It's no secret that running a successful race team isn't cheap, especially when one of your riders is the most sought after in the game. Yeti Cycles had to chose between racing the UCI World Cup downhill or the Enduro World Series in 2014. Jared Graves and Richie Rude will focus on racing the Enduro World Series, while Cam Cole will hit the UCI World Cup with a new, unannounced team.Speculation around Cam's future had already been rife following several Instagram posts showing a Commencal in his van and reports of him riding it in the first round of New Zealand's National MTB Cup this past weekend. Whilst still not officially confirmed, knowing that Cam is now a free agent makes that scenario more plausible.
Press Release:
Yeti Racing Shifts Focus and Expands Enduro Presence
Historic Racing Team Commits to Thriving Enduro Scene
(20 January 2014, Golden, Colorado) For the 2014 racing season, Yeti Cycles will focus their international race efforts solely on the Enduro World Series with a fully supported team that includes 2013 EWS 2nd Place Overall and DH World Championship Bronze medalist Jared Graves and 2013 Junior DH World Champion Richie Rude. In addition to the EWS World Cup team, Yeti will support a number of select athletes via their US National team and regional Racing Ambassadors who will race primarily in the Big Mountain Enduro Series, Oregon Enduro Series, and select EWS events.
“Racing has been the cornerstone of our product development for over twenty-five years,” said Yeti President and co-owner Chris Conroy. “We are excited about enduro racing and have athletes that are uniquely suited to the discipline. Focusing on enduro racing will allow us to concentrate our marketing and product resources exactly where enthusiasm is growing from our sponsors, supporters, and customers.”
Yeti Cycles Enduro Team
EWS World Cup Team:
- Jared Graves
- Richie Rude
US National Team:
- Mike West
- Chris Heath
Racing Ambassadors:
- Joey Schusler
- Nate Hills
- Alex Petidemange
- Sarah Rawley
Reflecting this shift in international race resources, Yeti Cycles will no longer race a World Cup DH schedule. Cam Cole will continue to race a World Cup calendar, but will not be a part of Yeti’s race program. “Cam is a great athlete and we were proud to have him on our team. While it’s sad to see Cam move on, we wish him luck.”
“World Cup DH racing isn’t done for Yeti Cycles, but our focus in the near-term is on enduro racing,” said Conroy.
Yeti Cycles 2014 Sponsors:
Fox Racing Shox, Maxxis, Shimano, DT Swiss, Giro, Renthal, Pedro’s, WTB, E Thirteen, Thomson, ODI, Chris King, Feedback Sports, Stages Cycling
About Yeti:
Yeti Cycles is a rider-owned high-end mountain bike company, based in Golden, Colorado that has crafted race-bred and hand-built bicycles since 1985. The company has over twenty-five years of racing experience and focuses its product development on making racers go faster. If you visit our offices at noon, we won’t be there – we’ll be out riding. Visit www.yeticycles.com to learn more.
1/16/2014 12:25pm
View replies to: Yeti Cycles Team Change Up - Jared Graves, Richie Rude to Focus on Enduro World Series, Cam Cole Moves to New Team
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