Raphaël Gagné joins a roster of North America’s top cross country riders with Cannondale 360fly powered by Sugoi

As the result of a partnership between Cannondale, Sugoi Apparel and 360fly, a team being touted as the most powerful cross country mountain bike team in North America has been created: Cannondale 360fly powered by Sugoi.

For Canadian observers, it’s an appropriate claim—considering that it includes one of the most powerful riders in the country.

Raphaël Gagné, gold medalist at the 2015 Pan Am Games, Canada’s national cross country and cyclocross champion and overall winner of the 2015 Pro Mountain Bike Cross Country Tour is one of five commanding, standout North American athletes competing in the new team’s colours this year. Joining Gagne are Alex Grant, Evelyn Dong, Keegan Swenson and Tinker Juarez, all from the United States, and all of whom have turned in championship-level performances over the last couple of seasons.

“Cannondale 360fly powered by Sugoi brings together three innovative brands with trailblazing technology to fuel North America’s fastest domestic mountain bikers,” said Matt Ohran, the team’s director. “This team has the talent to stand atop any North American XC race podium.”

The team’s technology, it was announced, will include the Cannondale Scalpel and F-Si, two of the best full suspension and hardtail cross country bikes available, respectively. With Sugoi on board as the team’s official performance apparel sponsor, the roster will ride in the brand’s 2016 Racing System Elite jersey and bib shorts, described as Sugoi’s lightest performance-oriented kit to date. Outfitting the team with social media-enabled gear—and the option to offer fans a virtual reality experience with the team through Google Cardboard—360fly, finally, will provide Gagne and his teammates with their official cameras. Additional support is provided by partnerships with Wilderness Trail Bikes, ENVE, Shimano, Stages Cycling and Axial Racing.

“In supporting this team,” said Hannah Parish, Cycling Sports Group North America’s newly-established marketing director, “Cannondale is turning up the level of excitement in elite racing in North America. This roster is incredibly talented on the bike and remarkably engaging off the bike and that personality and performance will get our fans on their feet and cheering.”