Troupe Racing Co.

The Southern California mountain bike team Troupe Racing Company is please to announce their 2010 season line-up. This marks the third year for the amateur team which competes in all forms of cross country racing.

Team Captain Tim VanGilder said that the response from Troupe’s second year from both the riding community and sponsors has been beyond expectations. “We’re definitely growing. Our website is getting more and more followers, and our team has become a legitimate part of Southern California’s racing scene. Our goal will be to continue to build a small and unique group similar to a pro team. We’re amateurs, but we try to present ourselves with a bit of professional style. That takes work, but in the end, its actually a lot fun and adds something special to our team’s brand. We’re very active in sharing our rides and races online, too – we hope that helps inspire others to get into racing.”

Troupe had a solid performance in 2010 with team members consistently on the podium in events from XC races to 24 hour solo events. “We win some, we loose some. We take all races seriously, but in the end, we’re racing bikes and enjoying the spirit of competition,” Tim added. 

Like the previous seasons, the 2010 race schedule will reflect the team’s interest in endurance racing. Members have their sights set on events like the Warriors’ Society Vision Quest / Counting Coupe, solo and team entries in the 12 Hours of Temecula series, 24 Hours of Adrenaline events, races in the 100 mile National Ultra Endurance (NUE) series, the Leadville 100, and a host of cross country races like Sea Otter Classic and the U.S. Cup/Mountain Bike Race League events in SoCal.

Sponsors

Part of Troupe’s unique presence is their sponsor line-up. “Each sponsor is carefully chosen based on the quality of their products and our experiences with them. We believe that all our sponsors help to build our image, so it’s important that they have a unique presence, too. We like unexpected brands that also represent premium products,” Tim said. “We’re happy that our sponsors wanted to continue with us. We’re very fortunate to work with great people who like what we’re doing and want to be a part of it” he added.

The team is happy to have Santa Cruz back with their Blur XC carbon frames. The newly designed X-Fusion Velvet and O2-RC suspension will compliment the frames perfectly. “We’ve been on this set up for a while now, and it is exactly what we want. The new Velvet forks are amazing. The carbon Blur with the Velvet fork is going to be a fantastic bike” Tim said. Crankbrothers also continues with the team and will supply pedals, directsets, and their new Cobalt xc wheelsets. The bikes will also be set up with Formula brakes. “The R1 brakes are incredibly light and easy to work with. We’re excited to be starting a relationship with them” said team rider Michelle VanGilder on the new partnership with Formula. Hutchinson is a new partner for this year and will be the team’s official tire sponsor. “We’re really exited to have such a variety of tires to choose from for all our different conditions” added Tim. Australian based Knog will provide a variety of lights, softgoods, and the gloves. “Knog is one of those companies that we’re really excited to have back. They’re totally unexpected for xc racing, but they design awesome lights and products,” Tim said. To keep the bikes comfortable during those midnight laps, Troupe chose f’izi:k saddles and Ergon grips. “Ergon has been with us since the beginning, and we really like being part of their team”. The team’s kit, which will again be produced by Hincapie Sportswear, is a big part of the team’s presentation. “The Hincapie gear is just awesome. The detail and quality of their clothing is like none other. They are our first choice for our kits” Tim said. Lazer helmets completes the look of the team with their new Nirvana XC helmet. Fuel is provided by endurance nutrition power-house, Hammer Nutrition. “We’ve all been using Hammer for quite a while now, and the guys at Hammer have been really great to work with” added Tim. Troupe partnered with a company called Sqivvy, who makes portable foldable changing tents. “Being efficient at races goes beyond just riding. It’s nice to have a bit of comfort when getting geared up or changing jerseys or shorts during a 24 hour race. Sqivvy helps us get changed quickly, easily and anywhere” said Tim. Soigneur is a new company in athletic skin care. Created by a designer/cyclist in Michigan, they will supply Troupe with embrocation and chamois creme. Finally, Lynda Wallenfels and LW Coaching will be working with the team to refine training and focus their performances for specific events. “We’ve been aware of Lynda for a long time, and have always thought it would be great to work with her someday. She coaches many riders that we are fans of, so we feel fortunate to have her on our side coaching us and working with our individual needs” explained Tim.

Riders

The 2010 team will consist of 13 comprised of riders from past teams as well as some that are new to the squad. Jeff Resnick, Mykyta Yurtyn, Charlie Gilmore and Tom Robe join this years team. “Each year, we ask only a few riders to join us. These new riders share our beliefs on what riding for a team is all about. They are strong riders at races and also represent us on the trail by leading group rides within our area’s riding community” said Tim.

2010 Roster

Michelle VanGilder, Mission Viejo, CA
Laura Knight, Costa Mesa, CA
Monica Zorilla, Aliso Viejo, CA
Jeff Resnick, Costa Mesa, CA
Mykyta Yurtyn, Mission Viejo, CA
Randy Profeta, Irvine, CA
Ben Blank, Wildomar, CA
Tim VanGilder, Mission Viejo, CA
Kevin Akerman, Ladera Ranch, CA
Damon Mann, Ladera Ranch, CA
Roy Alvarado, Lake Forest, CA
Charlie Gilmore, Torrance, CA
Tom Robe, Laguna Hills, CA