3 Rox Racing announces partnership with Maverix development team at Scott-3 Rox Racing team launch
On Thursday, Kyle Douglas, the head of 3 Rox Racing, presented not one mountain bike team, but two.
On Thursday, Kyle Douglas, the head of 3 Rox Racing, presented not one mountain bike team, but two. The 3 Rox project has been around for roughly 20 years. For 2016, three top Canadians–Geoff Kabush, Derek Zandstra and Cameron Jette—and one top U.S. rider, Erin Huck, will make up Scott-3 Rox Racing, whose members all have designs on the Olympics in Rio. Douglas also announced a new partnership between 3 Rox and Maverix, a mountain bike development squad.
“3 Rox is going to be supporting the program based out of Ontario that Jay Ennis is running,” Douglas said. “He’s got a cool group of kids that are going to be the new up-and-comers in Ontario.
“This program is going to be really cool. It’s like what we started in 1998: it was my parents dream to help developing cyclists,” Douglas said referring to the early days of 3 Rox, which provided a platform for Douglas and other young riders. In 2008, at 21-years-old, Douglas took over management of the project. “So we are kinda going back to our roots. We have our World Cup team here. Now we are helping some other kids.”
The list of young riders includes Gunnar Holmgren, who was in Europe as part of Cycling Canada’s Christmas Cross project and could not attend the event, Michael Solic, Jan Kocemba, Malcolm Barton,  Liam Mulcahy and Noah Simms.
“You have to watch out from them on the results sheets. There are going to be outstanding. They are already winning races,” Douglas said.
Jay Ennis, the team manager of Maverix, later elaborated on the connection between his team and 3 Rox. “Maverix is an outlet for 3 Rox, not Scott-3 Rox Racing, but the management entity of the team,” he said. “We’re an outlet for them to support junior development. That’s where we are today. Where we go from there, I’m not sure. I know that, as riders mature, Maverix might be a great pot to draw from, if you will. But right now, it’s strictly junior development.
“There will be mentorship from the 3 Rox team because they have been doing it for so long. They’ve seen riders come through the ranks. They’re there for us to bounce ideas off of,” Ennis added. Douglas is also working to connect Maverix with partners who can help to support the junior development outfit.
There’s one big jump you have to huck yourself off of. I did huck it. On the last lap, I unfortunately landed on my face. -Erin Huck on her recon ride in December of the XC Olympic course in Rio.
It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. It’s way harder than mountain biking, I’d say. In mountain biking, you watch how fast other riders go, and you can envision doing that. In those European cyclocross races, I can’t imagine ever going that fast on any of the sections. There’s just so much more power. It’s incredible. But it’s so much fun and a challenge to do those races. —Cameraon Jette on racing ‘cross in Europe. He competed at Koksijde in November. He’ll be representing Canada the world championships, for the first time, in Zolder at the end of January.
The big thing for the year: Olympics. I got to see Rio two years ago. I didn’t to see the course, but I did familiarize myself with the city. —Derek Zandstra on his desire to get back to Rio for the Olympic Games in August.
In 2015, I had some frustration with my health and injuries. Personally, I want to get back to the level I know I’m capable of. If I want to go to the Olympics, I want to be competitive. Now, it’s the No. 1 goal that’s motivating me, but it’s not the be-all and end-all. There are lots of other events I’m really excited about. The worlds in Nové Mesto is one of my favourite courses. In an Olympic year, the world championships is a big opportunity and secondary goal. The World Cup in Mont-Sainte-Anne is also a big opportunity —Geoff Kabush on some of his goal for 2016.
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