Marzocchi had an up-and-down year in America that began with the mass exodus of its top management and ended with a reorganization that included a new manufacturing partner (Hodaka) and the addition of long-time suspension specialist Anthony Trujillo as general manager.
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This turmoil created a distraction from the impressive results that Marzocchi-suspended riders accomplished during the 2012 race season. The following is a recap from Marzocchi of what their riders threw down during 2012.
MARZOCCHI: A SEASON AT THE TOP
From the victory at the Marathon World Championship to the first place achieved in the overall UCI Gravity Team ranking, the 2012 season has brought about great satisfaction to the Italian brand. Such success came thanks both to the rider’s skill level and the high quality of the suspension.
The most recent success arrived at the beginning of the last October, close to Ornas (France), where the last run of the World Marathon Championship took place. The race, vied in the worst weather and course conditions, was won by the Greek
Periklis Ilias, who runs in the Italian team Protek, already winner, during the season, of an UCI Marathon Series stage, in Laissac. Periklis is equipped with Marzocchi Corsa SL Carbon 29” fork, provided with MWorks setup. But the Marathon isn’t the only sport which gave strong results. In fact, thanks to the partnership with the MS Mondraker team, in the 2012 Marzocchi came back to victories in the Downhill competitions. The Austrian team has gained no less than 4194 points during the season, conquering the top of the ranking in the UCI Championship in the Gravity category. The team has reached big success covering this path, as Emmeline Ragot’s victory in Fort William in June or Brook MacDonald’s triumph in Val d’Isère at the end of July.
Michal Prokop got 2nd in the overall 4-Cross UCI ranking and won the world cup race in Fort William; the young Thanée Seagrave confirmed herself as one of the growing talents of the UCI Downhill Championship (2nd UCI Junior Downhill Champs at Leogang), while the acrobatic Thomas Genon surprised everybody conquering successes such as the first place at the Red Bull Joyride, during the Crankworx held in August in Whistler (Canada), which, at the end of the season, contributed in gaining him the third overall position in the FMB World Tour ranking. Honorable mention for Andreu Lacondeguy and Sam Pilgrim, who also realized a series of good placing in the slopestyle competitions. In the women’s field, the young Anoshina Katerina, part of the Protek team, conquered the first position in the first run of the Under23 Cross Country World Cup, held in South Africa on March 17th.
Marzocchi athletes also had a leading role in the national and world cup championships, such as the Italian Superenduro Championship, led by Davide Sottocornola and Andrea Bruno, the US Downhill Champ Jackie Harmony, and the National Gravitalia Championship, where athletes as Oscar Harnstrom and Lorenzo Suding imposed themselves. Other races have to be mentioned, such as the Catalan Downhill Cup, won by the spanish Bernat Guardia, and the Maxiavalanche in Cervina, dominated by Damien Oton. Marzocchi riders who took part to the downhill and cross country competitions used aftermarket products, equal to the ones available to the end user, improved with the MWorks set up.
MWorks: the winning card
MWorks is a set up developed with the Marzocchi Racing Division, in conjunction with the design and engineering team, made available to our elite level racers in 2012 and, starting in 2013, to the end consumer. When considering the rider’s weight, riding style and course conditions, we are able to tune for an optimum setting that results in the best possible bump absorption and wheel tracking to keep you at speed and confident on your bike! MWorks is a culmination of many successful years from a variety of technical staff working together for the same goal – your best experience on the bike. MWorks is an evolving program and approach that will change as we develop new technologies and we all push ourselves further and farther on the trail! The most important thing is that MWorks makes it to you. We have a reputation for our suspension being the most race ready out-‐of-‐the-‐box and this is because what we learn through the MWorks program we make sure becomes production. From improved negative springs in our AER system for a more linear air spring curve to the re-‐shimmed V.2 piston, we make sure the consumer benefits from the hard efforts our technical staff and elite racers endure.
About Marzocchi
Few names could boast about a heart beating tradition as Marzocchi does. Founded in 1949, the company has been leading for more than 60 years in the field of projecting and producing forks and shocks. Starting from the fifties, Marzocchi began to be recognized as one of the most important suppliers for those eminent motorcycle brands as Ducati, Mondial and Benelli. The company has never stopped and has always been a step ahead his competitors, being leaded by such worths as passion, curiosity and pride, always aiming to the maximum quality and innovation. Starting from September 1st 2008, Marzocchi’s suspension division is part of Tenneco, a US industrial group operating globally. The competencies coming from the two companies merged up, giving birth to the Tenneco Marzocchi S.r.l.
About Tenneco
Tenneco is a $7.2 billion global manufacturing company with headquarters in Lake Forest, Illinois and approximately 24,000 employees worldwide. Tenneco is one of the world largest designers, manufacturers and marketers of emission control and ride control products and systems for the automotive and commercial vehicle original equipment markets and the aftermarket. Tenneco markets its products principally under the Monroe®, Walker® and Clevite® Elastomer brand names.