Diamondback jumps into road racing with Optum

Diamondback jumps into road racing with Optum

US brand known for BMX and mountain bikes sponsors domestic pro squad

Diamondback is jumping into the road racing game for the first time with Optum Pro Cycling

©Brett Wilhelm

Ben Delaney

Published: January 16, 2014 at 10:05 pm
Diamondback is jumping into the road racing game for the first time with Optum Pro Cycling - ©Brett Wilhelm
Mechanics in Optum Pro Cycling's service course in Golden, Colorado, were busy in December building up bikes - ©Brett Wilhelm
The new Diamondback Podium Equipe carbon frame features internal routing - ©Brett Wilhelm
Cable stops screw into the frame. Having a small panel that detaches makes servicing the cable easier - ©Brett Wilhelm
Carbon road bikes are relatively new for Diamondback, which began with BMX bikes before moving into mountain bikes - ©Brett Wilhelm
Will Routley is one of the riders on the team that took the 2013 NRC title - ©Brett Wilhelm
Can you guess which company provides wheels for Optum Pro Cycling? - ©Brett Wilhelm
Like many teams, Optum races on tubulars and trains on clinchers - ©Brett Wilhelm
The Diamondback Podium Equipes are built up with SRAM Force 22 - ©Brett Wilhelm
Keeping track of geometry details for two teams is a task best done with spreadsheets - ©Brett Wilhelm
The Diamondback Podium Equipe has a press-fit bottom bracket - ©Brett Wilhelm
Force 22 features SRAM's yaw front derailleur, which eliminates the need (and ability) to trim the front derailleur - ©Brett Wilhelm
As the name suggests, SRAM Force 22 is an 11-speed group - ©Brett Wilhelm
FSA headsets go into the Podium Equipe - ©Brett Wilhelm
Pros' stems are generally considerably longer than stock - ©Brett Wilhelm
Once built, the bikes were loaded up into Optum's trucks - ©Brett Wilhelm
Mechanics were busy building many team bikes when we visted - ©Brett Wilhelm

Born in California as a BMX brand in the 1970s, Diamondback is not known for its road bikes. With the 2014 sponsorship of the US domestic squad Optum Pro Cycling, Diamondback is hoping to change that.

Optum Pro Cycling has a men's and a women's team. Both will be racing in the US and Canada on Diamondback’s Podium Equipe, which BikeRadar reviewed last year.

Diamondback is part of the Accell Group, which owns more than 20 bike brands, including Lapierre, Raleigh, Redline and Torker in North America, and Ghost, Batavus and others in Europe.

The new diamondback podium equipe carbon frame features internal routing: - ©Brett Wilhelm

Optum team mechanics were busy assembling bikes in December

“Diamondback has made a significant commitment to our program and is working very closely with our staff and athletes to deliver the most competitive racing machines available,” Jonas Carney, Optum Pro Cycling men's performance director, said in a press release. “Diamondback’s willingness to support us, and to collaborate in the areas that will help our riders get the most out of their racing, will be a major asset in 2014.”

Women’s performance manager Kevin Field said Diamondback designers are taking rider feedback for new frame improvements.

Can you guess which companies provides wheels for optum pro cycling?: - ©Brett Wilhelm

Can you guess who Optum's wheel sponsor is?

Optum was the number one men's team on last year's USA National Racing Calendar (NRC). The women's team won the USPRO Road National Championships with rider Jade Wilcoxson.

Sprinter Alex Candelario said he knows Diamondback from the brand's roots in mountain biking: “So to now be sponsored by such an American icon is truly something to be proud of."

asdfasdfa: - ©Brett Wilhelm

The Optum Pro Cycling service course was hopping in December

Ben Delaney

Contributor

Ben Delaney is a journalist with more than two decades of experience writing for and editing some of the biggest publications in cycling. Having studied journalism at the University of New Mexico, Ben has worked for Bicycle Retailer & Industry News, VeloNews and BikeRadar. He has also previously worked as Global Brand Communications Manager for Specialized. Ben covers all things road and gravel, and can be found logging big miles in the Rocky Mountains that nestle alongside his home in Boulder, Colorado. He has covered the most important bike races in the sport, from the Tour de France and Tour of Flanders, to the Unbound gravel race, and specialises in tech content, showcasing what the pros are riding and putting everyday equipment through its paces.
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