Woodruff and Blevins to race as new Team Stan’s NoTubes-Niner
Originally posted on February 10, 2015 at 6:01 am
Chloe Woodruff, left, and Kaylee Blevins, right, have paired up on the brand new Team Stan’s NoTubes-Niner for 2015.
The two American women got to know each other while they were traveling together to compete for the US National Team last year.
“Team Stan’s NoTubes-Niner includes a more seasoned rider matched up with a younger rider who is the learning the ropes,” said Rich O’Neil, Sponsorship Manager at Stan’s NoTubes. “As part of our ongoing commitment to women’s cycling, Stan’s NoTubes will be supporting these elite women as they race among the best cross country mountain bikers around the world.”
A focus on cross country
Team Stan’s NoTubes-Niner will compete primarily in Olympic-style cross country races.
“We’re looking at doing the full World Cup schedule as well as larger domestic races such as the US Cup, a few stand-alone UCI-categorized races and the US Cross Country Mountain Bike National Championships,” said Woodruff. “I’m excited because I’ve never had the opportunity to race a full World Cup schedule before.”
Blevins is eager to participate in her first European-based World Cups after getting her feet wet in previous North American rounds of the series.
A mix of experience and development
Woodruff, 27, and Blevins, 19, are in two different places in their careers.
“Generally, I hope to build on my success in 2014,” said full-time pro Woodruff, “when I prepared well for the World Cups. Then I had my career best international performance at the UCI World Championships, even after getting called up to the start in sixtieth place and with two trips to the tech zone. I worked my way up to thirty-first at the Worlds in Norway.
“I’m also looking at earning a spot on the 2016 US Olympic Long Team this year,” she said, thinking ahead to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Domestically, Woodruff has high hopes for the US National Championships and is also aiming to defend her win at the Whiskey Off-Road, which is held in her hometown of Prescott, Arizona.
A product of the Durango Devo junior development program in Colorado, Blevins currently resides in Palo Alto, California, where she is a freshman studying at Stanford University. She balances the responsibilities of full-time studies and elite-level racing.
“My goals for 2015 are continuing to improve in the Under 23 category,” said Blevins. “Last year for me was an introduction to racing with the pros. I want to do well in the World Cups and continue to have fun.”
Woodruff will begin her season at the opening round of the US Cup in Bonelli Park, California, on March 14 while Blevins will make her 2015 debut one week later at the Fontana, California round of the US Cup. They will have the choice of racing either Niner Air 9 RDO hardtail or Jet 9 RDO full suspension mountain bikes.
Team Stan’s NoTubes-Niner is also sponsored by Castelli, Maxxis, Crankbrothers, Lazer helmets, Fizik, Oakley and G-Form.