Youth and Glory.
Throwing their weight behind some of the youngest racers on the mountain, RockShox and Trek are proud to announce the RockShox Trek Race Team, showcasing a roster of gravity-focused racers all under the age of 21.
“We’re super excited to take the foundation of this team to the next level by adding new resources and increasing our commitment to winning,” said David Zimberoff, SRAM VP of Marketing.
The team includes two-time UCI Junior Downhill World Champion and World Cup Overall winner Vali Höll, up-and-coming Scottish shredder Jamie Edmondson, twice-crowned Canadian National Junior Downhill Champion Ethan Shandro and the fastest kid in Whistler Mountain Bike Park, 15-year-old Tegan Cruz.
“Trek is thrilled to partner with RockShox and welcome Vali, Jamie, Tegan, and Ethan onto this exciting new team,” said Tim Vanderjeugd, Trek Bicycle Director of Sports Marketing. “These riders will be an important part of the Trek family as they help usher in the next generation of World Cup contenders. We can’t wait to see what they do in the season to come. Bring on 2021!”
Höll and Edmondson will focus on the UCI DH World Cup calendar this season. In addition, the team will fit in Crankworx events along with select Enduro World Series races.
Meet Valentina "Vali" Höll, The World Champ
Höll began racing downhill against the boys as an 11-year-old in Saalbach, Austria, and was told she wouldn’t win … until she did. She kept winning again-and-again, until Höll stood on top of the podium as the 2018 UCI Junior Downhill World Champion. She stood there again after an undefeated season in 2019. This two-time World Cup Overall-winning prodigy is full of optimism and grit heading into her first, full season as an elite. Look for this Austrian force of nature on 2021 podiums worldwide.
“To step up and become more professional with racing, I knew I had to switch something,” Höll said. “I’ve always been on my own so having mentors like Tracy Moseley and Andrew Shandro is pretty cool, along with a bigger platform and more people to ride and train with.”
Meet Jamie Edmondson, The Scotsman
A proud Scot, active trail builder, cat lover, and lifelong racer, Jamie Edmondson does dual duty in both enduro and downhill disciplines. This 19-year-old wet-weather specialist grew up in a little village down the road from Aviemore, Scotland, and is motivated to jump from privateer last year to an integral part of the world’s youngest gravity-fueled elite race team in 2021. “I’m looking forward to being a part of the team and having the support when I need it,” said the affable Scotsman. Jamie will focus his racing on the World Cup circuit mixing in Enduro World Series events along the way.
“I like to feel good on a downhill track. .. you’re on the limit and by the end of the weekend, you’re hitting every turn as fast as you can,” Edmondson said. “I think that’s pretty addictive when you get used to it. That’s what it is for me.”
Meet Ethan Shandro, The Air Apparent
Two-time Canadian National Junior Downhill Champion Ethan Shandro is a familiar name in mountain biking. Shandro’s debut performance as a junior on the World Cup circuit dropped jaws in 2019. After a 2020 season spent dormant and recovering from injury, he is looking to get back on dirt with his fierce-but-fun style of riding. Ethan will continue to focus on his recovery for the time being and look to add regional races when back up to speed.
“Coming into this year, I am looking to get back to 100 percent health wise and spend time with the team in and out of the races,” Shandro said. “I’m stoked to be part of this young team as we head into 2021 and see what we are all capable of. My top goal is to get back to World Cup races.”
Meet Tegan Cruz, The Sea-To-Sky
The Sea-to-Sky region of British Columbia pumps out a bunch of fast kids, but few are as quick as Pemberton’s Tegan Cruz. It helps when you’re raised on a farm with a pump track in the Coast Range’s steepest terrain and a quick drive to the Whistler Mountain Bike Park. Add in a tireless work ethic and a brother who races World Cup, and you have a recipe for success. At 15 years old, the “Tegster” could be Canada’s next rising star. The 2021 race season will see Tegan focus regionally on races within B.C. as well as a few trips to Europe, should travel restrictions allow.
“I feel fortunate and excited to be riding with and learning from a World Champion, as well as teammates who have tasted the World Cup podium,” Cruz said. “Ethan and I have had many great times riding together and traveled a bit over the years. I look forward to bringing a youthful attitude and definitely some laughs and smiles.”
Meet the crew
Mechanical mastermind, Mathieu Gallean is back for more and will support Vali and the rest of the RockShox Trek Race Team in 2021. As the current UCI Masters Downhill World Champion, Gallean plays an integral part of the team and has been a key part to Vali’s success.
“Mat rides similar to me, so he thinks a lot about my bike set-up,” Höll said. “I trust him when trying new things, I just hop on it and it works out. Mat has been my mechanic since my first year of World Cup, 2018.”
JT Evans has worked in the bike industry on and off for 20 years and even pulled wrenches for the legendary John Tomac. He will support all team activities with a specific focus on Jamie Edmondson during World Cup events. Evans has worked as a mechanic with the SRAM TLD Racing team since 2016. He is the father of two well-behaved sons, owns his own design company, and still races his bike from time to time.
“At one point I wanted to be a bike racer, but just didn’t have the head for it,” Evans said. “Being a mechanic is my way of still being around it and being able to contribute to a team. Having been on the other side of it, I understand what the athletes are going through, what they have sacrificed, and what they are trying to accomplish.”
Rounding out the team crew is team physio Phillip Bacher, athlete performance manager Andrew Shandro, and Managing Director John Dawson.
2021 Team Calendar (subject to change)
PRIMARY – UCI DH World Cup
April 24-25: Maribor, Slovenia
May 22-23: Fort William, Scotland
June 12-13: Leogang, Austria
July 3-4: Les Gets, France
Aug. 24-29: World Championships Val di Sole, Italy Sept. 4-5: Lenzerheide, Switzerland
Sept. 18-19: Snowshoe, WV, USA
SECONDARY
National Championships – Austria, Canada, UK
Enduro World Series – Select
CRANKWORX Events – Select
Regional Events – Select
The RockShox Trek Race Team is made possible by:
Title: RockShox – All Suspension, Hydraulic Seat Posts
Co-Title: Trek – Frames
Team Partners:
SRAM – Drivetrain, Brakes
Maxxis – Tires
DT-Swiss – Wheels, Hubs, Spokes
Ergon – Saddles, Grips
Troy Lee Designs – Race Kits, Gloves, Helmets
Equipment Suppliers:
Chris King – Headsets
Quarq – Power Meters
Truvativ – Handlebars, Stems, Seat Posts
Zipp – Road Components
