One of the world’s most photographed and filmed mountain bikers ends a long affair with Rocky Mountain Bicycles and jumps the pond to sign with the German based, Rotwild. So what’s the deal? I caught up with Richie at his home in Whistler.
M: Why did it end with Rocky?
R: That’s a good question. I think there were some conflicts with their team sponsors and my personal sponsors. And I guess they just felt they didn’t have a use for me anymore. But I guess I just didn’t fit very well with the team, I had some conflicts.
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M: How long were you with Rocky for?
R: Ten years.
M: Did you plan to be with Rocky for your whole career?
R: I thought it would have been a cool idea but I can honestly say I didn’t particularly like the way things were going. As I’m getting older some of my sponsors were trying to utilize my knowledge and experience on more levels and they [Rocky] didn’t seem very interested in that.
M: Is it challenging for athletes these days, when you’ve got a full ride and you want to be able to go out and augment your sponsorship package with other companies?
R: Yeah, well, I’m pretty resourceful and if I see that we have a week spot in our team sponsorship then I see it as an opportunity to get something going. I’ve always done that and some of those allegiances became quite strong and then when they try to get a different sponsor in there, it’s kind of a conflict.
Scott Markewitz
M: So why Rotwild?
R: I was talking to a few different brands and they kind of came into the conversation later. Their attraction to me was that I’m an all around mountain biker and not just a freerider and they make all kinds of bikes and they’re happy to utilize me for everything, which is the direction I want to go.
M: Did you seek them out?
R: I asked Mike Hamel if he knew of anyone who would be interested in partnering with someone like me and he put it all together.
M: Mike Hamel, the guy who runs the Adidas slopestyle?
R: Yeah.
M: He also works for Adidas?
R: Yeah, he’s kind of a consultant.
M: Give me the full package as far as who your sponsors are right now.
M: What are you looking forward to? What do you think is going to be different?
R: Well, like always, a fresh start is always exciting—new relationships, new people. I think the bikes are going to be better, they’re lighter. Continental and Rotwild want my input and want me to help develop things so that’s really exciting.
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