Giant Expands Freeride Presence

Published February 3, 2011 10:19AM

Giant is expanding its global freeride program, sponsoring three riders from three different countries in 2011.

Kurt Sorge, Andi Wittmann and Jeff Lenosky will be on Giant bikes in film projects and big-mountain contests to slopestyle, dirt jump, street and trials competitions around the world in 2011.

Wittmann is the newest member of the team. The 23-year-old German has been riding Giant the last few years and has stepped up to the global crew for 2011.

Wittmann’s main competition bike is his STP equipped with Fox Racing Shox. And depending on the event, he chooses from his stable of Maestro Suspension bikes, including Reign and Faith.

For 2011, Wittmann is focused on the Freeride Mountain Bike World Tour, which kicks off in April with the Vienna Air King contest in Austria. He’s also working on a film called “Framed,” which features stunning footage of Wittmann riding alpine trails in Austria.

Giant’s big-mountain freerider is Kurt Sorge. The 22-year-old Canadian competes mainly on the Maestro Suspension-equipped Faith, and he also chooses Trance X for certain slopestyle events. This year Sorge is riding RockShox suspension products, a SRAM drivetrain, Truvativ components, DT Swiss wheels and Schwalbe tires.

In 2011, Sorge is focusing on film shoots and major freeride contests, including Crankworx and the Chatel Mountain Style event in France, which he won in 2009.

“This will be my seventh year with Giant, and I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Sorge said. “I’m really excited for the upcoming year, I’m doing more filming and I’m pumped to get back into the contest scene including the whole FMB Tour.”

Also back with the team this year is trials and urban freeride legend Jeff Lenosky. The New Jersey native competes in observed trials and freeride contests on his STP bike equipped with Shimano components and Fox Racing Shox. In addition to competing, Lenosky performs more than 100 demonstrations and shows each year. He helps design courses for U.S. trials and freeride competitions, and works with Giant’s product development team.