Those of you keeping an eye on the Downhill World Cup series will have noticed one rider missing from the start list at Maribor last weekend, Nathan Rennie.
Rennie has decided to head home and train for the Worlds in September.

Here is the official word from the team and the press release from the Maribor race where Mitch Delfs took a great 9th place.

KENDA MOREWOOD TEAM UPDATE

After some disappointing results and a series of injuries that didn’t allow Nathan Rennie to achieve results that were up to his calibre, Kenda Morewood Team Management together with Nathan Rennie decided that the best solution for the actual situation will be by taking a break from racing, going back to Australia to recover from injuries and concentrate on training for World Championships on Nathan Rennie’s home track in Canberra, Australia.

Nathan Rennie, who finished the overall 2008 World Cup on 7th placed had a knee surgery at the end of 2008. The surgery should allow Nathan to ride his bike pain-free. Unfortunately, due to some injures sustained in competitions this season, it wasn’t the case and some additional resting time is necessary to achieve such level.

Team Managenent, Team Members as well as Team Sponsors wish Nathan all the best and hope to see him healthy and race ready in Canberra in 2 and half months.

The situation has given Team Kenda Morewood the financial freedom to offer its services to another rider during the remaining part of the 2009 season. After some analysis Team Management decided to offer that position to one of the best French riders out there, Fabien “Cous Cous” Cousinie.

Fabien represented Team Kenda Morewood together with Mitchell Delfs already during World Cup in Maribor (Slovenia) last weekend and will be also present at World Cup in Mount Saint Anne (Canada), Bromont (Canada), Schladming (Austria) as well as during Crankworx Bike Festival in Whistler (Canada). Simultaneously, Fabien will represent his personal sponsors and keep his personal race schedule.

KENDA MOREWOOD AT UCI MTB WORLD CUP # 5 IN MARIBOR, SLOVENIA

Team Kenda Morewood had a spectacular weekend as Mitch Delfs takes 9th place at the 5th World Cup round of the season, in Maribor, Slovenia. Mitch Delfs was looking fast all weekend on the frighteningly fast track in Slovenia. Filled with an enormous amount of roots and natural doubles, and made slick by torrential rains on Saturday, Delfs smashed thought the rocks of the infamous rock garden, barely keeping to together.

Mitch Delfs, Kenda Morewood Team Rider:

“My run was blistering up top. My Kenda Morewood was hookin’ up all the way until I got a bit tired. I got tired but held on and made one little mistake at the bottom. I punched through it and finally got into the top 10, first one of the season. Hopefully there is many more to come. I think it was the moustache that did it, aerodynamics. It kept me down on the floor so I could turn better. It looks good as well.”

Mitch Delfs now heads to Canada to spend a few weeks training in Bromont, Quebec for the next 2 rounds of the World Cup in 4 weeks.

Team mate Nathan Rennie was not present at Maribor as he is back in Australia in order to help heal up a few nagging injuries and train for the World Championships at home in Canberra, a track where he raced to a second place finish last year.

Just signed 3rd Kenda Morewood Team Rider, Fabien “Cous Cous” Cousinie would end up in 62nd place after having a trip over the bars mid course.

Fabien Cousinie, Kenda Morewood Team Rider:

“I had put on dry tires and it was going great on the parts that were exposed to the sunshine. I made a big error in the woods and I lost it completely in the rocks. I had lots of arm-pump at the bottom and I couldn’t hang on or brake. I had a big crash because of this and then just cruised to the bottom. I’m heading home now to train for the French National Championships and the Canadian World Cup rounds. My bike was perfect and I am really happy with the new team. I just need a new set of arms now!”

Peter Siulczynski, Kenda Morewood Team Manager:

“We are very happy how this race went for Kenda Morewood Team. I was quite sure about Mitchell’s performance on tracks like Maribor and obviously the 9th place is very satisfied for all of us. Additionally, the fact that Mitch was the 6th fastest at the first split time and made a mistake in the bottom part gives us some hope for even higher finishes in the future. Also Fabien was riding very solid. Unfortunately, he had problem with his arms and crashed in the race run. Fabien will be able to rest a bit before the next World Cup in Mont Saint Anna, Canada and we hope for a good result also for him.”

For more information please email [email protected]

TEAM KENDA MOREWOOD

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Kenda/Morewood rider Nathan Rennie quits the 2009 UCI downhill world cup series to concentrate on the World Championships in Canberra, Australia