The Grind: Panaracer is now Abus Pro Gravel

The Grind is a weekly column on all things gravel.

One of the most recognized gravel teams in the United States has rebranded from Panaracer to Abus. Okay, so the full title of the team was Panaracer/Factor presented by Bicycle X-Change. But to most gravel racers, they were just Panaracer. And Panaracer for the past six years found great success with wins at Unbound (formerly Dirty Kanza 200), Gravel Worlds, Barry Roubaix, and The Mid South, among other events.

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For 2021 they will be racing — if they are racing — with the logo of the German security brand on their kits.

While the team’s name has changed, most of the riders’ names have not. Still here on Abus Pro Gravel are Kae Takeshita (shown above), John Borstelmann, Spencer Seggebruch, veteran pro roadie Scott Moninger, and VeloNews coaching columnist Zach Nehr. Team owner and rider Bob Cummings remains the anchor of the team.

“Abus has been a fantastic sponsor and we believe in the company and its products,” Cummings said. “The helmets, equipment, and sponsorship Abus provides is crucial in the team’s performance to be able race at the top level.”

Mat Stephens, who won the 2017 DK 200 among other big gravel races, is no longer with the team. I reached out to him but haven’t yet heard back as to his plans for 2021.

Many 2021 gravel races have already been canceled or postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, but some racers and organizers are hopeful about late summer and fall events still being held.

Abus Pro Gravel 2021 roster:

John Borstelmann
Spencer Seggebruch
Zach Nehr
Scott Moninger
Hugo Scala Jr.
Bob Cummings
Mike Marchand
Kae Takeshita
Christie Tracy
Lindsey Stevenson
Team Manager Becky Cummings