SAN DIEGO (BRAIN) — BMC USA Corporation has announced several changes and additions to their sales representatives and inside sales staff.

“BMC USA is experiencing the strongest year of growth in our history,” said Chris McLaren, BMC USA’s managing director. “These changes will reinforce this upward trend, allowing retailers to more easily and efficiently bring BMC to even more riders.”

Effective immediately, BMC has reorganized its South Central and Southeast territories by hiring independent sales representatives groups.

Territory replacements are as follows:

The Redmond Sports Group (North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi)

• Duncan Satchell: duncan@redmond-sports.com; (704) 777-5117
• Drew Burke: drew@redmond-sports.com; (678) 463-0819
• Travis Werts: travis@redmond-sports.com; (615) 668-1794

Velo ADV, LLC (Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas)

• Doug Looney: douglooney@outlook.com; (512) 289-2006

CMF Sales, Inc. (Florida)

• Chris Frederick: cfred@me.com; (954) 646-4234
• Sheena Frederick: sheenajo@me.com; (754) 244-1894
• Nick Seago:nickseago@gmail.com; (954) 593-4528

In addition, BMC has hired Dan Breyer, formerly with Cervélo/Focus, for the newly created position of dealer services manager.

Retailers can contact BMC USA directly at (800) 819-4262 or infousa@bmc-switzerland.com.

POOLE, United Kingdom (BRAIN) — Bike-care brand Muc-Off has added a new range of athlete protection creams, which includes warm-up creams, a "power cream," and "ultra-endurance cream" as well as a recovery balm.

The Explosive Power Cream uses Arginine Amino acids to help dilate blood vessels and increase blood supply to the muscles.  The Ultra Endurance Cream uses Taurine Amino acids, which the company said converts glycogen into glucose, increasing protein synthesis. 

Recovery Balm is said to increase glycogen storage and hydrate muscle cells.

The products retail for 24 euros each except the warm up cream, which is 15 euros. U.S. prices were not available. 

More information: Muc-off.com.

SAUSALITO, Calif. (BRAIN) — The German bike brand  Bulls Bikes has officially opened up its U.S. consumer direct business. The company announced last month that it was coming into the U.S. market with a consumer-direct program. 

Bulls was founded in 1994. The company is selling a limited range of road and mountain bike models — five road bikes and 14 mountain bikes — as well as helmets, tools and accessories via BullsbikesUSA.com.

"While we don't rule out selling to retail bike shops in the future, we do recognize that the landscape for consumers has changed," said Sharon Yu, general manager of Bulls Bikes USA. "Selling direct gives us the opportunity to provide a real discount on our products, which directly benefits consumers."

Watch for an article about Bulls and the trend of consumer-direct bikes sales in the May 1 issue of Bicycle Retailer & Industry News. 

SAN CARLOS, Calif. (BRAIN) —Ritchey components and frames are now available to Canadian dealers through QBP Canada. Previously, Ritchey was distributed by Live to Play in Canada.

"The Ritchey brand is gaining momentum in Canada, and with the help of QBP, dealers will have another means to access the Ritchey product line," said Ritchey's national sales manager, David Law. "We have a long history with QBP and we look forward to growing our relationship with them in Canada."

Ritchey will also keep its Canadian independent outside sales rep force to service Ritchey dealers.

HINESBURG, Vt. (BRAIN) — The Vermont cycling community is mourning Richard Tom, a prominent cyclist and former bike shop employee who died Sunday after being hit by a car.

Tom, 47, had worked at Earl's Cyclery and Fitness in South Burlington, Vt., for more than 10 years, and he most recently worked at VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations, according to the Burlington Free Press.

The driver of the car, a 17-year-old high school student, also died. According to the newspaper, the driver may have been going about 60 mph in his Honda Civic when he struck Tom. After hitting the cyclist, the car went over an embankment and hit a tree, ejecting the driver, the police said.

According to the paper, passersby created a memorial at the site of the collision.

A handwritten sign placed above the memorial stated: "As you come here to grieve the sad loss of Joseph and to pay your respect to his memory, please remember that a man named Richard, who also was loved by family and friends, went out for a bike ride on a beautiful Sunday morning and never came home.

"When you get back in your car, remember the epic responsibility you have to those who love you, and those who don't even know you, to come home safe!"

ROCKY RIVER, Ohio (BRAIN) — The eighth annual Bike to School Challenge, in the Cleveland suburbs, will return May 4-22.

