Tinker Juarez announces split with Cannondale in now-deleted social media post
Mountain Bike Hall of Fame member, World Cup winner and two-time Olympian Juarez first signed with Cannondale in 1994 as part of the legendary Volvo / Cannondale team and received the Icon Award of the brand in 2005. Juarez still runs there. day and won the 60-64 category at this year’s Masters World Championships in Pra Loup.
After more than 25 years, it looks like Juarez’s time with the brand is over. He said in a now deleted Facebook post:
“Hello everyone, if you haven’t heard or not, Cannondale is ditching me because they don’t have the budget to keep me, $ 25,000 is not a lot for a cyclist who has been racing since almost 50 years old and I don’t have time to write down everything I have done, but I can guarantee that I have sold more bikes than anyone racing for Cannondale. I gave my life to promote Cannondale and i believe i run as much as your best xc racer and more so how can you just let down the best ambassador in sport i got this very powerful and touching text from my fan paul today after my ride it told me, “If Cannondale lets you down after all you’ve done to represent the brand, I’ll boycott them forever! They should grant you Lifetime Ambassador status because you’re the greatest of all. time. You are a legend and you inspire me to keep riding. God bless you. ” These words struck me and I am very grateful to Paul for these kind words. I know there are 10,000 people who think like me, please post your feeling because it’s not fair to do it so cold and unexpectedly. “
Cannondale responded to Juarez’s announcement with an official statement.
“Since the start of the Volvo-Cannondale team in 1994, our riders have inspired a generation of riders, and there has been no more inspiring and ambitious rider since the early days of ATV racing than Tinker Juarez. For the past 27 years, Cannondale has supported Tinker’s journey which included racing at the top of the sport and showcasing cycling in the boom era of mountain bike racing through current competitions and events.
“Tinker is one of the most recognized cross country runners in the world. We celebrated nearly three decades of competition together where he represented Cannondale and his partners with an inspiring commitment to his craft and his fans. We will always be grateful for the time we shared with Tinker on two wheels.
“A true legend of the sport, a member of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, two-time member of the US Olympic team, 7x US national champion (XC category and 24 hours solo), World Cup winner and world champion Masters, Tinker did and won it all.
“To better align with its goals in the coming years, Tinker has decided to seek a different level of support than that offered by Cannondale, from another cycling partner. We will forever be one of his biggest fans and grateful for the contributions Tinker has made to Cannondale, the sport of mountain biking and the cycling community at large.
Thanks, Tinker. “
We have reached out to Tinker for comment and will continue to update this story as it evolves.
