TWO AWESOME CHAMPIONS, ONE EPIC RACE.

OMX’s two Elite female riders are pairing up to take on one of the biggest races in the World, the Cape Epic.

British National Champion, Annie Last, and South African National Champion, Mariske Strauss, will race eight days through South Africa’s stunning Western Cape in a bid for podium places, UCI points, and a strong foundation for the cross-country season.

Annie and Mariske will be backed by two fantastic title sponsors and will race under the team name, Hansgrohe-Cadence OMX.

Hansgrohe is a premium brand for bathroom and kitchen fixtures, and is a title sponsor of the Bora-Hansgrohe team of road race World Champion, Peter Sagan. They are also a major sponsor of the Cape Epic and have extended their commitment to the race to include supporting our Elite ladies team.

Cadence Nutrition has been OMX’s nutrition partner since the beginning of the 2016 season. We have worked closely with the brand over the past year and have developed a love and trust of their products. We are very happy that they will be a major sponsor of our Cape Epic race.

Head of Cadence Nutrition, Jeroen Swart, has been Mariske’s coach for six seasons and is a strong believer in OMX and our journey. He says,

“[Mariske] undoubtedly has the talent and ability to compete for stage wins and the overall title at the Cape Epic. If she finds the form she is capable of and paired with Annie, another supremely talented athlete, they might be the surprise package of the race.”

Of course our ladies also have the superb support of Silverback Bikes. Silverback are passionate about the Cape Epic and the Silverback Sesta Superbike was created and developed alongside OMX at this very race. It is the perfect bike for the job, and with the upgraded Sram Eagle drivetrain these bikes are set to shine! With Silverback we know we have a fully committed and dedicated team who will be pivotal to the success of Annie and Mariske’s race.

The 2017 Cape Epic starts in the beautiful Meerendal Wine Estate on the outskirts of Cape Town on 19^th March. From there the race takes the riders over 691 kilometres and 15400 metres of vertical ascents before finishing up in Val di Vie on 26^th March.

This will be Mariske’s third Cape Epic and she will look to her experience to help carry the team through the eight days of untamed African adventure. She knows it’s going to be painful, but being Mariske, she looks forward to that:

“The epic is such a well-organised, World-class event, and they always seem to top the previous year and finish it off treating everyone like kings. I can’t wait to share the experience with Annie and have a blast riding ourselves into a heap of hurt. The race fits in perfectly as the World Cup season only starts at the end of May; it will be perfect to push us to the next level and remind us how to suffer properly!”

Annie is a Cape Epic newbie but she certainly is not in the dark about the race.

“I have heard lots about the Cape Epic, about how great the stages are and how amazing the scenery is. Also I keep getting told how hard it is and how you can’t prepare yourself for it. I’m going in excited to get stuck in to my first Epic and to see what it’s like.” With regards to Mariske as her partner, Annie adds, “Mariske has so much energy and positivity. She has ridden the Cape Epic twice before and so has big experience and knowledge. As a local South African, she is also the designated wildlife handler incase of any encounters!”

 Safari scenarios aside, Annie and Mariske don’t have too much to worry about. They are both in fine form and training really well through the winter. Furthermore, they will be aboard the Cape Epic tried and tested Silverback Sesta Superbikes which have performed perfectly in the 2015 and 2016 editions.

We can’t wait to see what the Hansgrohe-Cadene OMX team can do. Watch this space!

Great news: Martin Gluth continues his contract with OMX into 2017!

Over the last two years we have really seen Martin grow as a rider, and also as an athlete as a whole. Not only has he stepped up his results, but he has also settled really well into a team environment. He has become a central member of the team with a hard working and professional outlook, and a blooming British sense of humour!

As with any rider, Martin had a few disappointing races in 2016, but he was always immediately discovering the problems and striving to fix them. He is driven, but without driving anyone mad!

Seeing Martin really hit his stride towards the end of the season, with a number of podium places and even an HC victory, was a real pleasure and a high point for the team. We are sure he can go on to even better things this year and we are excited to watch his progress.

And now for…THE INTERVIEW!

What was your 2016 season highlight?

This is really hard to say. There were many great highlights this season. The Cape Epic was one of them. But also the first World Cup in Australia was special and my first Win in a HC category race at the end of the season!

– What was your toughest professional moment/period in 2016?

The toughest period this year began after the second World Cup in Albstadt. I was already sick at the start line and got even more sick the days afterwards. It was the worst time to struggle because the third World Cup was already one weekend later. No chance for any result and I missed the qualification for the World Champs. That was really hard to take. 

– What was the funniest OMX moment of 2016?

The indoor photo shoot at the official team photo shooting in London at the beginning of the season. 

– Who or what particularly inspired you last year?

Nino Schurter winning Gold at the Olympics! It was just the perfect story. I am inspired how he prepared his mind for that ONE day over 4 years after winning Bronze in Beijing and Silver in London.

– What is your big 2017 goal?

Top 15 in one of the World Cups and a medal at the German Champs.

– What does it mean to you professionally and personally to be part of OMX in 2017?

Since I have been racing it was always my dream to become a professional rider. It means a lot that I can live this dream together with OMX for another year! Personally I can say that I have built a really good relationship with every team member over the past two years in the team 🙂

What to know about more Martin? Of course you do! Click here to see his Rider Profile.