The program involves more than 5,000 middle school, high school and elementary school students in the communities of Bay Village, Rocky River, and Medina.

Organizers will hold Bicycle Fairs in the communities in the week before the challenge begins. The events include free safety inspections by mechanics from retailer Century Cycles, which is the main corporate sponsor of the challenge. The fairs will also include bike helmet giveaways courtesy of Raleigh, another event sponsor.

More information at centurycycles.com/to/BTS and facebook.com/BikeToSchoolChallenge.

DENVER (BRAIN) — Clement Cycling has hired Aspekt Brand Communications, headed by industry veteran Suzette Ayotte, to handle its public relations in the U.S.

"We've watched Suzette's marketing successes in the industry over the last 20 years and when she started her new company, it was a logical choice for the growth of Clement," said Donn Kellogg, whose company, Donnelly Sports, licenses the Clement name from its parent, Pirelli.

Kellogg recently renewed the licensing agreement with Pirelli and the company is working on the release of several new tire models, including a new high-end road clincher, a new tubeless gravel tire and a tubeless cyclocross tire. Clement recently re-upped its agreement to be the exclusive tire sponsor for CrossVegas.

Kellogg and Ayotte have had a professional relationship that dates to the 1990s.

"One of the reasons I hired Suzette back in 1996 at Ritchey was because of a story she told during her interview of having angled her way onto 'The Today Show' for a former pr client. We've already seen marked results just a few months in," Kellogg added.

Clement's road Strada LGG was recently named Velo's Editor's Pick and Men's Journal's best high-performance value road tire.

Clement tires are distributed in the U.S. by ProNet, Quality Bicycle Products, Bicycle Technologies International, Accell North America, Cantitoe Road, Downeast Bicycle Specialities, Hans Johnsen Company, and Security Bicycle Accessories.

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — Green Guru is launching a new bag that can convert between a backpack, messenger bag and brief case as needed on trips and daily life.

The company is launching the Stand-By Travel Bag System on Kickstarter.com.

The system was developed by two avid travelers and an college industrial design students, Kit Hendrickson and Brian Beard.

The bag system is made in the USA from upcycled truck tops, upcycled tents, salvaged fabrics and other re-used materials.

The Stand-by converts from a large organized load to a variety of other bags for various uses. The backpack core expands and contains the other bags like the briefcase/messenger and travel pods.

During a flight or at the destination, the briefcase/messenger can be separated from the backpack, allowing each to work independently. The designers suggest, for example, that a traveler might want to stash the backpack in an overhead compartment, while keeping essentials handy in the briefcase. At the destination, the travel pods, which are like small stuff sacks, can be left in a hotel room while the backpack is used while out and about.

The full "Deluxe" system, with the main bag, the brief, two stuff sacks and an organizer, retails for $250. For $200, you can get the regular full system, which includes the main bag, the brief and two stuff sacks. The backpack alone is $150 and the briefcase/messenger back is $120. The stuff sacks are $30.

More information: kickstarter.com.

WHITTIER, Calif. (BRAIN) — 3G Bikes is offering three new models in the urban/city category, to complement its beach cruiser bike models.

The new G'Linda and Melrose women's bikes and the Chicago men's bike are designed to offer dealers high margins with attractive retail price points.

The G'Linda frame features a very low step-thru height due to a patented frame design with a one-piece toptube/seat tube that positions the rider slightly behind the bottom bracket. A taller headtube and handlebar position lends itself to upright, heads-up comfort for the urban cyclist and commuter, while the 700c wheels offer low rolling resistance.

The model has an aluminum laser-cut chainguard, stainless steel spokes and axle nuts, aluminum rims and cranks, rear disc brake, and locking double-density 3G ergonomic grips. It retails for $449.

“Our dealers have been asking us to expand from the coasts and move into the cities for a long time,” said Gary Silva, the president and founder of 3G. “Once we had unique frame designs and our custom comfort geometry set up, it was time to go, and that time is now. We think many more dealers are going to appreciate the ride, quality and profit margins our bikes will bring to their stores.”

The new Melrose model has many of the same features as the G’Linda, with a steel frame outfitted with a Shimano 7-speed derailleur-equipped drivetrain. The Melrose will be available in early summer.

The new Chicago men’s bike has a steel frame with an upright riding position and BMX-inspired riser bars. It’s available in single-speed and 7-speed models, in two frame sizes. It has 700c x 45c tires, with black rims, spokes and nipples.

