A perfect start for the CANYON Factory Enduro Team

Fun, freedom and action: Enduro is mountain biking in its purest form. So it’s no surprise that the newly founded CANYON Factory Enduro Team is keen on starting the season!

Last weekend, the French downhill world champion Fabien Barel, the Scottish bike pro Joe Barnes and the top German riders Marco Buehler, Eugen-Maxi Dickerhoff and Ines Thoma started together for the first time – with outstanding results.

In the second race of the Specialized-SRAM Enduro Series in Riva del Garda (ITA) Fabien secured first place in the Men’s category and Ines confidently achieved second place in the Women’s category. Furthermore, the CANYON Factory Enduro Team won the team trophy. Their brand new video clip introduces the team

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gh3R2nlqGY&t=31[/youtube]

The CANYON Factory Enduro Team has been training hard during the off-season in preparation for the 2013 Enduro World Series. Fabien Barel will lead his German teammates Marco Buehler, Eugen-Maxi Dickerhoff and Ines Thoma, sharing his experience and inspiring them to achieve excellence. We can also expect to see Scotsman Joe Barnes build upon his very competitive Enduro skills. Together with Fabien, the two highly enthused athletes will form an unbeatable duo that will lead the CANYON Factory Enduro Team. Fabien Barel is also an educated engineer and has great technical knowledge and skills; this is of great value to CANYON and the development team looks forward to receiving his input.

The team has high hopes for a successful season. The CANYON Factory Enduro Team manager Flo Goral is confident that the chemistry between the riders will have a positive outcome: “I would like to see the debut of the Enduro World Series reflects the ‘soul’ of the Enduro discipline”, says Flo Goral. “For our riders, this means full concentration when they are in the saddle, but it is also important to have fun during the race and the social gatherings.”

This approach appears to be conducive for the athletes. So far they have proven their talent and commitment during the intense training and challenging races. However, at the same time they are enjoying the experience and looking forward to the rest of the upcoming season. On the front line is 32-year-old Frenchman Fabien Barel. The former downhill rider has shown great diversity and skill. He was three times downhill world champion and placed first in his first Enduro race mid-April: In Digne-les-Bains, at the Enduro des Terres Noires race. Moreover, Fabien could not have had a better start at the Specialized-SRAM Enduro Series 2013, finishing first in Riva del Garda. Fabien´s accomplishments are likely to place him as one of the main contenders in the Enduro World Series.

Scottish rider Joe Barnes also has a strong character. The 24-year-old is a member of the unbeatable ‘Dudes of Hazzard’, who already caused a stir in the Enduro scene last year. Furthermore, since 2010 Joe has won the Irish Gravity Enduro Series, the Scottish MacAvalanche twice and placed tenth two times at Megavalanche Alpe d’Huez. In 2013, Joe reached second place in the Men’s category at Specialized-SRAM Enduro Series in Treuchtlingen. Like Fabien, before Joe’s Enduro career he had great achievements as a downhill rider and is two-time Scottish downhill champion.

Likewise, top German riders Marco Buehler, Eugen-Maxi Dickerhoff and Ines Thoma are no strangers in the scene. 23-year-old Ines is currently one of the fittest and fastest female riders in Germany and was repeatedly standing on podiums throughout the 2012 season. Among other victories last year, she won the Specialized Enduro Ride in Willingen and the Dakine Trailfox Flims. So far this year, Ines has achieved second place in the Women’s category at the second race of the Specialized- SRAM Enduro Series in Riva del Garda.
Eugen-Maxi Dickerhoff has been well-known for years in the gravity field and also works as a journalist. He has achieved high ranked results at the Dakine Trailfox Flims and was consistently placing within the top ten over the last four years.
At only 20 years of age, Marco Buehler is the youngest member of the team. Over the past few years he has demonstrated great commitment and determination. His best result to date is third place at Crema Cycle Short Track in Willingen, 2012.

The first season of the Enduro World Series is still being eagerly awaited and it is not possible to predict which riders will have the edge. But one thing is certain: The CANYON Factory Enduro Team is well prepared and positioned for a successful season!

For further information, interviews and pictures of Fabien, Joe, Ines, Maxi and Marco, please go to http://blog.canyon.com, for details about Canyon visit www.canyon.com, follow Canyon on Facebook at www.facebook.com/canyon, on Twitter via https://twitter.com/pure_cycling or check out Canyon on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/purecycling.