Matt Walker joins Bernard Kerr, Emilie Siegenthaler and Ed Masters on the Pivot Factory Racing Team for the 2019 season. The 28-year-old racer from Christchurch, New Zealand will focus on Downhill World Cups, EWS and Crankworx events.
It’s the whole package that makes this the dream team. I have amazing bikes and a bunch of legends to feed off and push each other all while having a few laughs along the way!
– Matt Walker
Matt Walker is no stranger to Pivot Cycles racing them on and off early in his racing career. Matt’s first major race with the team will be Crankworx Rotorua – an event he excels at, leaving with the points lead in the King of Crankworx competition on more than one occasion.
I’m always drawn back to them as they have been hands down my favorite bikes to ride,
– Matt Walker
Pivot Cycles also adds a number of factory support riders to its North American roster for 2019:
Cooper Ott: The dominant two time Big Mountain Enduro (BME) series winner from Gunnison, Colorado is looking to make it three in 2019 on Pivot. Cooper will also be showcasing her incredible speed in the North American rounds of the EWS series in Whistler and Northstar.
Lia Westerman: Lia’s incredible racing story starts as a 14-year-old High School League racer. After a successful 2018 season as a Pivot Grassroots sponsored rider with a second overall in the BME series and U21 Whistler EWS, it’s safe to say she has earned her Pivot Factory Support ride for 2019.
Kialani Hines: The 21-year-old former BMX racer has had standout rides at Crankworx events with multiple Pro dual slalom and pump track finishes in 2018 earning her a rookie of the year award nomination. She also won the Port Angeles round of the Pro GRT. Look for her at Pro GRT and Crankworx events in 2019.
Evelyn Dong: Evelyn has been a mainstay on the domestic cross country scene and comes off of a successful 2018 season with a 2nd overall in the USAC ProXCT series and the Epic Rides Series overall winner.
Carson Lange: The 23-year-old cross country and enduro racer from Austin, Texas looks to make an impact on the BME series in 2019 after moving up from the Pivot Grassroots program to Pivot Factory Support racer.
Stefanie McDaniel: The 32-year-old racer from Phoenix, Arizona was the overall winner of the Bootleg Canyon Gravity Enduro and MBAA Enduro Series in 2018. Stefanie will be challenging for the top spot on the pro podium at enduro races across the country on her Firebird 29.
Matthew Sterling: This junior athlete is one to watch in 2019 with wins at Crankworx Les Gets in both the DH and slalom races. At just 16 years old, Matthew was also the youngest competitor in Crankworx Whistler’s Whip Off competition last year.
Returning athletes include Aaron Chase, Daniel Beecroft, 24-Hour World Champion, Kaitlin Boyle and many more. See the full Pivot Cycles roster with bios and photos here.
Stan’s-Pivot Pro Team Continues
After a strong 2018 season, Stan’s-Pivot Pro Team returns for 2019 with the same lineup of Chloe Woodruff, Rose Grant, Sofia Gomez-Villafañe, and Keegan Swenson. The team starts their quest for the 2020 Olympic games in Tokyo.