Atherton Racing Launches New Look and Sponsors For 2009

The Athertons, mountain biking's most famous family, have announced details of their new kit and partners for 2009 which include Animal, Commencal, Nissan and Shimano. Dan, Gee and Rachel Atherton will continue to ride under the name Animal Commencal to reflect its ongoing relationship with the two brands. The team's new look is inspired by Animal's Summer collection which see the lightning bolts of 2008 replaced with Animal’s famous check. Commencal has given the Supreme DH frame a matching makeover with a slightly modified frame for the new season. Bolt on race tuned Fox 40’s and DHX RC 4 shock and the bike will help the team push for podium positions. Nissan is the major new 'off-bike' addition to the team's portfolio and the deal sees the team benefit from using Nissan’s Navara and Pathfinder vehicles. Also, both Rachel and Gee will join Dan on the Nissan Sports Adventure Programme. Shimano Saint will keep the Atherton’s shifting and braking up to speed as the team continues its developments with the brand. Dan, Gee and Rachel will also make use of another Shimano affiliated product range – PRO accessories, who will be supplying handlebars, stems, saddles seatposts and grips to the World Championship-winning family. The Atherton’s will work with Pro on a signature line of products that will become part of the PRO STAR series. The tried and tested products will be launched at Eurobike however expect to see prototypes being used throughout the year. Team director Dan Brown commented: “2008 was a fantastic year which saw the Animal Commencal team pick up a triple win in Andorra, followed by the two rainbow jerseys in Italy and a World Cup title in Austria. Hopefully our new kit and partners will help make 2009 even better. "With Animal and Commencal's continuing support we can really start to focus on our main goals for the year. The World Championships and World Cup overall remain the main competitive goals but we also aim to get people excited about our sport and in turn get more people on bikes." "The development work with Shimano and Fox has had a direct benefit to our results and this is something we are actively getting more involved with this year. Winning can come down to such a small margin that the R&D work behind the scenes really does make the difference. We are just thankful the team we have behind us is on our side!" "We have always used off road vehicles for training aids and the addition of Nissan to the team's roster ensures we are now using the best on the market. The Nissan Navara and Nissan Pathfinder will be used both on and off road as the Atherton's prepare to make their assault on the 2009 season." Nissan's sports adventure (NSA) programme illustrates Nissan's commitment to mountain biking and other adventure sports such as freeride skiing and snowboarding. The NSA athletes are a key part of this programme and they have all been selected because they are inspirational in their different disciplines and the way they lead their lives. Nissan is proud to announce that Dan, Gee and Rachel Atherton have joined the NSA team in 2009. The Atherton’s embody the spirit and passion of adventure that it takes to be successful in mountain biking, and that is at the heart of the Nissan Sports Adventure programme which was created to encourage an active outdoor lifestyle. Jean-Pierre Diernaz, General Manager of Nissan's Marketing Communications in Europe, said: “Nissan is pleased to welcome the Atherton family to our Nissan Sports Adventure athlete team and we look forward to following their progress in the Nissan UCI World Cup and UCI World Championships. The Atherton family are at the pinnacle of both the men's and women's mountain biking circuit and they embody the inspirational spirit that has helped to increase the interest and engagement with mountain biking. We wish Dan, Gee and Rachel the best of luck this season." The Athertons are also supported by the following: Fibrax brake pads Red Bull energy drink E-13 chain devices Cycleops turbo trainers Oakley eyewear Six Six One protection SAQ International gym products Neoguard mudguards. For more on the Athertons in 2009 check out www.animalcommencal.com