As 2017 unfolds we are very happy to continue moving forward with a strong team of riders, staff and sponsors.

We are proud to be able to consolidate our team, maintain momentum and head into this new year with four very talented riders who have renewed their contracts with OMX Pro Team.

OMX Pro Team will be headed up by British National Champion, Annie Last, who is enjoying a brilliant winter of training and is looking forward to stepping up again in 2017 and showing her full potential. Alongside Annie in the Elite ranks will be Martin Gluth who had a stellar run of results late this year and is looking to carry the confidence and momentum through to bigger and better results in 2017. Also riding Elite in 2017 is South African Champion, Mariske Strauss, who will once again look to dominate in Africa and carry that success into the European World Cups. Finally, we have rising Under 23 star, Isla Short, who following an incredible return to form last year is aiming even higher in 2017.

We believe we have World Cup podium potential in this team, and many more successes besides in everything from the Cape Epic to top category European races.

As well as performances on the track, we also know we come together as a great team off the track. Over the last year this group of riders have formed strong bonds and created a supportive, fun and fruitful environment in which to operate. Together with the tight-knit support staff this creates a strong foundation for a great 2017.

We hope you will join the journey and support us each step of the way.

2017 Team

Riders:

Annie Last (GBR)

Martin Gluth (GER)

Mariske Strauss (RSA)

Isla Short (GBR)

Staff:

Paul Beales – Manager

Will Cooper – Manager

Danny Smith – Soigneur

Imogen Buick – Soigneur

Anna Buick – Media

Lee Westwood – Mechanic

Mark Henderson – Mechanic

Our young, Scottish super star is here to stay another year!

Isla had a traumatic 2015 with far too many broken bones and an untimely bout of illness. She bounced back in considerable style to have a terrific 2016 with the Elite British XC Series Title and top 20 World Cup results to her name. In 2017 she is set to steer a fine course on her upward trajectory towards the top!

It’s often easy to forget that Isla is just 20 years old. She’s had her fare share of low points, but she always emerges fighting harder. You can’t keep this girl down! Isla grew up a lot in 2016, both on and off the race course, and her sense of happiness and confidence showed in her performances which really highlighted her as one to watch in the coming years. Isla has a real spirit to go alongside her immense talent, and it makes her an exciting athlete to work with.

We can’t wait to see what this pocket rocket can do in 2017!

And now for…THE INTERVIEW!

-What was your 2016 season highlight?

Sprinting up the finish straight at Lenzerheide World Cup to take a career best of 11th place. The crowd slapping the barriers and shouting encouragement was such an incredible feeling! 

– What was your toughest professional moment/period in 2016?

My first race of the year, the first round of the British Series. I surprised myself by leading the race for two laps, but then I suffered a mechanical issue which lost me 8 minutes. It took me a while to get over that one as it was my first race back from injury and I had so wanted to get a good result.

– What was the funniest OMX moment of 2016?

Martin Gluth making an appearance in the Daily Mail for thinking he’d won the German Road Champs. Best thing ever.

– Who or what particularly inspired you last year?

Ensuring I had fun when I was training and racing inspired me to get through even when performance wasn’t going well. 

– What is your big 2017 goal?

My big aim this year is to qualify for the Commonwealth Games. I’ve got six chances in six months, which makes it slightly less intense than aiming for a single result. 

– What does it mean to you professionally and personally to be part of OMX in 2017?

In a professional respect, being part of OMX is mega. To be part of the friendliest, funnest team on the circuit makes racing, training and travelling such a delight. On a personal level, spending the most important events of the year with a bunch of people I’m so comfortable around and love to be in the company of is invaluable. It makes the intensity of racing a positive experience rather than a scary one.

Whilst we are in the depths of winter and the cross-country season still feels so far off, we are certainly not in hibernation! 

The crazy cool discipline of cyclocross is currently front page news in the World of cycling and we are delighted to bring you an exciting story…

Silverback have released to the team a brand new, first edition cyclocross-specific bike which will roll on Knight Composite’s newly developed cyclocross wheels. It’s a match made in muddy heaven!

Silverback prides itself on World-leading innovation and devilishly detailed design and development. The new cyclocross frame is the result of these characteristics and we are incredibly honoured and excited to be the first to race it.

The engineering team at Knight also invested a great deal of time and care in the research and development of their first cyclocross wheels. They determined the stresses that are placed on a cross wheel on how and where they are different to those that their road wheels were facing. Once the stresses were established, it required the team to redefine the carbon layup process to ensure the right material was put in the right place. These are no crossover, hybrid wheels. They are 100% cyclocross-specific: the end result is a wheel that is stiff, lightweight and durable enough to handle the toughest cross courses you can find.

Whilst cross-country mountain bike remains our primary focus, cyclocross racing through the winter has proved an invaluable addition to the training programs of a number of our riders.

Our British duo, Annie Last and Isla Short, will have the privilege of being first to ride the new set up. Annie has several National Cyclocross Championships medals to her name, while Isla is the current Scottish Champion and Series winner. Both riders are really looking forward to putting the bike through its paces and hopefully delivering some more medals for Silverback and Knight.

Bring on the mud!