(press release)
Hoping to take advantage of the warm weather, the Trek VW racing team pulled into Solvang, California for a week-long training & media camp. Riders Sue Haywood, Chris Eatough, Lea Davison and Jeremiah Bishop descended into the faux Danish town north of Los Angeles to get in some good fitness rides as well as to get their 2006 race bikes and schedules in order. Along the way the team also managed to shoot their team photos and entertain the media who were invited to the camp for a team meet & greet. The media day included a casual bike ride among the vineyards that make-up the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley locale.
In addition to the four Trek VW riders, the camp was also lucky to have Travis Brown in attendance. Named to the original team back in 1996, Travis was a Trek VW star for eight years before he made the transition to being a Trek R&D rider. With two NORBA titles to his credit, Travis has a wealth of technical and racing knowledge that makes him an invaluable asset to the team.
Not only were team mechanics Zack Vestal and Dave Meadows kept busy building the fleet of team bikes which for 2006 include the Trek Top Fuel, Fuel EX and Elite 9.9 hardtail, but they also had the opportunity to build-up a 2007 pre-production prototype Top Fuel 8 that had just been built at the Trek factory in Waterloo for Chris Eatough to begin testing. Everyone in attendance was excited at the look of the new bike which is still to change prior to the final production version due in the fall. Chris plans to race the bike at the upcoming Sea Otter Classic with an as yet unseen 2007 Shimano XTR drivetrain.
Prior to flying off for a three week stint of races which include a warm-up race in Puerto Rico, the UCI World Cup opener on the island of Curacao and the Sea Otter, each team rider sat down for an hour long meeting with team manager Jon Posner and team director Zapata Espinoza to prioritize their schedule for the year ahead. Every rider is in prime physical form, they like their bikes and they each have a winning record to build on.
Key events for the team this year include the Sea Otter Classic, selected UCI World Cups, the NORBA Finals at Mammoth Mountain, the 24 Hour Nationals in Wisconsin, and of course, the 24 Hour world championships where not only will Chris Eatough be heading out for his seventh consecutive title (seventh!!), but where he might also be joined by teammate Sue Haywood gunning for her first title.
From the looks of it, the Trek VW team appears to be on track for another successful season of racing ? a season that will mark the tenth anniversary of participation not only for title sponsor Volkswagen, but for our primary component sponsors: Shimano and Rock Shox.
The Trek VW team would like to thank the ?Decade Team? as well as all our other sponsors (Nike, Cytomax, Bontrager, AMD, JBL, Light & Motion, Cane Creek, Pedros, IMBA, and Wrench Force) for making this race season possible.
Look forward to more team reports as the race season officially kicks-off in the days following camp.
Introducing the 2006 Trek VW racing team (l-r): Sue Haywood, Chris Eatough, Jeremiah Bishop, Lea Davison.
Chris Eatough found a friend in the new trailer graphics which pay homage to his incredible feat of winning six consecutive 24 hour world championships ? each one aboard a Trek Fuel.
Jeremiah Bishop is poised to once again capture some NORBA National podiums this year as he starts to focus on the UCI World Championships, and ultimately, the 2008 Olympics in China. In tribute to all those who came before him, Jeremiah Bishop broke out a Trek uniform from 1996 ? ten years of racing and winning!
New Trek VW recruit Lea Davison is settling in comfortably with her first professional team. The 2005 U-23 national champ hopes to build her strength and race savvy this under the tutelage of Sue Haywood.
Already a two-time NORBA national champion, Sue Haywood is looking to diversify her racing effort this year by possibly adding a 24 hour solo title to her long list of racing accomplishments which include numerous XC, SXC, and Super-D national wins.
Back in 1993, Travis Brown was the first Pro mountain bike racer Trek hired. For 2006, ?The Man in Black? will reprise his role as racer/product developer as he?s moved off the official team and into an on-going role working for Trek?s product development group. Still a racer at heart, Travis intends to defend his NORBA marathon title.
Ready to win!
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