{"id":119847,"date":"2026-05-05T18:00:45","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T18:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/05\/evan-wall-and-lief-rodgers-form-new-priority-race-team\/"},"modified":"2026-05-05T18:00:45","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T18:00:45","slug":"evan-wall-and-lief-rodgers-form-new-priority-race-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/05\/evan-wall-and-lief-rodgers-form-new-priority-race-team\/","title":{"rendered":"Evan Wall and Lief Rodgers form new Priority Race Team"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Two young Canadian enduro talents, Lief Rodgers and Evan Wall, have a new home. The pair will race together as the newly-formed Priority Race Team.<\/p>\n

Priority, you say? Yes, the brand that\u2019s based around Gates Belt Drive. The one that\u2019s, until recently, mainly focused on more casual and commuter bikes. But also the Priority that recently released the Vanth, a high-pivot enduro bike four years in development and, yes, still belt-driven.<\/p>\n

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Wall and Rodgers riding at home in Squamish, B.C. Photo: Priority Bicycles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Wall and Rodgers will take the Vanth to global competition for the first time as Priorities first-ever sponsored athletes.<\/p>\n

Actually, they already have. And already have a win and a podium. Rodgers won the opening round of the Canadian Enduro League in Kelowna aboard a Vanth. He then finished third in an absolutely stacked field at the Squamish Enduro over the weekend. Wall was close behind in eighth. If that doesn\u2019t cure you of any doubts that Priority has made an enduro-worthy machine, here\u2019s Rodger\u2019s pioneering an absolutely mad slab-to-slab gap during practice.<\/p>\n

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Brining Gates Belt Drive to the Enduro World Cup<\/h2>\n

While Priority won\u2019t be the first brand to bring a Gates Belt Drive to the enduro World Cup circuit (Hattie Harnden has won an EDR on one already), the team will be the minority in a field still dominated by traditional chain drivetrains.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAfter four years developing the Vanth, building on our 12-year commitment to Gates Belt Drive innovation, this is about proving performance in real race conditions,\u201d said Connor Swegle, Co-founder and CMO at Priority Bicycles. \u201cEvan and Lief are fantastic riders who are ready to show off the Vanth enduro on the world stage. Inspired by competition for Gates\u2019 DH Belted Purse,<\/a> we built this bike to perform at the highest level, and now we\u2019re putting it in the hands of enduro athletes to show how it can compete.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Lief<\/a>
Lief Rodgers. Photo: Priority Bicycles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rodgers is finding enduro success, at home and overseas, after moving over from cross country racing during his younger years.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the first lap, [the Vanth] didn\u2019t feel like anything I\u2019d ever ridden before,\u201d said Rodgers. \u201cThe suspension smooths everything out, and the silence is something everyone notices right away. There\u2019s a lot of curiosity around the bike, and after featuring it on the podium to start the Canadian Enduro series, I\u2019m excited to show what it can do in Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Evan<\/a>
Evan Wall. Photo: Priority Bicycles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Wall, winner of the 2020 Pinkbike Academy and well established on the global enduro scene with top 10 results at the Enduro World Cup, moves over to Priority after racing with, among other teams, the Devinci enduro squad.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m honoured to be chosen by Priority to help launch this team. They\u2019re building a bike that\u2019s incredibly planted and predictable when it matters most,\u201d said Wall. \u201cThat consistency helps you save energy and push harder for longer, especially on rough, steep tracks where the bike takes a lot of the abuse.\u201d<\/p>\n