualify for a World Cup race. Returning Marverx riders at the Gears shop were Jan Kocemba, Malcolm Barton and Liam Mulcahy. Mulcahy, like some of the 3 Rox riders, is planning to race the Whiskey 50 in 2017.
