Flat Tire Defender® — Official Foam Insert
Sponsor for these 2020 Events/Teams:
BEAR JAW GROOVE – Flagstaff’s First 6-Hour Mountain Bike Race!
The Greater Flagstaff Chamber and Bear Jaw Events have joined forces to bring Flagstaff its first 6-Hour Mountain Bike Race to be held on October 3, 2020 at the pristine and picturesque Arizona Nordic Village.
Ride solo, as a duo or as a team of four+ through the golden Aspens and diverse trail system of the Arizona Nordic Village. Shred the gnar, refuel at a local food truck, and enjoy a local brew in the beer garden. Free kids race, raffles/prizes, and good vibes also included.
Eastern States Cup
REVISED 2020 Maxxis ESC Downhill Schedule
June 14 Blue Mountain PA
June 21 Thunder Mountain MA
July 12 Sugarbush VT
August 9 Windham NY
August 16 Killington VT
Sept 13 Jiminy Peak MA
Sept 27 Thunder Mountain MA
Oct 25 Mountain Creek NJ DH Finals (200% Series Points)
REVISED 2020 Maxxis ESC Specialized Enduro Schedule
May 31 Woodstock VT
June 7 Diamond Hill RI
June 14 Blue Mountain PA
June 21 Thunder Mountain MA
June 28 Bolton Valley VT
July 12 Sugarbush VT
July 26 Mountain Creek, NJ EWS Continental Championship Series (125% Series Points)
August 16 Killington VTEWS Qualifier (125% Series Points)
August 30 Burke Mountain VT
Sept 13 Jiminy Peak MA
Sept 20 Glen Park PA
Oct 18 Thunder MA ESC Enduro Finals (150% Series Points)
2020 UCI World Cup/World Champions events
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March 21–22: (DH) Lousã, Portugal POSTPONED
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May 2–3: (DH) Maribor, Slovenia POSTPONED
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May 9–10: (DH) Lošinj, Croatia CANCELLED
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May 23-24: (XCO/XCC) Nové Mesto, Czech Republic POSTPONED
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June 6-7: (DH) Fort William, Scotland CANCELLED
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June 20-21: (DH/XCO/XCC) Vallnord, Andorra CANCELLED
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June 26–28: (UCI MTB XCO) World Championships – Albstadt, Germany POSTPONED
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August 15–16: (XCO/XCC) Lenzerheide, Switzerland
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August 22–23: (DH/XCO/XCC) Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada
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September 5–6: (UCI MTB DH) World Championships – Leogang, Austria
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September 12–13: (DH/XCO/XCC) Val di Sole, Italy
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September 19–20: (DH/XCO/XCC) Les Gets, France
Photo Credit @paulolmedophoto
Intense Factory Racing
Neko Mulally | Aaron Gwin | Seth Sherlock
Flat Tire Defender® is proud to announce our renewal sponsorship commitment with the 2020 Intense Factory Racing team. Their feedback provides direction for on-going development, proving our product, under worse case conditions, prior to going to market. The three-man team will be led by Team Owner and 5-time World Cup Downhill Champion Aaron Gwin, Neko Mulally, 2018 & 2019 USA National DH Campion & Seth Sherlock, Squamish, BC, winner of the 2020 Tennessee Round of the US Pro GRT Downhill.
Wrenches Behind the Riders
JOHN HALL – AARON’S MECHANIC
@juanhall
John started racing BMX in his home state of South Dakota before landing in South California when he served in the U.S. Marine Corp. Upon leaving the service, he landed a job as a bike mechanic in Hemet, CA but with a bit of timing & friendships John found his way to Aaron. Their first World Cup together was in South Africa 2014 season Round 1 World Cup and & from there they’ve won a multitude of World Cup DH events since. John’s commitment to detail and strong work ethic makes their relationship a great fit.
SAM YATES – NEKO’S MECHANIC
@sa_yates
Sam started mountain biking in 2010 on an adventure training week with the Air cadets and after that he was hooked. Always interested in how a bike worked, slowly over time his skills improved and then was offered a job at a friends’ shop. After working with Norco team, he made his move to Intense Factory Racing team with the help of Todd Schumlick, but as he explains, ‘It took 5 years of pestering team managers until one day, one answered me back’.
Sam’s goals for Neko in 2020 are to get the 3X US National Champs, race a solid year in World Cup DH and get Neko in the top 20 overall!
LOGAN MULALLY – SETH’S MECHANIC
@loganmulally
Mountain biking has been a family sport since 2006 when Logan’s dad was a sales rep for a bike brand in the Northeast, which gave Logan & Neko a reason to race bikes and tag along. Shortly after his racing career he had an opportunity to work as a mechanic on the World Cup circuit with his class room experience right at his finger-tips. Late in 2019 he got word that Intense Factory Racing was looking for a 3rd mechanic and what better way to continue his career by working side-by-side with some of the best in the world. Logan’s goal with new Junior rider, Seth Sherlock… get him use to factory support, make sure he has what he needs and get him ready to make the push into Elite 2021!
