X-Fusion sponsors Turpen and Sawicki

X-Fusion Performance Suspension announced it will sponsor ultra-endurance racer Monique "Pua" Sawicki (Team Ergon/Ellsworth) and downhiller Evan Turpen (Iron Horse) for 2007.

A few weeks ago Sawicki kicked off 2007 on a strong note. She won not only the pro women's event at the 12 Hours of Temecula, but also the overall. She beat the pro men's winner by five minutes, even after helping a crashed rider and a rider whose light had stopped working.

New to the race scene in 2004, Hawaiian Sawicki won the marathon NORBA series that year and in 2005, when she also took the 24 Hour Solo National Championships and finished second in the 24 Hours of Adrenaline Solo World Championships. 2006 started well with a win at Vision Quest and a top 20 at Sea Otter, but a bad crash in June at the Mont Ste. Anne World Cup resulted in a month off the bike. Pua bounced back quickly to finish third at the nationals.

Up and coming Turpen has set his sights on becoming the top American downhill racer. His best season so far was 2006, and despite a three-week layoff due to a knee injury he finished in the top 10 at Crankworx and the National Championships, top 20 in almost every major American event entered, as well as fourth at the US Open. Evan represented the US at world championships in Rotorua, New Zealand, where he was the fifth American, finishing 33rd overall.

"I was fortunate to have worked with Evan previously, and am stoked to do so again," said Alex Wheeler, US Marketing Manager for X-Fusion, "Not only is he an extremely talented rider who will certainly earn podiums and victories, but he also understands suspension and is able to clearly communicate where a product excels and where improvement is needed."

Sawicki will race on X-Fusion O2 PVA and O2 RC rear shocks and the new Velvet PVA fork. Turpen will campaign on the X-Fusion Vector DH2 rear shock with Ti Spring and the Delta 8 Pro downhill fork.