Giant Factory Off-Road Team announces the returning riders who will lead the squad through 2016

This season, some heavyweight names, each of them key assets in the squad's previous glories, will be returning to lead the team's fortunes once again.

Todd Aalgaard February 26, 2016

The 2016 Giant Factory Off-Road Team lineup includes (left to right): Alex Marin (DH), Marcelo Gutierrez (DH), Guillaume Cauvin (DH), Yoann Barelli (Enduro), Adam Craig (Enduro), Josh Carlson (Enduro), Carl Decker (XC, Enduro) and Seamus Powell (Enduro). Photo by Cameron Baird.

For the Giant Factory Off-Road Team, 2015, no doubt, was an astounding season. Some of the world’s most prestigious downhill and enduro events ended with the squad chalking up podium finishes and big, season-making wins. Coming off that success, the team has announced its riders for 2016, and has declared its renewed focus on contention at the UCI World Cup and Enduro World Series competitions.

This season, some heavyweight names, each of them key assets in the squad’s previous glories, will be returning to lead the team’s fortunes once again.

With two World Cup podium finishes, 2015 was a breakout season for Colombian DH racer Marcelo Gutierrez. Marcelo is seen here on his Glory Advanced 27.5 bike wearing the 100% DH kit, including jersey, pants, helmet and gloves. Photo by Cameron Baird.

Marcelo Gutierrez is one of them, having signed a three-year extension of his contract with the team after taking five Colombian national downhill titles. His 2016 is already off to a roaring, powerful start, having claimed victory at January’s Manizales Urban Downhill Race. The 25-year-old Colombian rider can boast his first podium finish at the 2015 World Cup and a top-10 placement in the year’s final rankings for that series. Last year also saw him take a repeat of his title at Garbanzo DH competition, a key part of Crankworx Whistler.

“Our World Cup DH squad had a great season last year, riding the new Glory Advances bikes and collecting some nice podium finishes,” he said. “I’m looking forward to continuing the momentum and seeing what we can do in 2016.”

After a successful run in the juniors, Spaniard Alex Marin makes the jump up to elite men’s downhill competition this year on his Glory Advanced 27.5 with RockShox suspension and SRAM drivetrain components. Marin and the rest of the team are riding a variety of treads from tire sponsor Schwalbe. Photo by Cameron Baird.

With a fourth-overall finish at the 2015 junior men’s World Cup, as well as repeated podium appearances, Alex Marin officially takes his place among the Elites this year after competing in the junior men’s category. Another former junior returning to Giant’s downhill ranks is Guillaume Cauvin, the 21-year-old French athlete having earned his stripes with a memorable podium finish at last year’s Crankworx Les 2 Aples event in his home country. Cauvin competed in the pro men’s downhill category.

Fan favorite Yoann Barelli came on strong in the second half of last year’s Enduro World Series. He’s looking to add more stage wins and get his first overall EWS victory this year on his Reign Advanced 27.5 bike. Photo by Cameron Baird.

Giant’s enduro ambitions will be led this year by Yoann Barelli, another French rider with whom the cycling world is becoming increasingly, enthusiastically familiar. Last year was a breakout season for the 30-year-old enduro specialist, taking several stage wins at the Enduro World Series and ultimately rolling to a decisive ninth-overall finish for the year in the series. “We had an awesome 2015 season and we’re all looking forward to going full on again this year,” he said. “I came so close to winning the overall at a couple Enduro World Series events, and this year I’ll be gunning for that top step on the podium.”

American Seamus Powell, wearing the new Giant Rail trail helmet, is based in the eastern region of the U.S., where he focuses mostly on enduro events. Photo by Cameron Baird.

Josh Carlson of Australia, meanwhile, is another of the enduro team’s returning riders, having ranked 12th overall in the Enduro World Series. Adam Craig of the United States will join Barelli and Carlson for 2016, riding select EWS events and other races across North America. Other riders joining the squad include American cross-country and enduro rider Carl Decker, who will focus on enduro, XC and gravel-grinder events throughout the season, as well as two-time U.S. Super D national champion Seamus Powell. The 25-year-old rider will focus primarily on events throughout the East Coast of the United States.

This year, the squad will be riding on a full range of Giant bikes, including Glory Advanced 27.5 downhill bikes, Reign Advances 27.5 enduro bikes, Trance Advanced 27.5 trail bikes, and for cross-country, the Anthem Advanced 27.5 and XtC Advanced SL 27.5. Other Giant gear used by riders this season include the brand’s Contact SLR saddles, its new Rail Trail helmet, footwear like the Motion Efficiency System-enabled Charge XC shoe, jackets and more.