Descente athletic bike shorts.

• Author: Peterson, Eric
• Position: Axcent Sports LLC - Descente America - Brief article

A pro bicycle racer in the 1970s and 1980s, Hugh Walton knows what goes into good cycling apparel. It follows that, after 20 years with other top industry brands, he landed the exclusive North American license to Descente--a 70-year-old Japanese athletic-apparel company that gained fame as an Olympic sponsor of speed skater Eric Heiden--and started Axcent Sports in 2003.

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Descente was the world's top cycling-apparel brand 15 years ago. "Our business plan is to hold that spot again," Walton said. Today, Descente is a "strong No. 2" to Walton's...