“We wanted to take our proven beach designs, add bigger wheels and tires, re-design our frames to have more of an urban attitude,” said Silva. “The Chicago is our first entry into the men’s side of this sales channel, and we know dealers are going to love the margins and pull-through our bikes will provide them.”

More information: 3gbikes.com.

DUNDAS, Ontario (BRAIN) — South African sock brand Sako 7 is relocating from Cape Town to Ontario, Canada, and will now be distributed by Peter Appleton's SB Sports Inc.

Previously the brand was distributed by Defeet, which remains the brand's manufacturer.

"Sako 7 is very excited to take the next step by creating a co-venture with Peter Appleton and moving to Canada.His experience taking cycling brands to the next level is well known and respected," said Sean Sakinofsky, the founder of Sako 7. "We want to thank Shane Cooper and Brad Mettee from Defeet for their amazing work, expertise and of course for their, faith and trust in SAKO7SOCKS," he said.

Appleton is the former cycling division manager for POC Sports. SB Sports Inc. currently distributes Bont Cycling, Sako 7, Dundas Speed Shop and Ritte Cycles.

Appleton said, "Sako 7 is one of the freshest brands in road cycling right now, the infusion of their design language and color story into the more conservative road cycling segment has been received very well across the globe."

Over the next year Sako 7 plans to introduce a wider product line.

Appleton said he will evaluate existing distribution partners in other regions and will also be bringing on new partners.

"Last year saw almost 55,000 pairs of socks sold in over 40 different countries and we're going to work with that loyal customer base to take the brand to even higher grounds," he said.

Sako 7 products will continue to be available online at www.sako7socks.com and the brand's soon-to-come new site, www.sako7.com

DUEVILLE, Italy (BRAIN) — Italy's Basso Bikes is changing up its distribution plan for the U.S. market. Instead of using a distributor, the manufacturer will ship straight to dealers from Italy, taking orders through its business-to-business website. The brand also is establishing an independent sales rep force in the U.S.

Since 2011, Basso bikes have been distributed in the U.S. by Minneapolis-based DNA Imports. DNA's owner, John Dyste, is continuing as a sales rep for Basso, but DNA will no longer warehouse the brand's products.

The new approach will allow dealers access to a wider array of Basso bikes — including custom-configured bikes, with options for frame colors, component model and size. Frames will be airfreighted from Italy to the U.S. for $70, with arrival about five days from the time of ordering. The shipping cost for complete bikes is $120, with a delivery time of 8-10 days. The bikes arrive almost completely assembled.

"The problem we were seeing in the U.S. is it's such a competitive market, and we are competing with the U.S. brands on their home soil," said Alessandro Basso, the company's export sales manager. "It was tough to get the right bikes at the right price and right margin to the stores. The toughest thing we encountered was we could not assure enough stock and variety of products to the market."

The B2B website has already been used by Basso's retailers in the Netherlands. It allows retailers to see which frames and parts are in stock and which are due to arrive in the company's warehouse.

Basso is committing to keeping two or three colors available at all times for its more popular bike and frame models. Other colors and models will usually require a three-week production time.

DNA's Dyste said he supports the decision to move to the B2B system.

"They have about 200 SKUs in their line, and our company is not very large, so it was difficult to have everything available to the dealers. This way, they've been able to lower their prices and increase margins and make all the colors and component options available," he said.

Dyste will represent Basso in the Midwest. DNA Imports continues to distribute Dedacciai frames.

The Basso brand dates to the 1970s. The company is based in Northern Italy about 10 kilometers from Campagnolo's Vincenza headquarters. It was founded by Alessandro Basso's father, Alcide, who remains with the company. Alcide's brother Marino Basso was the 1972 world champion in the professional men's road race.

Basso continues to manufacture in Italy in its own factory, which is run in an exclusive partnership with a company that does carbon fiber manufacturing for aerospace and other industries.

Alessandro Basso said the brand currently has about 12 U.S. dealers. His goal is to have 20-25 U.S. dealers in time for this year's Interbike, where Basso will display for the first time in several years.

"It's very import that we don't open too many accounts in the same area," he told BRAIN. "Our MSRP is the price shops are going to sell at. The margins are real good but we want to give shops a decent comfort zone so there is no competitive pressure to discount."

Basso said there is no minimum order size, but the company wants to work with dealers who will keep bikes on the sales floor.

"We pay so much attention to the finish and the appearance of our bikes that we want the final customer to see it in person, not just in a catalog," he said.

