Video: What's Behind - Cannondale Factory Racing in California

May 7, 2015 at 14:31
by Cannondale Bikes  
Cannondale Factory Racing (CFR) enters its 7th season of racing the World Cup scene and still follows the approach it was founded on: Perform on the highest level of the sport and have a ton of fun while doing so. #WHATSBEHIND is a video series that takes you behind the scenes and behind the bike for 2015.

#WHATSBEHIND Cannondale Factory Racing - Episode 1 California

by Cannondale
Views: 10,166    Faves: 18    Comments: 0

Episode 1 sees Cannondale Factory Racing spending most of their spring in Southern California for the US Cup Races in the Los Angeles area. CFR Veterans, Manuel Fumic and Marco Fontana come off a great 2014 season and share their hunger to get back up on the top steps in this up and coming season. The kiwi Anton Cooper has already spent some time on the podium in the warm "offseason" down under and is hungry for more U23 success this year. Henrique Avancini is the newest member of the team and brings some speed and passion from South America.

Grab your sunscreen and flip flops, its #WhatsBehind Cali style.

Cannondale whatsbehind

Cannondale whatsbehind

While in SoCal the team had the chance to visit with fellow Cannondale rider and MX/SX star Cole Seely. We checked out Cole's private practice track and watched him shred some hot laps as he prepped for his final races of the season. Cole took his first SX win at Houston shortly after, finished in 3rd overall for the series and was chosen as the rookie of the year. This episode gives us just a glimpse of our time with Cole but a separate edit with more throttle and roosts will drop in the next few weeks.

Cole Seely

The same weekend CFR was racing in Fontana, the Nascar Series was in town and we were invited to hit pit road with Cannondale Brand Ambassador Matt Kenseth. You might be surprised but Matt and his team at Joe Gibb's Racing, as well as many others in the Nascar pits are huge fans of riding trails and are always Jonesin' to go for a ride. We gave you just a peek of our time with Matt and our day at the Nascar track but a longer edit will be launched soon telling us more about our visit with the man behind the #20 car.

Cannondale whatsbehind

Episode #2 drops in a few weeks and will feature Manuel Fumic and his prep towards the first European World Cups. Expect some scenic riding, coffee philosophy and an intense #WHATSBEHIND look into what it takes to hang with the XC elite.

Cannondale whatsbehind

Cannondale Factory Racing Roster:

Manuel Fumic - Germany
Marco Fontana - Italy
Henrique Avancini - Brazil
Anton Cooper - New Zealand

Follow Cannondale Factory Racing:

Instagram: @CannondalePro @cannondalefactoryracing
Facebook
Twitter

MENTIONS: @Cannondale


Author Info:
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Member since Jul 22, 2013
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44 Comments
  • 68 10
 Starting to feel like the DH scene is comprised of 75% mindless bro's, and the XC dudes seem to have solid heads on them... bash away folks...
  • 8 42
flag Callum-H (May 12, 2015 at 5:16) (Below Threshold)
 That is because the DH scene is not afraid of having fun and letting people know that they are friends.
  • 14 0
 It is not just a feeling.Big Grin
  • 31 5
 'DH scene' as in, your local 'scene' of non pros (who might be 'quick' but could never qualify for a WC), compared to these consummate professionals? Or the actual pro level 'scene' of DH? Because the pro DH guys are generally professional and certainly not mindless 'bros'.
  • 13 0
 @Callum-H sure looks like these guys are having fun to me.
  • 8 3
 Im talking about the 'scene' as in the general population, not the top 5% of the best riders who ARE true professionals.
Iv ridden a lot of places, and raced in some of the nationals here in canada... i know the scene, iv been apart of it.. this is my 2 ¢
Take it with a grain of salt if you must.
  • 13 0
 Gotcha. Well if it makes you feel any better, both scenes are ripe with tripe, bro's in the endurbro scene, and walking ego's in the other. Par for the course when you get a bunch of males together to compete! Brings out the professional in the best, exposes the rest. Smile
  • 9 0
 Local DH scene anywhere I've been is usually mostly bros. At the pro level, they're different. Local XC/trail guys, the ones who pedal to the top instead of shuttle, have a lot less bros in the population.
  • 3 0
 ^ This. I've only been racing for a little while, but each new style of racing I try there's good and bad
  • 2 1
 Very true.... I guess ill have to spend some more time this summer hanging out with the XC guys to test my stance.
  • 6 2
 The main problem I see in XC is kinda funny but its shaving your legs and I am very against that. I am a high level XC racer and was pressured into shaving my legs countless times during 3 seasons of racing, and I finally had to give in and do it this year. Its a real shame the way XC racers pressure each other to be a certain way...
  • 3 0
 Each field has it's own fools. Based on what I know I fully agree with zion-i about the DH scene. Yet, I know a bit more about the XC field and it is not better, just different . On local races in the like of regional championship you can see guys and girls of all ages putting an insane pressure on themselves. I know a couple of professional XC / enduro-converted riders and they were absolutely amazed by the atmosphere at such events. According to them some racers were even more stressed than at the Worlds. So not all XC folks have solid heads, many (which is far from the majority) give far too much importance to the ranking. But, again, i feel it really depends on where you live, and the races you chose to take part in.
  • 9 0
 @polarproton you nailed it. I have met roadies that were more chill than DH kids. The best thing is to not group MTBers into sections. There are rad dudes and punks in every discipline.

