News

Cannondale-Sponsored Epic Pro Cycling Team Takes Home First Win of the Season

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:25:38 +0000

The Gear Movement / Epic Pro cycling team took home the win at the 13th-Annual 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo Race this past weekend in Arizona, overcoming world-class competition from the Kona Factory Racing team to set a record-breaking 23 laps in the four-man open category.

The team rode their SRAM-equipped Cannondale Flash and Scalpel mountain bikes through each of the flat and smooth 16.1 mile cactus-lined laps. It took the team of Jordan Williford, Sam Morrison, Bryan Alders and Chris Baddick most of the evening to close the 1-hour gap to the race leaders, but once they took the lead, there was no turning back.

Adler joked after the race, "I'm sure the Kona guys wished they were riding a 17 lb Flash!"

The Gear Movement/Epic Pro Cycling is sponsored by: Epic Pro Cycling, Gear Movement, Cannondale Bicycles, Schwalbe, SRAM, Carborocket and Honey Stinger.

For more information on the team, visit www.epicprocycling.com

Day 4 of La Ruta: Rough Road to the Finish.

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 14:33:37 +0000

And that's a wrap!

It was not a fairy-tale year for Cannondale Factory Racing riders, Ben Sonntag and Alex Grant. Last year, the riders took the top-2 positions. This year, 7th and 8th Overall. Ever the professionals, the athletes congratulated this year's champions and celebrated their successful completion of the brutal event.

One of the most challenging races on the planet, La Ruta incorporates an un-godly amount of climbing, with many teetering over 23% gradient. Add deep mud, river crossings and other unforeseen obstacles, and you have a truly epic event.

Next year, we see the black and green back on top!

Sonntag maneuvers a challenging climb.

Grant lifts his featherweight Scalpel for another river crossing on Day 4.

Day 3 of La Ruta: Conquer the Volcano

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 13:27:48 +0000

Day 4 of La Ruta de los Conquistadores brought more challenges, this time around, in the form of a Volcano.

Grant was without his trusty teammate, Ben Sonntag, all day as the 2010 race leader had a rough 24 hours.

"All I can say is that I finished today," Said Sonntag. "I had some stomach issues last night and this morning. I was hoping it wouldn't effect me, butthehre was a big hollow of emptiness in my legs today and I had to soft-pedal." Despite the sickness, Sonntag holds the 9th place position in the General Classification.

Riding solo proved challenging for Grant, as did his foreigner status. "With all the mud and fog, it was hard to let it rip on the descents. The leaders put a few minutes on me - local knowledge helps," he said.

As a side note, the Cannondale Factory Racing crew is accompanied by Cannondale Sales Representative, Matt Ohran. He has been providing race support and traversing the course aboard a rickety motorcycle with tires that are most definitely not made for mud. "There are many places that are not passable. There is slippery mud everywhere. I have to figure out how to get around and hook back onto the course. I got lost twice today...In the jungle of Costa Rica."

Check out the video of Day 3 here:

Stay tuned for tomorrow's video and update!

Grant tearing it up on one of the road climb portions.

Powerful legs, powerful bike.

Going up. Again.

Day 2 of La Ruta: Better Together

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:51:09 +0000

Day 2 was all about teamwork at La Ruta. Ben Sonntag, 2010 champion, suffered a crash early on in stage 1, leaving him in 10^th place at the end of the first day. Teammate, Alex Grant had a rough day as well, but still managed a 5^th place finish.

As is the CFR way, teamwork proved the best tactic. Sonntag put in big efforts with Grant and the two made up time, finishing in 5^th and 6^th position, respectively, on stage 2, moving them to the 6^th and 8^th place positions in the General Classification.

Day 2 featured more brutal climbs, many greater than 23% grade. Most of the riders opted to go without helmet cams or even additional water bottles or packs until later aid stations, simply to limit the amount of weight carried going up the mountainous climbs.