RENO, Nev. (BRAIN) — YT Industries is looking for shops to assemble, repair and provide regular maintenance for its line of mountain bikes in the U.S. The German bike brand began selling direct to consumers through its website earlier this year and now is reaching out to retailers interested in becoming YT Service Centers.

Freerider Cam Zink, who's heading up the U.S. franchise for YT along with his brother, said he's still working out the details of the program. For example, how would bike assembly be covered. The bike shop's assembly price could be split between YT and the consumer, for example.

But shops that sign up as service centers would be listed on YT's U.S. website and consumers who buy online would be referred to their closest service center for any repairs or bike assembly.

"It may include a free yearly tune-up for customers, or if a customer has a warranty problem, we would pay the shop to take the bike apart and ship it back to us so the customer wouldn't have to," said Zink.

Zink says the shops wouldn't carry any complete bikes from YT, but could stock items like YT-branded T-shirts or derailleur hangers. YT would send participating dealers service manuals and information on the bikes.

"We got the idea from YT's New Zealand and Australian franchisee," Zink said. "But he's shipping consumer orders to shops. We're not."

Zink said the goal is to eventually, as a customer buys a bike online, the closest YT service center to the purchase address would be printed on the order.

"We don't have that capability just yet, but hopefully soon," he said. "It's something that's needed," Zink added about service shops. "Consumer direct is here and it's going to stay. It's a good step to keep shops involved and as part of the process."

Travis Lucas is manager of Sagebrush Cycles in Bend, Ore., one of the first shops that have signed on with YT as a service center. Lucas, who's known Zink for a long time, said he was approached by Zink before he had the chance to approach him about it. Sagebrusch Cycles carries bikes from Pivot, Rocky Mountain, BH and Felt, among others.

"Online sales are going up," Lucas said. "A lot of people can't finish the assembly of a bike they bought online so they bring them in. And the parts, when they break, we'll be fixing them. Everyone needs a bike shop to call their home. And a lot of our customers are already interested in YT. Zink's also a good friend and we want to be there to help him."

Retailers can email Zink at info@ytindustries-usa.com or call (775) 250-7087 if they're interested in applying.

OLATHE, Kan. (BRAIN) — Garmin's overall revenues were flat in the first quarter, but its fitness division — which includes its cycling-related products — grew by 31 percent, the company announced Wednesday.

Sales for the period ending March 28 totaled $585 million, up just slightly from the $583 million recorded in the same period last year.

Auto-related sales, still Garmin's biggest business, were down 11 percent, and outdoor sales were down 10 percent.

But the fitness division grew from $100 million last year to $131 million. The quarter included the launch of several new fitness wearables.

Gross margin for the fitness division was 63 percent while operating margin declined to 26 percent, a decline the company attributed to increased advertising and R&D expenses.

The company noted that in addition to the new fitness wearables introduction, it launched updated versions of its Vector power meter pedals.

Garmin's Virb action camera business is part of its outdoor division, which saw a decline in sales from $84 million last year to $76 million this year. The company noted that it recently introduced several new models of the Virb, but they won't start shipping unitl the second quarter this year.

Garmin also said the strength of the U.S. dollar negatively affected revenue by approximately $38 million, or 7 percent, in the first quarter.

"We were able to deliver solid operating results and consistent pro forma EPS in the first quarter despite the negative impact of a stronger U.S. dollar compared to other major currencies," said Cliff Pemble, Garmin's president and chief executive officer. "These results highlight our ability to capitalize on growth opportunities in the near-term while still investing in our market share position and long-term product roadmap through increased advertising and research and development expense. These investments are expected to generate ongoing growth potential in 2015 and future years."

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. (BRAIN) — Interbike on Thursday opened registration for all attendees including retailers, distributors, media and others. Hotel room blocks are now open as well, with lodging options available through Interbike's official travel partner, Travel Planners.

The show returns to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, beginning with OutDoor Demo in Boulder City, Nev., Sept. 14-15, followed by the Interbike Expo Sept. 16-18, 2015.  

