Multisport: Ussher to join US team

Adventure racer and Coast to Coast multisport champion Richard Ussher has accepted an offer to join one of the world's best teams, Nike ACG, of the United States.

Ussher had been looking for a new team after two of his Balance Vector teammates, Nathan Fa'avae and Kristina Anglem, retired last month.

Faced with the choice of rebuilding a New Zealand team or signing with Nike, Ussher opted to join Balance Vector's former rivals.

"It was a business decision," Ussher said.

"There weren't the right people around to put a team together and sponsorship-wise the timing wasn't right."

Ussher said he was looking forward to training and racing with Nike.

Balance Vector and Nike were widely regarded as the two best adventure racing teams in the world, and Ussher said there was a lot of mutual respect between the athletes.

"We've done a lot of racing against those guys over the years and we all get on really well they are a very professional outfit. To go across and see how the other top team operates will be interesting."

Ussher will join a squad of six athletes in the Nike team for the US and international seasons.

Nike would contest about 15 races next year, including the world championships in Sweden, Raid in Quebec and Primal Quest in the US.

Ussher is likely to join Nike in April.

Before then, he will focus on the annual Coast to Coast multisport race in the South Island in February.

The longer adventure races paid the bills but Ussher said he still preferred sprint races like the Coast to Coast.

"The shorter faster stuff is my forte but the adventure racing side is much more important.

"That's where I'm making my living so I'll keep my expectations down for the Coast to Coast I'll just take it as it comes."

- nzpa