Long-standing rumours that the successful British enduro racer – and EWS Overall contender – has signed for the Big Turquoise Brand are confirmed.
Speaking on the good ol’ Instagram, Baraona declares: “Life is about to get a whole lot more TURQUOISE ! Buzzing to share this news with you all & get livin!! (keeping it quiet has been difficult)
“Delighted to be joining @yeticycles and working with all the great people there. It’s a huge step forward for me in my career and excited to see what we can achieve. I’ll post more about the bike in the coming days but for now, I can tell you that it’s love at first sight!
“Looking forward to the race season alongside @richie_rude1 @kasper_woolley @jaredgravesmtb @yetipolarbear_1 & Damion…let’s see how many of them I can get hooked on a proper cup of British Tea”
Yeti Press Release
YETI / FOX FACTORY TEAM ANNOUNCES NEW ROSTER
Rude Returns, Woolley Called Up, Bex Baraona on Turq. New additions to National and Devo.
(Golden, Colo.) — Multi-time world champion Richie Rude will anchor the Yeti/Fox Factory Enduro team and roll into his 12th year wearing the turquoise colors. Rude be joined by young-gun Kasper Woolley and newly signed Scottish rider, Bex Baraona. The Yeti / FOX Factory team is poised to compete for the Team Overall and will be supported by World Team Mechanic, Shaun Hughes, National Team Mechanic, Mark Hild and Race Team Manager, Damion Smith.
It’s clear there’s only one thing on Richie Rude’s mind after a hard-fought 2021 season. Winning the EWS title. After a costly mistake in the last round, Rude finished in second place for the 2021 EWS Men’s Pro Overall, but it was the battle throughout the season that had the world on edge. Rude has been laser-focused this off-season, and with a complete race schedule for 2022 will look to regain his dominating ways.
“After a great battle in ’21, I’m looking forward to taking that drive towards this season. It should be another fun year with the team, especially with new teammates on board. Hoping to run the ‘red’ plate with the number 2 just like Villopoto.” — Richie Rude
Kasper Woolley, after riding for the Yeti / OneUp team the last couple of years, has officially been called up to the Factory team. Woolley has shown great track speed over the past two seasons with notable finishes at Loudenvielle (4th) and Crans-Montana (6th). Kasper has been mentored for the last two years by legendary Yeti racer, Jared Graves, who will become less active in racing and focus his efforts on mentoring riders and helping everyone go faster.
“I’m super excited to be moving up to the Factory program this year and keep building off last year. I guess I’ll be towing Ritchie through practice now though.” — Kasper Woolley
Yeti Cycles also officially welcomes Scottish [she lives in Scotland these days] rider, Bex Baraona, to the Factory team this year. Baraona is an extremely strong rider with an ability to excel in wet weather and slippery conditions. Her cornering speed and technical riding ability are just two of the ingredients that enabled Bex to win the final EWS round in Scotland last year and can make her a contender for the top of the podium this coming season.
“We’re extremely proud to have Bex join our team and show our commitment to women’s racing. Her riding resume speaks for itself. She’s a fierce competitor on the track and a focused and committed athlete off it. Her desire to compete and win at the top level is why we wanted her on a Yeti, and we’re thrilled she agreed!” —Damion Smith, Team Manager
FOX Factory suspension continues as co-title sponsor of the Yeti / FOX Race teams. Shimano, DT Swiss, Maxxis, OneUp, Toyota and Giro all maintain their long-standing sponsorships. New for the 2022 season is another Golden, CO based company, 7iDP, for on-body rider protection.
The Yeti / FOX National and Devo Teams continue to be the proving ground for upcoming Yeti racers. New addition Kate Lawrence, and Warren Kniss anchor the Yeti / FOX National Team. Lawrence has posted strong results on the national circuit with track speed to compete at the world level. She’ll be competing at the three North American EWS races along with Kniss, one of top male riders on the North American circuit. Quinn Reece and newcomer Jack Brown will round out the Yeti / FOX Devo Team.
Jared Graves maintains his long-term relationship with Yeti Cycles as a key member of the support and training staff for the whole of the Yeti Cycles Race Teams. Graves will be at select Enduro races in 2022 and competing across the Australian National Cross-Country circuit.
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