Tracey Hannah riding for Raw NRG

[CHADDY]

Raw NRG is now the Major sponsor of Australia's #1 Downhill women!
Those who where at Thredbo would have noticed that Tracey is now riding in Raw NRG for the rest of the Australian Series and at the National Champs.

Tracey is also learning to become an accredited mountain bike instructor through the Raw NRG instructor training program.

"We are really excited to be able to work with Tracey to further her career. We hope that she will be able to attract a major sponsor or team deal for the world cup series this year. Tracey has a lot to offer sponsors and we are proud to have her representing our brand."
- Raw NRG management

[kizza01]

Will she be riding Raw NRG for her world cup season?

Surely this is a step backwards from last season?

Does anyone have the heads up on what her current ride status is?

[DHD Jr]

at thredbo nats round #3 she was still on the orange.
:):):)

[CHADDY]

Tracey needs a new major sponsor!
and
Raw NRG is not a step backwards! as it is a step up from ZERO SUPPORT!

Raw NRG is helping her find a world cup sponsor - why the world #3 is not on a trade team is beyond me!
We are more than happy to sign her over to someone who has the budget to fund her world cups

[kizza01]

Tracey needs a new major sponsor!
and
Raw NRG is not a step backwards! as it is a step up from ZERO SUPPORT!

Raw NRG is helping her find a world cup sponsor - why the world #3 is not on a trade team is beyond me!
We are more than happy to sign her over to someone who has the budget to fund her world cups

Ok thanks for clearing that up, I thought that she had by choice left sponsors and got on board Raw NRG for some reason.

That is pretty average that she cant get a factory ride, and to remember what the racing scene was like 7-8 years ago, she would have been set up well.

Unfortunate.

[Adrian]

Good to see that RawNRg is using their position to give back to the Australian MTB industry. I was surprised at the sheer numbers of jerseys you guys had up at Illinbah. I have been to unmentioned races in the past when I lived down south that were the cause of some complaint, but it looks like the brand is going for a much more positive image and looking at how to use their position to improve the state of MTB within Australia. That commitment alone almost made me extend my holiday long enough to slip down to thredbo for the race this year. Missed out by three days. Maybe next year.

Also good to see that Tracey has someone who wil back her to be able to compete and complete the national series this year. Her results show she deserves it. All the best for the rest of the season, and good luck with getting a team ride for the 08 world series. Get behind her people, or get out of her way...

Nice work. Keep it up.

[cjaty]

Yea lets hope it all works out for her Im sure she has sacrificed more than we can imagine to get where she is today.It will be a tough road for her.Why does'nt santa cruz have a high profile women rider on there team!OOOHHH Thats right,there to busy buying them rather than creating them!Maybe they should look at INTENSE'S for some guidance.

[mongoosedh]

Tracey's Orange 224 is currently for sale, for $4500.

[MattyBoi]

yeah its 4500. and its going to me. so i dunno who is going to sponcer her for bikes this year, still orange??

[indica]

From what i understand , Orange supplied Tracey with a bike and otherwise limited support.
She funded her own airfares , and (speculation ) the bikes are new every year
and sold every year as a way of self funding .
It is beyond a joke that one of the best female riders in the world does not have a professional team ride.
Old mate Chenzo builds her bike and gives amazing support .

Fantastic that she has a sponsor for the australian series and so help with the os stuff and a summer job.

Top work

[MattyBoi]

yeah she does fund everything in air fares and accomadation, its just not fair that she has to, come on australia, what are you doing, open ur pockets and help out this extreamly tallented woman.

[Andy42]

Maybe Farkin could help sponser her? We could sell T-shirts, hats etc. and the profits could go towards covering the costs of her world cup season. I'm sure the farkin community would like to get behind australias fastest Dh chick. I know farkin couldn't be her major sponser, but it would be pretty cool seeing the farkin.net logo on her jersey whilst she is pinning it around the world. Maybe its just a stupid suggestion, please don't flame me :o

[MattyBoi]

andy, thats an awsome idea. im 100% behind it. hats, shirts, maybe socks and even bike stickers. would any of the senior members take this suggestion further??

