Katie Compton is the second American to join the international Rabobank-Giant Off-road team and the first woman. She signed a 2-year contract with the team after, again, placing second at the cyclocross world championships.
Compton is joined by Rosara Joseph of New Zealand to launch the women's side of the expanded Rabobank-Giant Off-Road Team.
“I am very excited to join the Rabobank-Giant Off-Road Team for the next two years, which I believe will be the best of my career,” Compton said. “I have high expectations and goals for myself, for both cyclocross and mountain biking. I am happy to be part of such a respected and well-run team.”
Adding Compton and Joseph represents a step forward for Giant as it expands into women’s off-road racing.
“This year the rankings of the team’s top-three men and top-two women will count toward UCI team rankings,” said Rabobank-Giant Off-Road team manager Jan ten Tusscher. “The continued expansion and globalization of our team played a key role in acquiring both Katie and Rosara.”
Compton, the current U.S. Champion in both short-track cross-country and cyclocross, will focus on the cross-country World Cup this year with the aim to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics.
“Katie’s at the top of her game, and we’re proud that she has chosen the Rabobank-Giant Off-Road Team and Giant bikes to help take her XC and ’cross racing to an even higher level,” said Giant global marketing director An Le.
Rabobank-Giant will issue a final roster in late March. Fans can follow the Rabobank-Giant Off-Road Team, as well as other Giant-sponsored teams and riders, through giant-bicycles.com, or the teams’ facebook page: facebook.com/giantbicycles.
ATHLETE BIOS
Katie Compton (USA):
Cyclocross
- Current Cyclocross UCI Ranking: 1st
- 2011 Cyclocross World Championship: 2nd
- 2011 World Cup: 2nd overall
- 5 World Cup victories, 2010-2011 season
Mountain bike
- 2010 XC MTB Ranking: 40th
- 2010 USA MTB Championships: 5th
- 2010 Val di Sole UCI World Cup: 4th
- 2010 Windham UCI World Cup: 14th
- 2010 UCI World Cup Offenburg: 19th
- 2009 USA XC Championships: 3rd
- 2009 UCI World Championships: 14th
Rosara Joseph (NZ):
- 2010 UCI XC Ranking: 38th
- 2010 UCI World Championships: 17th
- 2006 Commonwealth Games: 2nd
- 2007 UCI World Championships: 5th
- 2008 Beijing Olympic Games: 9th