Mechanic Photo Credit @luca_cometti
2006 & 2011 World Cup DH Champion
2010 World Downhill Champion
2013, 2014 &2015 Enduro World Series Champion
Tracy Moseley
We’ve been working with Tracy over the last 5 years and she’s one of the finest ‘Flat Tire Defender test riders around. She has a knack for the balance or imbalance; grip or lack of; roll or non-roll; dampening or no dampening. And while we’d like to tell you all the championships she’s won in Downhill and Enduro, her results would take up 5 pages of our website!
We’re very proud that Tracy continues to have ‘confidence’ in the NEW FTD II Foam Inserts and continues to introduce FTD products to the Next Gen of young mountain bike riders coming through the ranks of T-MO Racing. Check Tracy & her teams out!
Wrenches Behind the Riders
JAMES RICHARDS – TRACY’S MECHANIC
@mtbsprocket
James started his career with Moto-x bikes but soon realized that mountain biking was so easy to do with friends, exploring woods, fun tracks & jumps, which lead him to racing XC & DH. Traveling Europe, his passion for guiding experiences, working in bike shops and racing in the Euro World Cup DH, James eventually met Tracy Moseley and became her mechanic. Not only should the bike results of his mechanical commitment be sound, efficient & well presented, it’s a great day when the ‘bike performs under demanding conditions and comes out on top.’ Teams that work together, stay together & win championships together – James & Tracy have proven this commitment & the chemistry works!
Photo by Nick Bently
Wrenches Behind the Riders
SCOTT MEARS – DANNY’S MECHANIC
@scottyderg
Started cycling as a young boy and then one thing led to another and for the next 16 years raced World Cup events. The mechanical side was a result of not wanting anyone else to work on his race bike. While working at a bicycle shop northeast England, Scott got a call from his very good friend Danny Hart asking him to become his mechanic – how could he say no and then it all fell into place with the Madison Saracen team. Goals for 2020 – get back to racing, get Danny on the podium plus Danny’s sets his sights and goals high enough that no one needs to tell him what he needs to do. Top man to work with and brilliant friend!
Madison Saracen Factory Race Team
Danny Hart
2011 & 2016 Down Hill UCI Mountain Bike World Championship
2020 marks the renewal of Flat Tire Defender’s second year with the Madison Saracen Team and 2x World Champion, Danny Hart.
In the beginning Danny was not so sure about foam inserts but as you will read, he really enjoyed using Flat Tire Defenders last season. Danny first tested at Fort William, a great place for him because it’s one of the roughest tracks around & loved them ‘straight away’. “They (FTD) allowed me to push in sections where I was a little nervous in the past, numbs the track down, a lot smoother, helps me carry speed through the section & now is a part of the bike.”
Madison Saracen distributes FTD Foam Inserts throughout England, Scotland & Ireland.
YT MOB
Flat Tire Defender is excited to announce it’s 5th year of sponsorship of ‘The YT Mob’ in addition to the discovery of new ‘young talent’ on the team. Last February 2019, Team Owner, Martin Whiteley, owner of the YT Mob announced with title sponsor YT Industries that they would be embarking on an adventure in 2019 that would take them around the world in order to unearth the best downhill talent on the planet.
Wrenches Behind the Riders
BEN ARNOTT – HEAD MECHANIC
Ben was previously the Head Mechanic for Trek World Racing where he earned his stripes for taking Laurie Greenland all the way to his Junior World Title in 2015. He joined the YT Mob in 2016 and now wrenches David Trummer. Ben is also the driver of the team’s Scania truck taking it to all the major events in the EU. Nationality, Scottish. Lives in Squamish, Canada.
ANXO PEREZ – EU MECHANIC
Anxo has been for a very long time the personal home mechanic of Angel Suarez and has travelled with him to many national races. This Spaniard joined the YT Mob in 2019 traveling to some Young Talent Camps, and in 2020 he began his career as a World Cup mechanic, wrenching for Angel at all major events. He is also a keen racer and dirt jumper. Lives in Pontevedra, Spain.
ELY WOODY – US MECHANIC
Ely grew up as a protégé to the legendary Chris ‘Monkey’ Vasquez and previously worked for Trek World Racing where he earned his stripes for taking Anton Cooper to his Junior World Title in 2012. He joined the YT Mob in 2019 and now wrenches for both Guy Johnston and Oisin O’Callaghan. This experienced American mechanic is also the driver of the team’s Peterbilt truck taking it to events in North America. Lives in California, USA.
YT Mob Photos by Isac Paddock
Follow YT Mob on Instagram!
Oisin O Callaghan – @oisinocallaghanmtb
David Trummer – @daveboy94
Angel Suarez – @angelsuarezdh
Guy Johnston – @guy_johnston_
The 2020 Fox US Open Mountain Biking will be hosted at
Snow Summit Bike Park in Big Bear Lake, CA —
October 8th-11th, 2020
Flat Tire Defender® is happy to be back again as the official ‘Foam Insert’ of the US Open Mountain Biking event. We’ll be there to showcase our FTD II product, answer questions, provide service and have fun!
The US Open of Mountain Biking has been held on the east coast since its inception in 2003, but now takes place on the west coast. Fans and racers can expect the same thrilling open class downhill racing and new for this year, the Fox US Open will also be the final stop of the EWS North American Enduro Series.