March 11, 2009 – After weeks of closed-door meetings, dozens of skype calls, and death threats if the word leaks out, Evil Bikes and MS-Racing jointly announce the formation of an all-new UCI Trade Team for 2009. The new Evil Bikes/MS-Racing Team combines the upstart Evil brand with the World Cup winning success of MS-Racing’s management.

The team roster is a mix of young talent and experienced podium riders who have been selected to represent Evil in the company’s launch onto the World Cup scene.

Leading off is 19-year old Canadian Stevie Smith. Steve joined Evil at the New Year and since then has been the envy of every grom on internet bike forums by being one of the select few who have been putting in runs on the new Revolt downhill frame. The Vancouver Island pinner is looking to follow-up on his breakout ’08 year in the Elite field and hopes to step onto a World Cup podium this season for Evil Bikes/MS-Racing.

Another new addition to MS-Racing’s roster is Filip Polc. While Filip might not be a household name in North America, the 26-year old Slovakian rider has been turning in solid results for many seasons on the World Cup circuit. The Polcster is a rarity these days in that he competes in World Cup downhill and 4X events as well as the occasional Mega Avalanche event. Piloting the new Evil Faction frames in 4X events, Filip is looking to jump back into the podium mix for ’09.

Returning to the MS-Racing Team for a second season is 24-year old downhill ace Matti Lehikoinen. The Fin brings a strong resume to the program with two World Cup wins under his belt and a 2007 World Cup 2nd Overall ranking.

Coming off a bit of a tough 2008 season, that began with broken vertebrae and ended with both wrists broken, Matti has been rehabilitating and preparing for the 2009 campaign at the Red Bull Training Center in Austria. Getting up and coming back like that is pure Evil spirit!