Ussher Joins Nike Balance Bar
Rob Howard / 16.12.2005
News from New Zealand in the aftermath of Balance Vector’s stunning victory in the AR World Championship is that Richard Ussher will race with Nike Balance Bar next year.With team mates Nathan Fa'avae and Kristina Anglem retiring at the end of that race Ussher was left with the choice of rebuilding a team in New Zealand or joining an existing elite team.
He indicated at the time he’d most likely join an existing team rather than tackle the toughest disciplines in international adventure racing - management and sponsorship. So when an offer came from Nike Balance Bar, he accepted and joined ‘the world’s winningest adventure racing team’.
The move means any team with international aspirations will have to up their game. Ussher is a former Olympic skier and current Coast to Coast champion, as well as AR World Champion, and Nike Balance Bar have the track record to back up their ‘winningest team’ claim. They were second in New Zealand and double World Champions last year, as well as notching up a long, long list of podium and first place credits all over the world.
They have raced often against the Kiwi superteams put together by Fa'avae (Seagate, then Balance Vector) and know their strength. They are also renowned for their tactical acumen, which they’ve shown once again by adopting the ‘If they beat you, have them join you’ tactic. With Ussher signed up it’s hard to see another kiwi superteam emerging for some time.
Ussher says he will still concentrate on defending his Coast to Coast multisport title in the early part of the year, and it will be interesting to see how Nike Balance Bar integrate the new boy with the established trio of Ian Adamson, Mike Tobin and Mike Kloser.
The team are planning a big race programme for 2006, including The Raid World Championship, Adventure Race World Championship in Sweden and Primal Quest, and they will be hot favourites at them all.