[indica]

Yes very good idea , i think Helen Hannah would be up for it too , so would Vincent ( edge cycles ) , i assume you know him Matty Boi?

[Stackerz]

Though your thoughts are there, I don't think it will work. You may think it will be a very helpful gesture, but it may cause more problems than it solves. Organising something like that will be unbelievably hard, she'll have to factor it into her salary and all these difficult things that will just put more stress on her.

Get some of the guys that are close to her to have a talk and see what happens from there.

Didn't mean to sound like a downer but its a hard thing to do.

[MattyBoi]

yeah indica, i know the chenz, and the whole hannah family, and i also know alot of printers and my mates mother does tee prints and things. i think this is totally do-able. get some senior members to have a chat what we need, and we will organise something, cus i know how much stress she is under.

[cjaty]

If we really want to get behind her than its somethink that her current sponsers should be able to help us with.Possibly straight out donations to her cause could be easyer to organize.If every member of farkin gave a little, that would work out to be a lot!I think as little as $5 or $10 bucks each could help her a lot.Maybe FARKEN would be a co sponser[just representing us]

[Dragonwoody]

from Dirt Mountain Bike Magazine website
http://www.dirtmag.co.uk/news/category/press%20release/tracey-hannah-news/dirt-1231398.html


Tracey Hannah news
Posted on April 30, 2008 @ 8:04 AM
We've just heard the shock news that Aussie shredder Tracey Hannah will not be taking part in this years World Cup series.

Her reasons being that she hasn't received the financial backing needed to make a serious attempt on the title. It does seem crazy that someone who finished 3rd overall in the World Cup and 3rd at the World Champs last year hasn't got full race support. Hopefully she'll get a deal sorted for next year.



Here's what Tracey had to say about the whole deal:

I have written this press release to address all of the comments and questions I have been receiving regarding my decisions for the 2008 international racing season. I hope that this is something you will understand, and know that Mountain Bike racing is not over for me.

I have been riding bikes all my life, I did some BMX when I was younger, raced at the BMX Nationals when I was 4½ and started downhill mountain biking when I was about 12. My brother raced, so of course, I wanted to race as well. I thought the world of him, and anything he could do I wanted to do. He has such a natural style on the bike and a great technique. It is hard to get into bad habits with him around.

So from a young age I was learning so much that it made riding downhill, smooth and fast come naturally. Ever since I started I have always wanted to be riding, and working harder to get faster. When I was 14, I raced my first MTB National Championships. I finished with a 2nd place in Elite Women. From that year on I have been National Champion 5 times.

In 2004 I headed over to the USA to race my first international series. I ended up 5th overall in the US NORBA series. The next year I had to stay home, we couldn’t fund 2 years in a row of overseas racing and the sponsors didn’t offer the support that I needed. I spent that time at home riding all year and racing the Australian National Series and the Australian Championships.



In 2006 I went back to America and won the US National NORBA series. I attended the World Championships in New Zealand as a junior, and took home the gold medal and those rainbow bands I can wear for the rest of my life.

2007 was my first year racing Elite, and my first year on the World Cup circuit. I ended up, 1st at the forth round of the World Cup series in Schladming Austria, 3rd overall in the World Cup Series, 3rd at the World championships in Fort William, and am currently the Australian National Champion. This year I have decided not to attend the World Cup Series.

Lately I have been asked a lot of questions about the up and coming season. My answer seems to raise some concern about my decision to not attend the World Cup Series this year. To clear up some things I want to make it clear, it is not because I do not love riding. I am not quitting. I am not finished with this sport.

I arrived home from the 2007 racing season in September, with a large credit card bill and with perhaps the false expectation that after doing as well as I did I would be getting a better deal from sponsors. A deal that might cover my living expenses whilst I train 100% and also I would be able to service the debt I have accumulated over the past years. This didn't happen.

To the people that are working every day, and struggling to pay for bikes and gear and just want to ride, the offers I have received are awesome. To most people, I would be considered so lucky. I have had offers of all expenses paid to race World Cups, gear, bikes, accommodation, training facilities, etc. That’s great! But it still costs me to race and I have less than no money.

