Banshee Bikes (www.bansheebikes.com) and Team Geronimo (www.geronimoracing.com) are both pleased to announce their new partnership for the 2010 race season. 2009 isn’t even a memory yet, but Jay MacNeil, General Manager of Banshee Bikes, and Team Geronimo are busy preparing for a jump start on 2010 – ready to hit the National, International, and World Cup race circuits on Banshee’s new Legend Mk II DH bike and Rampant 4X bike.
Banshee Bikes is amped on teaming up with Team Geronimo for the 2010 season and beyond.
The Mk I, which was not available to the public, has completed 2 seasons of testing and 4 years in development, culminating in the introduction of the lighter, faster and more racer-dialed Mk II version. This is one screaming fast rig, and Team Geronimo is stoked about the upcoming season.
The Banshee Legend Mk I
“Its great to find such an amazing group of riders that have in their hearts the same spirit and passion for mountain bikes and the sport. It’s like an extended part of our family and I can’t wait to spend time hanging out and hanging on as I try to keep up with them out on the trails” says Jay MacNeil.
Team Geronimo is not a new team – they’ve been steadily gaining steam over the last two race seasons, but their all-star lineup has expanded by three riders for 2010. Brothers Michael and Brian Buell, of Colorado, have been holding the team together since its inception in 2008, and racking up some fierce results. Now they are joined by Rachel Bauer of Utah, Colorado, California (and everywhere else her travels take her with fiancé Troy Walch), Graeme Pitts of California, and Cody Eichhorn of Australia.
No stranger to athletic competition, Rachel Bauer has been at the top of her game in Women’s Collegiate Track and Field and Cross Country for Fresno State University, and Alpine Ski Racing at the Pro level in both National and International competitions. She exploded on the gravity mountain biking scene in 2007, kicking butt and taking names. 2008 1st Overall Mountain States Cup Series, 2009 Colorado State Champion, 2009 2nd Overall Mountain States Cup Series, 3rd in both DH and 4X at the 2009 Pan Am Continental Championships in Chile, and 1st Angel Fire Pro Gravity Tour #2 are a few of her recent accomplishments. On the podium at Pan Am Champs, her Chilean competitor called her “vicious”. Don’t let that sweet smile fool you.
Rachel Bauer
According to Rachel, who raced for Banshee in 2009, “The Legend Mk I was an incredible and reliable bike to race – no mechanical issues and maintained throughout the entire season. Rampant was equally stable in 4X and DS, and it was a great training bike prior to the race season. There was instantly a level of comfort and familiarity that came with the Rampant, and when the Mk I came out, I was ecstatic!”
The Buell Brothers come as a pair - they are the brother team in the Rockies. Michael Buell is the senior brother, and lays claim to having competed in 3 World Cup DH races at Andorra, Fort William and Monte Sainte Anne, as well as many other National and International races. A consistent top 10 finisher pre-2009, Michael’s 2009 season suffered from an ankle injury early on, but he managed to make an awesome comeback with a few podium finishes and 4th Overall in the Mountain States Cup Gravity Series. Fully recovered and now relieved of team management by a professional staff, he’s ready to get back to the business of full-time training and racing on his new Banshee rides in 2010. He’s back!
Michael Buell
Brian Buell has frequent flyer status on the podium in the highly competitive Mountain States Cup Gravity Series, with a 2nd Overall finish in 2009. He was 2005 Junior Expert National 4X Champion, 2007 Collegiate National DH Champion, and has mile-long list of National podium finishes since then, including a bronze medal for this year’s 4X National Championships, and 1st place for DS at Colorado Crankworx. His International experience includes 3 World Cup DH races in Andorra, Fort William and Monte Sainte Anne. Better be wearing your sunglasses if he smiles at you, especially in the starting gate! Consistent, strong and great karma (with a capital “K”) – he is one to watch out for in 2010.
Brian Buell
Graeme Pitts is the baby in the group. At 19, he competed in the Pan Am Continental Championships in Chile, came home with UCI points, and pulled off a reputable rookie Pro year with a number of top 10 finishes against some tried and true competitors. In 2008, he was part of the formidable posse of the USA Junior Worlds Team in Italy after only 3 months in the Junior Expert class. Pitts will be spending the early part of 2010 in Australia with teammate Cody Eichhorn and his compadres. When the US race season starts, he will already have gotten into race mode at the Australian National Series, training with their top gravity riders.
Graeme Pitts
Cody Eichhorn - the wild card addition to the team from the Land of Oz. He will arrive from down under ready to race his first Sea Otter Classic – Eichhorn has been dreaming of spending his birthday at Sea Otter for a few years, and now it’s becoming reality. Managing to complete Uni (as University is called in Oz) while still racking up a huge list of podium finishes, Team Geronimo’s new Aussie competed in 2008 World Championships in 4X, a number of World Cup Races, Kokanee Crankworx, and was invited back to Worlds this year,
but was too busy traveling and racing with Pitts in the US of A. He took California by storm, acing out Eric Carter and Rich Houseman in the first round of 4X at Cal State Champs at Mammoth Mountain. He brings the Aussie flair and is an all around crowd pleaser.
Cody Eichhorn
Team Geronimo is also parent to an awesome Junior Development Team based out of Aspen Valley, Colorado. Managed by Brandon Turman, it is a collection of some of the hottest young talent in The Rockies and they are being mentored with Junior World Championships as the objective.
Plans are already in the works for Team Geronimo’s collaboration with The Wounded Warrior Project – returning, injured soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan who are regaining their passion for life through bicycles. The team is working with WWP organizers to schedule coaching clinics and entertainment with these worthy riders who put themselves in harm’s way so we can all keep living our dream.
The Fall is traditionally time for sponsors to make choices; Team Geronimo shares that odious task and will announce the rest of its line up soon. Anyone interested in seeing their products on Team Geronimo/Banshee should contact racegeronimo@aol.com