@MTBing101 you are still young, don't give into pressure. Shaved is more aero and many ladies love it too. Wink But there are plenty of hairy legged elite XC riders out there.
  • 8 4
 And on the other hand the XC guys can be kind of snobby/elitist/rigid like road bikers.
  • 11 0
 I've seen very few riders at this level behave like huge babies...no matter the discipline, XC, EndurBro, DH, Cyclocross, the athletes that can make it to this level know that competing isn't about out-doing the guys next to you. It's about outdoing yourself every single day and leaving nothing on the table.

I guarantee any pro xc rider could leave most of you (including me) in the dust down any descent on their hardtail. The coolest thing is that they are well rounded enough to race road competitively and they can hold their own in Enduro easily. Any rider that can make it to this level isn't just an incredible athlete, their mental game is dialed too...they all get my respect!
  • 27 4
 dslfkjsdlkfj ldskfjs



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  • 7 0
 Woops sorry guys how do you delete comments?
  • 5 0
 No, leave it!
  • 3 0
 Maybe mindless – but fun to watch! But seriously, anyone at a high level of competition has a head on their shoulders. Consistency is all mental.
  • 4 0
 there's a-holes in all sports/subcategories of sports. just avoid the douchebags and youll be fine. and let's not forget that us older guys all started riding mtn bikes as "XC" riders if you grew up riding in the 80s and 90s. there was no such thing as DH'ers vs XC'ers. Now i DH XC and endurBro but i really call myself a mtn biker.
  • 35 2
 Guarantee these guys shred harder on high post XC bikes than most people on their DH or AM bike.
  • 5 1
 You should see them on a 160mm too. Dudes are rowdy!
  • 9 1
 In 2011 Julien Absalon raced the Mega in La Réunion. He finished 2nd, just behind Remy. But they sure don't need huge amount of travel to be fast in the downhill!
  • 14 2
 Cannondale has been one of the most initiative bike companies of all time.
  • 2 13
flag KissFortunes (May 12, 2015 at 5:59) (Below Threshold)
 So do Crankbrothers.
  • 17 0
 Like when your pedal slides off the spindle or they send you two left pedals...
  • 10 1
 you Canadians and americans have so much stigma attached to all your mountan biking. bros und hoes.wtf! here in Germany we do all types of riding we all ride together and have a good time....
  • 4 0
 it's not isolated to mtb
#merica
  • 4 0
 Great video. Its nice to see Europeans not just trashing America, but who can appreciate different cultures and ways of doing things.
  • 5 0
 Seems hard to bash on these Xc ers
  • 2 0
 Sick to see they met up with Cole Seely. Dude had a heck of a rookie year. Another video that makes me wish I was Marco and Mani....the skills and the life!
  • 1 0
 Kinda looks like Fontana is right next to Laguna Beach. Don't worry, it's not. Good video. I'm not an XC guy, but I appreciate that side of the sport.
  • 2 0
 they were riding fontana very very quickly
  • 3 0
 YEAH COLE SEELY!
  • 2 0
 He crushed it this year!
  • 1 0
 Nice skills!
好技术！
  • 1 0
 Love these videos
  • 1 1
 Cannondale bike just look crap! Must be no stiffness up front.
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