Decathlon’s Rockrider Ford Racing Team adds US National Champion, Savilia Blunk for 2023
A professional athlete in every sense of the phrase, Savilia Blunk is one of the best cross country mountain bikers in the world, and the newest member of Decathlon’s fast-growing and elite-level, Rockrider Ford Racing Team.
Blunk has three years of professional mountain bike racing experience. During that time, she earned five National titles and multiple top-15 World Cup finishes. Most recently, she claimed the United States Cross-Country National Champion title in 2022. Now a member of the Rockrider Ford Racing Team team, Blunk is looking to pad her already impressive palmarès on the World Cup circuit.
“I am very excited! For the first time in my career, I will join a European team with which I will be able to participate in all the World Cup events,” Blunk said. “I'm going to discover a new environment, new equipment and I can't wait! I am happy with what I have shown during the 2022 season, especially during the last big races. Now I want to continue to progress.”
Reigning US Champions has Her Sights Set on the World Cup and 2024 Olympics
Decathlon’s Rockrider Ford Racing team was formed last year, and is looking forward to a fast start in 2023. The elite squad was a force in 2022 with top-ten finishes in the World Cup, three national titles, a victory in the Transvésubienne and UCI race podiums, all of which proved the team’s legitimacy in its inaugural season.
As a member of her new team, Blunk helps Decathlon product developers design, fine tune and validate new bikes and cycling gear. Deahtlon’s Rockrider Ford Racing allows all of its athletes to work as members of a living laboratory that provides real time, insightful feedback that the brand’s engineers can implement and use to improve products available to the public.
Last year, Blunk and her teammates were able to assist in the development of a new race bike — the RACE 900S.
They went on to use that bike in competition, and put it through a unique set of stress tests at the highest competitive levels, collecting several big wins in the 2022 season, including two top 10 finishes in the XCO World Cup, and first place in the France Marathon and Transvesubienne races. The RACE 900S features a lightweight, full carbon frame that weighs just over 4lbs (1,980 grams in size M) and is also incredibly efficient, thanks to its fully integrated Sram Eagle GX AXS Drive and Rockshox Reba fork and rear Rockshox Sid 120mm. The RACE 900S will be available for purchase through Decathlon’s website this July.
“Our core business is product design and the team serves as our laboratory for the development of products that will then be found in stores, accessible to the greatest number of people,” said Rockrider’s Sport Leader, Clement Doby. “Today, more than ever, we need to go even further in the development of our products. To do this, we need the best people to design and imagine technical advances for our users. Decathlon’s Rockrider Ford Racing team is not only the addition of high level pilots, it is an ecosystem set up for the success of this project.”
As part of 2023’s activities, Blunk also plans to test a brand new bike: the RACE 940S. This new bike features top-of-the-line technology and will help the entire Rockrider Ford Racing team reach peak performance.
“Our team launched last year and is getting ready to live its second season, which promises to be exciting!” said Decathlon’s RockRider Team Manager, Samuel Roces. “We have been working for several weeks, together with all our partners, on our 2023 roster, and I am looking forward to working with Savilia. She came close to the podium at the World Cup last year, and will start a new story with us. The team is ready for 2023.”
For business or product related questions contact Olivier Wtyklo: olivier.wtyklo@decathlon.com
About Decathlon
Decathlon, a global leader in the sports retailer market has built a broad portfolio of brands across the Sports and Outdoor categories which it sells and distributes online and instore. Founded with the mission to make sport more accessible, Decathlon designs, produces and sells its own products for more than 80 different sports and outdoor activities. This vertical integration enables Decathlon to provide highest performance at the best price point to increase access to sports and the outdoors for people of all levels and abilities.
Founded and headquartered in Northern France and active abroad in 72 countries with more than 1,700 stores, the services, brands, engineering, design and store teams have been working since 1976 with a constant ambition: to innovate in all areas to remain the main playing partner of all sports and outdoor lovers. Decathlon’s Cycling HQ is headquartered in the Flanders region of France, mere pedal strokes away from the storied cobbles of the Paris-Roubaix course. The 46-acre sports complex is dedicated to cycling and hosts Decathlon’s 1,000-person design and engineering teams across all cycling categories.
About Rockrider Ford Racing Team
From its first season in 2022, the team has taken several podiums and international victories. Joshua Dubau finished twice in the top-10 in World Cup races, Stéphane Tempier won the title of French Marathon Champion while Emeline Detilleux was crowned Belgian Champion twice in XCO and XCC.
In 2023, the team belongs to the "UCI Elite MTB Team" category, which includes the 15 best teams in the world. With seven riders, including Maxime Marotte (4th in the 2016 Olympic Games), Savilia Blunk (United States National Champion), the Italian Greta Seiwald (6th in the XCC World Championships), Emeline Detilleux (triple Belgian champion), as well as Joshua Dubau and the young Mathis Azzaro (silver medalist at the U23 World Championships), and Olivia Onesti, the Rockrider Ford Racing Team is ready for an exciting second year.
