Liv Cycling Signs Up-and-Coming Athletes to Roster & Registers Only Sanctioned All-Women EWS Team
Savilia Blunk is a U23 cross-country mountain bike athlete
Fourteen-year-old Riley Miller races enduro
Earlier this month, Liv Cycling announced their partnership with the Queen of Pain, Rebecca Rusch. Now, Liv Cycling has revealed the Liv Racing 2020 roster. The brand welcomes up-and-coming mountain bikers athletes Savilia Blunk and Riley Miller as well as triathlete Lisa Tertsch to the team. The three athletes join the 14 women who comprised Liv Racing 2019, all of whom return for 2020.
Savilia Blunk is a U23 cross-country mountain bike athlete who won the 2017 and 2018 National Championships and finished second in 2019. Fourteen-year-old enduro racer, Riley Miller won the 2019 East Coast Junior Mountain Bike Championships, finished second at the EWS80 in Crankworx, Whistler, B.C. and second at the Eastern States Cup Enduro World Series Qualifier in the Pro Women's class.
Started in 2019, there are now 17 women from seven countries on Liv Racing. This includes four women riding on the only sanctioned all-women team in the Enduro World Series. Liv Racing also has two cross country riders competing in the World Cup this year.
Liv Cycling at their launch event in April 2019 at Sea Otter.
Rae Morrison has been a long-time Liv athlete on the EWS circuit.
In 2020, Liv Racing also welcomes new team manager Elizabeth Walker, and returning Liv Racing team mechanic Jessica Brousseau. Walker is a former technical representative for Liv Cycling and mountain bike skills coach for Ladies AllRide and Grit Clinics.
 | We have increased our commitment to Liv Racing by investing in new athletes, additional staff infrastructure, and elevated race support. Athlete feedback is essential to our process of designing and engineering best in class bikes and gear. Each of these women is pushing the limits in her discipline while also furthering Liv’s mission. |
Liv says that the Liv Racing athletes support the brand as product testers. Most recently, the Pique 29, was tested by Liv athlete Kaysee Armstrong. Liv Cycling has designed and engineered more than 50 models from the ground up for women using their 3F philosophy.
| Liv Cycling has been my partner since 2015 and their bikes and gear help me perform at my best. My connection with Liv became even stronger when I was pregnant. They gave me full support and believed in my comeback. Since our daughter was born in January 2018, I’ve had my two best seasons so far. Liv is more than a sponsor -- they offer support for all the women on Liv Racing, bringing out the best in each of us.” |
The full roster for 2020 includes:
● Caroline Washam (Mooresville, North Carolina) – Gravity athlete specializing in downhill and dual slalom
● Rae Morrison (Nelson, New Zealand) - Gravity athlete specializing in enduro
● Leonie Picton (Whistler, BC, Canada) – Gravity athlete specializing in enduro
● Riley Miller (Burke, Vermont) - Gravity athlete specializing in enduro and downhill
● Isabella Naughton (Flagstaff, Arizona) – Gravity athlete specializing in enduro
● Savilia Blunk (Durango, Colorado) – World Cup cross country athlete
● Sandra Walter (Coquitlam, BC, Canada) – World Cup cross country athlete
● Crystal Anthony (Bentonville, Arkansas) – Marathon, cross country, gravel and cyclocross athlete
● Kaysee Armstrong (Knoxville, Tennessee) – Marathon, cross country, gravel and cyclocross athlete
● Serena Bishop Gordon (Bend, Oregon) - Marathon mountain biker, gravel and cyclocross athlete
● Lesley Paterson (San Diego, California) – Off-road XTERRA Triathlete
● Sam Scipio (Chicago, Illinois) – Gravel, cyclocross and adventure cycling athlete
● Lisa Tertsch (Darmstadt, Germany) - ITU World Cup Triathlete
● Radka Kahlefeldt (Queensland, Australia) – Ironman 70.3 Triathlete and former Olympian
● Shirin Gerami (London, England) – Ironman 70.3 Triathlete
● Allysa Seely (Colorado Springs, Colorado) – Paralympic Triathlete
● Ayesha McGowan (Decatur, Georgia) – Road athlete
Learn more about Liv Racing here.
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Nina should have been brought onto the Sydicate instead of the Juliana deal. IMO of course.
With all that said, I'm going to counter your remark above with an equally disingenuous, vapid and inconsequential one of my own: I'll be buying my first premium bike in several years next year; If SC resist the "pressure" of a few keyboard warriors to add a "token" female rider (Token-ality to be decided by me*) to The Syndicate until then, I will purchase whatever the top-spec Megatower (or equivalent) there is at the time.
*My gender is now Ultimate Arbiter of Token Riders, pronouns: Uart, Uarts
I'll even throw in suspension tunes, but that should be based on bike size just as chainstay should.
Interestingly all these things are specific to a rider their size and weight and not how they identify as a human. These are the number one parts that are changed or upgraded on any new bike.
If you really think Juliana became due to a need for female riders you are truly blind to how business works.
I do respect your view, but I can't agree with it.
Lets just agree to be thankful that woman specific frames based on a top tube connected to the BB is a thing of the past. We can leave those to the drunk transients here in Washington. It does make it easier for them to mount their stolen rides after shooting up.
Gravity Athlete. Shes a 14 yr old girl, how much can she possibly weigh? I bet i'm loads heavier. Chalking that up as win for me on the gravity front.