Ibis opens up parking stalls for Lopes & Ibis US Enduro Team.

Four time UCI World Champion, and winner of almost every kind of bike race you can think of , Brian Lopes has partnered with Ibis Cycles to launch a US domestic enduro racing team, along with support from DVO Suspension, G-Form Protection, WTB Tires and Saddles, ODI Grips, Wolf Tooth Components, Fox Racing, and Dynaplug.

From 2008 through 2013 Lopes was an Ibis sponsored athlete, and now he returns in a new role as a team manager. The team is focused on contesting the California Enduro Series (CES), as well as some of the EWS Continental events. The roster includes: Evan Geankoplis 26, winner of the 2016 CES, and 2017 runner-up; Essence Barton 25, 2nd Overall in CES for both 2017 and 2016; rounding out the squad will be former U18 CES Champion, Paul Serra 18; and Lili Heim 17.

According to Lopes:

“Tom [Ibis President, Tom Morgan] and I were talking, and he said that he was interested in starting a domestic racing team to compliment their EWS team, but that he didn’t have the bandwidth the manage both and Ibis. I’ve been working with athletes as a coach for a few years now and thought that it would be a way to share my experience with some younger riders and reconnect with Ibis.”
According to Morgan:

“We didn’t stop being friends when he stopped riding for Ibis. We’ve always stayed in touch and when the opportunity to work together again came up it just made so much sense. Working with our EWS team over the past few years has made it clear that we needed some way to search for and develop younger riders, and I don’t think there’s anyone who could better prepare young rider for the rigors of racing at the highest level than Brian.”

Asked about riding for Ibis under the guidance of a legend like Lopes, Geankoplis said:

“I’ve worked at an Ibis dealer for over 5 years, and since the beginning of working with and riding Ibis has been a dream of mine. And I couldn't imagine having a better team manger than Brian Lopes. The guy has as much or more experience than anyone in the sport and is always there for us.”

The team has already made its presence felt with Geankoplis winning the DVO Winter Gravity Series Enduro at Bootleg Canyon, Barton taking 2nd in the Women’s Pro Enduro at the Sea Otter Classic, and Heim winning the U18 Sea Otter enduro race. Look for them to continue slaying the field starting with CES #1 at Toro Park on May 26th.