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Scott-3Rox hosts 2014 launch party

April 9, 2014
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Canada’s top ranked mountain bike team hosted friends and supporters Tuesday night, to launch their 2014 season. The team is comprised of six riders who will race a mix of World Cup and North American races.

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“We have a big season ahead,” said Kyle Douglas, Scott-3Rox team manager. “The big goal for us right now is looking ahead to the Rio 2016 Olympic games. The stepping stone of course will be the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto.”

Geoff Kabush headlines the team once again. The three time Olympian and 13 time Canadian Champion made clear that his focus for the year was to have fun and race hard. He’s already had a good start to the year, and currently leads the US Cup standings with a total of 540 points after three races.

“I’ve been doing this for a long time, and it’s because I really love it,” said Kabush. “I’ve been lucky to have some great teams and teammates, but it’s really been special the last few years joining the 3Rox family. It’s great to see who the program has really been elevated over the last couple of years.”

2013 Canadian Champion Derek Zandstra continues his longtime relationship with the Scott-3Rox team, and is eyeing the defines of his national title as a highlight for the 2014 season, along with the Mont Saine-Anne and Windham World Cup races. Zandstra finished fourth in the recent Pan-Am championships in Brazil, despite an early crash and deteriorating conditions through the race.

“I really want to do well at Mont Sainte-Anne. It’s been a few years since I’ve had a good result there, so I’d like to get a solid result,” said Zandstra.

Derek Zandstra (L) and Mikaela Kofman (R)
Derek Zandstra (L) and Mikaela Kofman (R)

Mikaela Kofman won silver at the recent Pan-Am races, Canada’s best result at the event. She’s looking forward to the European World Cups, and the US Cup series, and has her eye on the Canadian Championships.

Amanda Sin is the female veteran of the team, and is consistently in the mix at Canada and US Cup races. Now based in North Vancouver, Sin has countless opportunities to ride right from her new home.

“I love the pursuit of always trying to be better, always trying to go faster and finding ways to improve,” said Sin, during a Q&A with CBC’s Jeff Douglas. “I find it’s a very honest pursuit and you can really see the results of all of your effort.”

Cameron Jette will be the lone 3Rox rider at the World Cup opener in South Africa this coming weekend. Jette was instrumental in Zandstra’s success at nationals last year. Jette will rejoin the rest of the team following the Pietermaritzburg World Cup.

 

Marc-Antoine Nadon is a rising star within the 3Rox team. Hailing from Timmins, Ontario, Nadon will be racing his second year as a U23, and looking to build towards greater success in the future.

The team left the day after the launch party for California, and the Sea Otter race weekend. Some of the team will remain in the US for the Whiskey 50 in Arizona.

Scott-3Rox has been successfully building a strong program and added new sponsors for the 2014 season, including Park Tools and Kijiji. Douglas announced his goal of having even more Olympians on the team for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

“In 2008, we decided we wanted to make it a national level team,” said Douglas. “In 2012 we wanted to sign our first Olympian… Geoff Kabush. Our goal in 2016 is to have two or three Olympians out of a team of six riders.”

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The event included a silent auction to help raise funds for the team’s 2014 season. Items up for grabs included Kabush’s race bike, a CX frame and a wheel set. Jerseys, artwork and jewelry were also available through the auction.

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