Philip Buys, one of South Africa’s most successful mountain bike racers, will continue to lead the SCOTT LCB Factory Racing professional mountain bike team in 2016. But being an Olympic year, the team will have dual objectives.
Buys will spend the first third of the year focussing on XCO racing with the objective of being selected to represent South Africa at the Rio Olympics. Should he be selected, that will remain his focus.
As a result of Buys’s Olympic qualification focus, there will be only one SCOTT LCB Factory Racing team at the 2016 Absa Cape Epic in March. This team will comprise Beukes and Heyns, who will aim to win the African Team competition, for the team, for a fourth consecutive year.
Photo: Nick Muzik
Beukes and Heyns won the African Team competition in 2014 when they rode as the back-up team to Buys and his Swiss teammate, Nino Schurter. Both of the other wins came from Buys and Beukes (2013 and 2015).
Ruan Lochner, a member of the team’s support set-up for some time, is now the team manager, a new full-time position.
“I have been working with the SCOTT LCB Factory Racing team on a temporary basis since 2014 and got to know all the riders personally. I am really thrilled to join this outfit full time and together we plan to achieve even bigger goals,” said Lochner.
SCOTT Sports Africa will remain the team’s title sponsor, bicycle and gear supplier with continued investment from LCB (Lead Crystal Batteries). Support sponsors include Cadence nutrition, Maxxis tyres, Look pedals, SRAM components, Kalas cycling wear, Stages Power Meters, Nike eyewear and Liqui Moly bicycle lubricants.
“There is often a lot of movement of riders between teams when a new year starts, but we had no reason whatsoever to make any changes to our team for 2016. The riders are responsible, talented, focussed and really great brand ambassadors, which is mostly what a sponsor wants,” said Phillip Erasmus, Marketing Manager at SCOTT Sports Africa.
“Obviously podium finishes and wins are also important. With the security of the same team set-up, the riders can simply focus on preparing for their various personal objectives and the team’s goals in 2016. Having the best possible bikes and equipment is also essential at this level and we are looking forward to seeing a lot more success on the SCOTT Spark and SCOTT Scale models the team will be racing this year,” added Erasmus.
For full rider profiles and more information on the SCOTT LCB Factory Racing Team, visit www.africanmtbteam.com. Follow the team’s racing news on Twitter via @AfricanMTBteam.
