The rapid development of NZ Elite XC MTB number two Nic Leary received another boost today, with the announcement of a two-year sponsorship deal with Avanti bikes.
The timing couldn't be better for the Team N-Duro athlete, with Leary departing for a 7 week training/racing trip to Canada, culminating in two rounds of the UCI World Cup as final preparation for Septembers World Championship to be held in Canberra. Leary is delighted, saying that "not only is it great to have the support and belief behind me from a quality brand, but to be representing a New Zealand company internationally is pretty cool."
"We're rapt to have an athlete of Nicola's ability riding Avanti" says Avanti's Amanda Till. "Avanti hardtails have proven their performance in the southern hemisphere and we're looking forward to her results in the Worlds in September and beyond. She's an on form athlete with a whole lot more potential. A perfect match for the Avanti Competitor Team she'll be riding."
And like the Avanti Team Competitor she'll be riding, Leary's progress as an athlete has also been rapid. Only entering her first race in 2007, she has rocketed through the ranks of NZ Mountainbiking. Not only the 2009 NZ #2 in both XC and Marathon MTB, she is also the current NZ XTERRA off-road triathlon champion. With a diverse and busy race schedule Leary has also taken on sponsorship with DT Swiss (Forks and wheels) and Kenda (Tyres and Tubes) to ensure a total performance package.
"We've combined these leading brands and technologies together to give Nicola the ideal performance package," says DT Swiss/Kenda Spokesman Tom Sullivan. "It's a great win-win scenario. We're really excited to have such a dynamic rider on board."
The future for Leary? In the short term the focus is on quality performances at the 2009 MTB World Championship (Canberra) and XTERRA World Championship (Maui) respectively. But they are just stepping-stones to higher ambition. "I'm just trying to be the best athlete I can be. My big goal is the Olympics, so for now I'm chasing international experience and competition to develop to my full potential. And have a lot of fun, competing in cool races along the way."
