December 12, 2019 – After searching the world for diamonds in the rough in 2019, the YT Mob announces their team for the 2020 season. Óisin O’Callaghan (IRL) and Guy Johnston (NZL) will be joining the Mob as first-year Juniors whereas Angel Suarez (ESP) and David Trummer (AUT) will be chasing points for the World Cup Elite overall.
The 2019 World Tour resembled a new beginning for the YT Mob as they embarked on a mission and travelled the world in search of Young Talent to join the team for the 2020 season. Over 550 applications, six Young Talent Camps and one Finals Camp at the Mob HQ later, the two Juniors have been announced: Óisin O’Callaghan and Guy Johnston have been selected to join the crew for the next two World Cup seasons and continue their development with Team Owner Martin Whiteley guiding the way. The team will also be growing on an Elite level as well. David Trummer, who had a breakout World Cup season in 2019, will be joining Angel Suarez in the pits and on the tracks of the world.
“For me this is a re-birth of the team as we head into a new chapter with some really talented riders with untapped potential. The idea of signing Dave was a pretty logical one. He’s a rider who’s shown already that he’s very happy on the YT TUES and has the ability to ride at the same level as the best in the world. As a Top 10 rider from the past season he has that key advantage of season long protection. The two juniors we’ve brought on are the two that Angel and I both agreed were the right choice for us. As first-year juniors we get the chance over two years to really shape the careers of both Óisin and Guy. We’re really fortunate to have a solid roster of co-sponsors who saw this vision for the Mob’s future and believed in it throughout 2019. Both Angel and Dave are proven Top 10 riders who I know haven’t reached their full potential. Together with our new juniors, we’ll be chasing those World Cup podiums as keenly as ever.” - Martin Whiteley, Team Owner YT Mob
“We are stoked about this new era of the Mob and welcome Óisin and Guy to the YT Family. The search for Young Talent and The Mob World Tour was a great success. We look forward to seeing Óisin and Guy unleash their potential. 2020 is going to be an extremely exciting season with the Juniors heading into their first World Cup season and we are stoked to see David Trummer join Angel on the Elite level. Can we start racing already?! We can’t wait to see them all finally drop into the new season!” - Markus Flossmann, CEO YT Industries
Óisin O’Callaghan, IRL
Óisin O’Callaghan aka ‘Double O’ is the youngest member of the YT Mob. The 16-year-old from Limerick, Ireland, is a thoroughbred racer, born to send it hard on the downhill rig. After his Dad got him into riding at a very young age there was no turning back and has since racked up a number of big wins and podiums at prestigious events such as at Crankworx and during the iXS Rookies Cup and British Downhill Series. Looking up to the likes of Loic Bruni, Steve Peat, Aaron Gwin and Stevie Smith Óisin (in case you are wondering pronounced like ‘ocean’) is looking to leave a mark and take the next step in his development in 2020.
“When I was told that I’d been selected, I could only describe the sensation as OVERWHELMING. At the start of this process I guess it didn’t really sink in when I got picked for the Fort William Young Talent Camp but I knew it was going to be exciting to spend 3 days of riding with Angel and the team. It was unreal when my Dad told me I was selected for Finals Camp. It was probably the first time that I really felt what it would be like to be a pro racer with mechanics, team truck, hotel etc. We were like Kings for the week! I’ll be aiming to get some good results next season with podiums and to build on every race to get more experience. It’ll be important to try and soak up and enjoy all the advice from the team and to become a better racer, and really enjoy the atmosphere of World Cup racing.” - Óisin O’Callaghan, YT Mob Junior 2020
Guy Johnston, NZL
Guy Johnston is only a few months older than his Junior teammate. The 16-year-old hails from Thames, New Zealand, which is 70 miles / 114 kilometers south east of Auckland. Guy was brought to racing by his parents and has a BMX background. Since then the adrenaline rush of racing and hitting a jump or section of any track well has been a cornerstone of his life. The New Zealander looks up to Greg Minnaar and fellow-countryman Brook MacDonald and will be looking to take the first steps in pursuit their greatness in the coming season.
“It felt surreal the day Martin told me I had been chosen to ride for the YT Mob. I was so excited and stoked to share the news with my family who were all very proud and shed a few tears... well Mum did anyway! Now that the news has finally sunk in and I’m excited to start this journey with the Mob. I applied for the Young Talent camp in New Zealand as I thought this is an amazing opportunity. I learnt a lot from Angel and it felt crazy to be riding with a World Cup Elite athlete. The camps were an unforgettable experience. Martin is so passionate about both the sport of downhill and the YT Mob. He made me realize that it doesn’t matter where you are from, dreams can come true.This upcoming season I don’t want to set expectations too high on myself, but I want to be competitive and prove that I am the right person for this team. I know I will learn an incredible amount in my first year as a Junior.” - Guy Johnston, YT Mob Junior 2020
David Trummer, AUT
David ‘Daveboy’ Trummer started racing 4X with friends before switching to downhill. Years of dedication and hard work and racing all over Europe have paid off and have resulted in him getting the call and joining the YT Mob. The Austrian National Champion from Gnas, Austria, had a true breakout season in 2019 and had experts watching in disbelief after he secured three Top 10 finishes and completed the World Cup season as ninth overall. The 25-year-old will be looking to build on this success in 2020 and attack in hope of getting that first podium of his career.
“Looking back on the 2019 season all I can really say is that I am super happy! I reached my goal of a new career best result at the first World Cup in Maribor already and that was just the beginning. The season with Team Racing Dudes gave me a lot of new confidence for the future. Moving to the YT Mob is significant, because after this year I felt like I wanted to join a big team if I have the opportunity and now, I am joining one of the best and most professional teams out there. I also felt really good on the YT TUES this year, so I think it’s a perfect fit. As for my goals in 2020, well, I really would like to finally make it on to a World Cup podium, but I need to take it one step at a time.” - David Trummer, YT Mob Pro Rider 2020
Angel Suarez, ESP
The Spaniard from Vigo goes by the nickname ‘Pata Negra’ and has been with YT Mob since 2016. Angel Suarez is looking forward to a bounce-back season in 2020. After turning heads in 2018 and securing three Top 15 results his positive development was interrupted by injury in 2019. After traveling the world with the Mob this past year and mentoring young riders during the Young Talent Camps the 24-year-old is feeling strong again after having recovered successfully and having found his new teammates.
“I think we have a sick team and what the team is doing with the juniors is super cool. Both are incredibly talented and fast on the bike. Guy is strong for his age and a really calm kid but when he gets on the bike it’s completely different, super aggressive. Óisin showed us that even though he’s young, he really wants to be a pro racer and he has the talent for it. David did amazingly this year! There’s not much I can say, I think everyone saw that. I can’t tell you how keen I am to get back to racing! I feel amazing already because I’ve had a super good recovery. Racing is my biggest passion and I wake up every morning thinking about it. I enjoy the pressure I put on myself and I love the process, so I’ll see what I can do on March 22! The main thing is to enjoy it and then the results will come, at least that’s how I feel it works for me.” - Angel Suarez, YT Mob Pro Rider 2020
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12/11/2019 4:47am
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