This year's show features several new features including:

• Activating "The Manifesto for Change:" A tactical strategy presentation and discussion on how to move the needle on the 12 tenets of the Manifesto of Change. This TedTalk-style approach will feature keynote presenters who will deliver actionable strategies for your businesses to garner new customers.
• 2015 Bike Fit Symposium – Curated by leading bike fitters, this session will dive deep into today's modern fit philosophies, demonstrate how fit and today's corresponding tools are both a profit center and a time saver in your stores, and show how modern notions of fit are transforming new bike design. Not only will attendees be able to learn and engage during the symposium at Interbike, written and video curriculum will be available pre and post show.
• Embracing the Movement: The New Era of Electric is Here – You can't ignore it and hope that it goes away anymore. Instead it's time to get on board and figure out how your store can capitalize on this exciting new trend in our industry. A panel of industry experts will help de-bug the myths surrounding e-bikes and will share just how easy it is to get up to speed on selling and servicing these new profit centers in your stores.
• Mann U Leadership and Management Event - Designed for specialty retail owners and management in the cycling industry looking for a strategic vision and personal leadership skills for stronger, sustainable results. This four-hour session is filled with compelling insights on specialty retail leadership, retail metrics to evaluate employees, how to manage conflict and hiring best practices along with compensation and reward programs.
• Mann U Gear Training Event - The GEAR seminar designed for specialty retail owners, managers and trainers in the cycling industry, goes through a one-of-a-kind sales management training process that will look at how to increase both sales and customer loyalty. Attendees will learn how to approach their sales staff to exhibit different behavior, resulting in improved sales performance, achieve more closed sales and a higher average selling process.

To register for Interbike 2015, or for more information, go to www.interbike.com.

More information on Interbike's hotel blocks can be found at interbike.com/hotel-and-travel/hotel.htm

SILVER SPRING, Md. (BRAIN) – The Sports & Fitness Industry Association this week released its 2015 participation report that ranked sports activities by number of participants. Road bicycling ranked 7th on the survey's top 10 list with 20.4 million core participants in 2014. The study defines a core participant as someone who biked 26 or more times per year. How the SFIA defines regular participants varies by activity.

The SFIA's top 10 core participation activities (by number of participants):

1. Walking for fitness (50+ times/year): 76.8 million
2. Running/jogging (50+ times/year): 28 million
3. Treadmill (50+ times/year): 27.7 million
4. Stretching (50+ times/year): 26 million
5. Free weights (hand weights) under 15 lbs. (50+ times/year): 24.8 million
6. Weight resistance machines (50+ times/year): 21.2 million
7. Bicycling (Road/Paved) (26+ times/year): 20.4 million
8. Free weights (dumbbells) over 15 lbs. (50+ times/year): 19 million
9. Fishing (freshwater/other) (8+ times/year): 17.9 million
10. Stationary cycling (recumbent/upright) (50+ times/year): 17.4 million

The SFIA says the report provides granular detail on active Americans — who is doing what and how much they are doing it.

"It should come as no surprise that the fitness lifestyle continues to dominate the list," said Cameron Jacobs, SFIA's research manager. "All of the top 10 activities provide flexibility to the participant in that they can be performed individually, are easily accessible, and determined by the participant's schedule."

The 2015 SFIA Sports, Fitness and Leisure Activities Topline Participation Report, conducted by Sports Marketing Surveys USA, provide overall, casual, and core participation numbers for more than 120 different sports and activities.

Findings are from online interviews carried out during January and February of this year. A total of 10,778 online interviews were carried out with a nationwide sample of individuals and households from a U.S. panel of more than 1 million people operated by Synovate/IPSOS.

The 2015 SFIA Sports, Fitness and Leisure Activities Topline Participation Report is free to current SFIA members and $99 for non-members. More information about the report can be found at sfia.org.

BERLIN (BRAIN) — Vittoria has received an award for its successful commercial use of the new carbon material, graphene.

Graphene, considered a "two-dimensional" material because it is just one atom thick,  was discovered in 2003.  Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov won the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010 for their work with graphene.

While the material has received much media attention and its potential is considered enormous, its commercial applications are still relatively small. According to one report, the total market for graphene in all industries last year was $9 million. 

Vittoria received the Commercialization Award from IDTechEx, a U.K.-based emerging technology firm. The award was announced the recent Printed Electronics Euro trade show in Germany.

Vittoria uses pristine graphene provided by Directa Plus in some of its new carbon-rim wheel models for road racing and mountain biking. It's one of the first commercial applications of graphene in a bicycle product. The company said that graphene increases rim strength and lateral stiffness by 50 percent, while reducing weight by 15 percent and improving braking heat management.

