Gstaad-SCOTT Welcomes Neko Mulally
2015 sets a new era in the history of GSTAAD-SCOTT. The team is becoming both a bit leaner and more international.
Neko Mulally has joined Brendan Fairclough to form the new Gstaad-SCOTT, and while you are reading this the two are already working on the new bike setup together with SCOTT and FOX. Both will be riding the 2015 SCOTT Gambler 710 with FOX as the suspension sponsor and components from Schwalbe, DT Swiss, Shimano, Syncros, E*Thirteen.
 | Working with Neko has been amazing right from the start. I couldn't believe how clear, straight forward and target-oriented this young fellow is, and how easily he has made things happen to get going with the bike testing. I can't wait to go to the World Cups with Brendan and Neko, and to see them chase each other down the mountain. - Team manager Claudio Caluori |
| Neko is surprisingly professional at his young age. We are making big progress with regards to the product development since he has come on board as he gives us very specific feedback on what we can improve. - Sports director Cyril Lagneau |
Neko, coming off a great season last year has been quite eager to share the news.
| I am so stoked to finally announce my new ride! I have put in the hours on this bike, and I really feel like it suits my riding style very well. Continuing on with FOX and many other sponsors that I am familiar with, along with great communication between SCOTT, the team, and myself has made the transition easy. Riding alongside Brendan will be sick- I think we are both going to have a great time and kick some ass this year! - Neko Mulally |
| It's great to have another top rider on the team. We have already had a great time riding and hanging out in France during preseason together and are looking forward to a great race season ahead. Neko has a good relationship with FOX and an extremely professional attitude towards racing- hoping that can help us both get the results we want and make this bike and team the fastest on the circuit. - Brendan Fairclough |
We’ve re-structured the team in order to increase the efficiency within the team and also to intensify the cooperation with our existing partners in order to get the maximum out of the relationships and to provide the best environment possible for athletes and sponsors.
Emilie Siegenthaler, Patrick Thome and Noel Niederberger have gone in different directions in 2015 and we wish them nothing but the best.
Images by Brice Shirbach and Hansueli Spitznagel
Many thanks for the growing support from all of our partners:
GSTAAD, SCOTT, FOX, Velosolutions, Schwalbe, DT Swiss, Shimano, Syncros, E*Thirteen!
Let’s get this season started!
MENTIONS @SCOTT-Sports @foxracingshox @claudiocaluori @schwalbe @shimano
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Member since May 29, 2013
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So no, warm fuzzies does not pay the bills, but a successful WC team for sure sells a hellovalots of bikes - so why not enforce some rules to enforce a development and inclusion that would benefit the sport as a whole? For some reason, an increasing female market share might sell more bikes, and if not, well, the top ladies are pretty damn good these days. That less skilled females would get sponsorships in the short term is a side effect, but now female world champions are dropped and need to actively solicit sponsorships to even stay in the sport. Pity.
And no, the observation is aimed at the sport in general, not exclusively Claudio. For instance - when did the Syndicate last sponsor a female rider?
If I remember, they were also the first to use, unofficially, Santa Cruz's 27.5 frames.
I'd say that's a lot more than many larger companies do. Not that it's a complete reason to not fund a professional woman downhill rider, but I'd say it's quite the financial undertaking.
Owning a sister company, or producing a female specific line of bikes, is by no means a SC specific endeavor - Giant does the same - and a lot of other bike companies have gone down the same route and then stopped doing it - probably as they have figured that is just makes limited sense. While sponsoring female riders is commendable and what i want to achieve, the entire Juliana line of bikes and their approach is somewhat flawed imo in regards to the point i am making above.
Their frames are as far as i know completely stock SC frames - albeit in other more feminine colors - and the entire product line is set up to create a marketable product for females while selling pretty pricy products indeed as a part of a female community. While separating the male and female product lines makes some sense from a marketing point of view, the actual difference in componentry and shock tunes are minimal. So no - i think selling regular frames geared at all riders while giving broad support and exposure to female riders through integration on the same team as the men, will do vastly more than the Juliana marketing ploy will ever do. (ok, ploy is a bit unfair as Juliana supposedly is an all lady outfit - if you neglect the SC footprint in it)
My point is, putting a female on the Syndicate team and giving here the proper marketing exposure would do heaps more for the female side of the sport than a purely sales motivated pitch to create a "female bike community" with a ridiculously pricy entry point.Personally, i find it somewhat pitiful that such high exposure and well financed teams as Specialized and Syndicate are yet to support female riders, while to their credit, at least the Scott team used to be best in the class in that regard...
sorry for the long winded reply
and TWR is part of Fox RAD program.
as far as i know, Gstaad is not part of Fox RAD program. (CMIIW)
and the the first photo shows us, neko has his fox air RAD proto rear shock and so the 3rd photo with fox DHX coil RAD (or whatever it is).
My question is, whether Gstaad was already a part of Fox RAD program?
or only neko himself stayed with Fox RAD program?
Best regards.
this is a major step backward.
good luck neko, you are gonna need it.
The Scott in its current form is not as fast (now I never said good) as other bikes.
good means many things.
The commence V3 and turner dhr are better bikes (more fun) than the scalp, but the scalp is just faster. (Well for me in timing anyway).
Also, winning in the WC is more about the rider being able to get through it than riding on whatever bike ..
It's the riders that bade the bike bon=t..
Anyone know where Emily and Patrick are headed?
Oh wait, no... we all knew :p
That.