Pivot's Mitch Delfs On Board deity!

We recently teamed up with the Lex/Pivot Race Team to support some of their riders with a focus on Australia's Mitch Delfs. Racing the full circuit...Pivot Team Manager Mathieu Dupelle sent us an update from the road:

The first ever Leogang, Austria World Cup took place this past weekend, and team Lex / Pivot cycles had an interesting weekend. Both Mitch Delfs (AUS) and Kyle Strait (USA) made it through qualifying and into the finals. Will Rischbeith is still suffering the effects of a back injury received at the Slovenia round and hopefully be fully recovered soon.

The track in Leogang was fast and rough, with some extremely steep, technical sections separated by long, flat pedalling sections, testing all riders fitness as well as their talent in the roots and mud. The predicted rain finally arrived on Saturday, and turned the track into a slippery, mud clogged mess. Huge braking bumps and holes developed as practice progressed and made just getting down some of the sections a challenge, let alone doing it fast.

In qualifying, Strait held together a good safe run for 40 th place, and Delfs was 48th. Come finals, both would go off just following the last showers of the day, as the mud started to get thick and make things interesting.

The big American wound up in 39th place, with a 4:24.02, 18.37 seconds back from the lead. He was pleased with his result, but had hoped for more.

"My run was awesome, not quite though. I was having fun in practice, loads of fun. I was doing great in practice, just didn't have quite what I thought I had for here. I had a good time. I gotta get used to these European roots a bit more. The new Pivot Phoenix DH bike feels great. I am looking forward to another rain race so I can get another under my belt. I can probably count on that in Champery, I hear."

Delfs had a great run going, riding as loose as always when he went over the bars and under the tape. He rejoined the track and completed his run, with a 4.23.98 time and wuld have been 34th, but it was later deemed that he had come out from under the tape in a different location than he had originally crossed it, and the UCI gave him a DSQ for the weekend, despite the opposite decision in both previous rounds to 2 top 5 riders.

"The track was madly wild. Huge holes, you had to sort of pick your line and lean back. I blew one bit at the top which ruined my whole run. Then I went over the bars in the woods a bit. I'm just happy to get down in one piece. Now I'm off to Bromont to learn to ride bikes and get better! The new bike is sick and it handles big holes and holes everywhere. It's short enough to get in and out of the turns quick. It's the perfect bike really!"

The team now heads to Bromont, Canada for a few weeks of training and relaxation before re-grouping for the next round in Champery, Switzerland end of July. Kyle will be attending the us national champs in Colorado mid july.