I have made the difficult decision to not travel this season because I am a professional. I want to be the best and if every effort is not getting put toward that then I must refuse these great offers. At the moment that is how it is, the sponsorship and support that is getting offered to female mountain bikers is less than what I need to be competitive.

There is not the support for the hard work and time spent training in the off-season. I am at home working everyday still paying off my credit card bill from racing overseas last season. Whilst still putting every effort, and time, that I have into training. It isn’t working. Going at it like this is going half hearted. If I am racing at a World Class level then I must put every effort into working hard toward the top, because there is no time to waste when competing in a high class.

To be the best in the world is a full time job. I don’t want to go back overseas and come home with a second place knowing that I could have done more toward being number one. To race to my full and best potential it takes professionalism.

I am taking this year off from racing but not from trying to improve as a professional bike rider. I am planning to do a Business Marketing course to learn how to sell brand “Tracey Hannah” thus making me a better prospect to potential sponsors. I am continuing to put a lot of effort into training and working to pay my bills.

Athletes need the funds to support themselves in the off-season, just like it would be a job. We are a talent that people like watching, because not everyone has it. It’s amazing to see any sportsman performing to their best having trained hard and using the talent they have. I want to be overseas racing having put all my effort and hard work into being number one. I want to train and race to my full and best potential, and at this time it is not possible.

Tracey Hannah
*********************************************

It's such a bloody shame. So much talent being wasted there. Her results speak for them selves and to me she looks so marketable. Hopefully she is still able to make it to the World Champs and maybe Canberra (if she is allowed to just race one round of the UCI)in front of her home crowd.

I for one would be happy to throw some of my hard earned cash her way if we did get a fund together though I am not sure how much mula you need to do the World Cup series and yearly expenses.

[faceplant666]

Yeh it is a shame Tracey is not racing this year. Hopefully maybe next year she can show those ladies who's number one.

[BLAKE-2234]

so sad to hear esp after her older brother decided to do the same thing basically (although not due to financial backing i think) but to see one of the worlds best elite women riders go without a sponsore for so long and yet do so well and still not get a good world wide sponsor is a real shame:(

i wouldn't regret throwing a few of my hard earned dollars her way if it helped get her to the wc season

also will she be riding world champs though? arent they funded by our gov if not it should be

good luck with riding and paying that bill of trace and i really hope you can line up a sponsor for next year its such a shame:(

[Incontinent]

[quote=BLAKE-2234;1367369
Aren't they funded by our gov if not it should be
[/quote]

They are getting SFA, actually they get to pay "full retail" for the privilege of racing for their country.

[faceplant666]

They are getting SFA, actually they get to pay "full retail" for the privilege of racing for their country.

WHAT THE FUC*

So you race for oz and get nothin?

[clockworked]

has anyone seen the size of our sport at the moment? It sucks arse, but we are less than a blip on australian society's radar. Hill was the world champ last year, I didn't see one mainstream media article about it!

[indica]

Can we all put in $5 for Tracey ... over 20,000 members here, but even if it was the active ones that would be a start ... $5 X 9,000 = $45,000

[Yowie]

Can we all put in $5 for Tracey ... over 20,000 members here, but even if it was the active ones that would be a start ... $5 X 9,000 = $45,000

If someone wants to get it going I will chuck up a Sub frame as a prize and we can make it a raffle. I would think some other shop owners could come up with something to help out too.

[indica]

If someone wants to get it going I will chuck up a Sub frame as a prize and we can make it a raffle. I would think some other shop owners could come up with something to help out too.

Do you get along with Vince ... he'd be keen ...unless hes gone to Thailand already.
How about Helen Hannah? I met her once, she'd give it a go.

[Yowie]

Just trying to ring Vince now but no answer, I will try Helen and Dave and get their OK but I think we should make this happen.

[indica]

Just trying to ring Vince now but no answer, I will try Helen and Dave and get their OK but I think we should make this happen.

If you get something happening, make a new thread, and see if Scott will make it a sticky so everyone can see it.

[faceplant666]

News?.....

[Yowie]

News?.....

Havent heard back from anyone yet but wont be too long.

[Lizardskin]

Thats it Tracey, just train hard this year, save some cash and aim for 1# next year. We are all here supporting you and understand your decision. You go girl.