"Since September we are the first and only company producing and selling our carbon wheels with graphene in increasing numbers all around the world. Some are already used as service wheels in the big professional bike races. Our carbon wheels show a dramatic improvement of heat dissipation and significant increased material strength. The combination of our high-performance wheel and tire products with pristine Graphene is an innovative development that unlocks a whole new level of uncompromised performance," said Rudie Campagne, president and founder of Vittoria Industries Ltd. 

Vittoria also plans to use graphene in new road and mountain bike tires set to be introduced later this year. Catlike also reportedly uses graphene in some helmet models. 

More information: printedelectronicsworld 2015 award winners | vittoria.com/wheel/qurano-46/

SAN MATEO, Calif. (BRAIN) — GoPro recorded its second-highest revenue quarter in company history in the first quarter this year, registering sales of $363 million and operating income of $22.3 million.

The company said the top five best-selling camera/camcorders in the U.S. are all GoPro models.

"We are making investments in talent, technology, software and innovative new products that will fuel growth and strengthen GoPro's ecosystem,” said company founder and CEO Nicholas Woodman.

Revenue in the period was up 54 percent. Gross margin was 45.1 percent, up from 40.9 percent in the same period last year. Adjusted EBITDA of $56.5 million increased 97.4 percent compared with $28.6 million in the first quarter of 2014.

The sales ranking was according to NPD Group figures based on unit sales. For dollar sales, GoPro devices accounted for three of the top five products, including the No. 1 spot. GoPro was also the leader in accessory unit sales with seven of the top 10 selling accessories.

GoPro also announced this week that it was acquiring  the virtual reality company Kolor. 

GoPro went public last June. The company's stock is traded on the NYSE under the GPRO symbol, and its stock performance is tracked on BRAIN's stock page. 

OSAKA, Japan (BRAIN) — Shimano is on a roll, pocketing an extra $518.7 million in new business last year and adding to that $187.7 million in additional sales it earned over the first quarter ended in March. The company has grown so fast and picked up so much additional market share that suppliers are worrying about its ability to maintain delivery dates.

Sales over the first quarter of this year were $824 million (98.022 billion yen), a 30 percent increase over sales of $636.3 million a year earlier. Shimano's bike sales increased 34 percent to $688.8 million. Growth in the company's other divisions was slower: Fishing sales grew 10 percent to $134.5 million, and the company's other business fell 12 percent to $714,500.

The extra business came from growth in all major markets, as well as being helped by the depreciation of the yen. Steady bike sales during the European and U.S. winters suggest the market is shifting away from sports use to everyday transportation in these two big markets. Japan's bike market was just the opposite as strong growth in its sports segment offset falling city-bike sales. Sales to China, which had been growing robustly quarter over quarter, were flat compared with last year.

Such strong growth in the company's bicycle division caused it to revise its 2015 forecast up to 357 billion yen, projecting 7 percent growth in 2015.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (BRAIN) — Derek Bouchard-Hall, a former pro cyclist who most recently was an executive at the UK-based e-commerce company Wiggle, is set to become the next CEO and president of USA Cycling. In June Bouchard-Hall will replace Steve Johnson, who is stepping down after nine years in the position.

"After an extensive search process, we are thrilled to have chosen Derek for the remarkably unique and relevant experience he brings to USA Cycling," said Bob Stapleton, the chairman of USA Cycling's board of directors. "He has deep insight into cycling enthusiasts and a track record of successful customer engagement as an executive at Wiggle."

Originally from Massachusetts, Bouchard-Hall began a cycling career while attending Princeton University. He raced at the track world championships and as a member of the Mercury pro road team, won the U.S. Pro Criterium Championship in 2000 and raced in Europe, participating in events including Paris-Roubaix and Ghent-Wevelgem. He competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics in the team pursuit, finishing 10th.

After retiring from cycling in 2002, he attained an MBA from Harvard Business School and began a career in consulting with Ernst & Young in Boston and then with McKinsey in London. He joined Wiggle in 2011 where he rose to assume leadership of the company's international business. He and his family will be relocating to Colorado Springs, Colo., later this year.

Bouchard-Hall said, "I could not be more excited to be returning to the sport I love at this time in its history. We hope to capitalize on the very positive aspects of cycling, including the growth of women's cycling and the broadening of participation in cycling by those seeking to improve their fitness and well-being. I can't wait to get started."

"Derek's business experience is a tremendous asset, but it is his track record of engaging with customers that convinced us he is right for the role," said Alex Nieroth, a member of the USAC board and its selection committee. "His experience and instincts unquestionably align with the direction we seek for USA Cycling moving forward."