Red Truck-Garneau presented by Easton: Canada’s new professional cyclocross team
Canada has a new professional cyclocross team. Red Truck-Garneau presented by Easton has launched for the 2015-16 season. The outfit will feature top ‘crossers such as Michael van den Ham, third at nationals in 2014 and current provincial champion of Alberta, Craig Richey, current provincial champion of B.C., and Natasha Elliot, who is no stranger to podiums at UCI C1 and C2 events. Raphaël Gagné, Pan Am XC gold medallist and current national XC champion, will also ride for Red Truck–Garneau presented by Easton. This past season, Gagné didn’t have support to ride CX. Currently, his XC outfit is still Rocky Mountain. But, for the muddy fall season, he’ll be with RTGE.
“I’m thrilled to join the Red Truck–Garneau presented by Easton, most of all because I will have a team and good teammates, something I’ve never had for cyclocross before,” said Gagné. “Also, I missed cyclocross racing so much in 2014. I had no bike and no contract for cross, so being back at it after sitting out last year is even more exciting.”
Red Truck, a craft brewing company based in Vancouver, has supported the western development team Trek Red Truck for more than 10 years. The company now extends that support to this new CX team.
Richey spoke about the significance of the new outfit. “The vision for the team was to create Canada’s first pro cyclocross team,” he said, “a team comprising of top riders from across the country, who are strong local ambassadors and who can race and win at major international events. There was no Canadian cyclocross team for young riders to aspire to, and for Canadian fans to cheer for at the big races.
“Michael and I both raced for Red Truck this past CX season. It was one of the few Canadian teams with two top riders. It turned some heads and there was the momentum to grow the program. Garneau has been the clothing sponsor for the TRT road team the past three years and has stepped up to support this cyclocross team as the co-title sponsor. The team will be racing on custom-painted DreamFactory Steeple-XC bikes, wearing Garneau clothing and helmets.”
Gagné is looking forward to riding his new CX rig. “I will have an awesome ‘cross bike with disc brakes,” he said. “It’s something I’ve always looked forward to having and I trust this will help me capitalize on my technical skills.”
“It’s exciting to be working with athletes of this calibre,” said Louis Garneau, the president and founder of his eponymous organization. “Our company has a passion for racing that extends well beyond the normal road season. The support of the North American cyclocross racing scene will help highlight both our ‘cross bikes as well as the custom apparel we have available for this segment of riders.”
Van den Ham not only touched on the formation of the new team, but his role in the upcoming season. “It’s been a long time coming for Canadian cyclocross. I’m hugely excited to be a part of Red Truck–Garneau presented by Easton, a national cyclocross team that all of Canada can get behind. I’ll be racing in Vegas, Holy Week, nationals, CSI, alongside of an extensive local season during the first half of the season before moving to Belgium for the second half and focusing in the World Cup schedule.”
Presenting sponsor Easton will provide the wheels for the riders, the company’s EC90 SL disc tubular wheels, as well as its new Easton MCD road bars for the cockpits. Other support is provided by Vittoria Tires, Gorp Bars, Rumble, Crankbros and Mad Alchemy.
The team plans to ride at various UCI races, which mostly means events in the U.S. For the 2015-16 season, the only UCI race in Canada is the Manitoba Grand Prix of Cyclocross, a C2-level event that follows the Canadian national championships in Oct. 24. Red Truck–Garneau presented by Easton riders will compete for the maple-leaf jersey, and, with the exception Gagné, represent the country at North America’s first World Cup event in Las Vegas on Sept. 16.
