“In terms of marketing for companies, we’re seeing the whole U.S. and worldwide markets shifting that way,” he said. “The gravel scene is just booming, and it gave me confidence the time is right.”
“There’s so much fun and personality to these events,” he said. “You can be more of a whole athlete. You’re engaging with the fans. I felt the beauty of the cycling community again. It’s still about racing and being competitive, but it’s also showing you’re just more than a Watt Robot.”
“It is a hard decision to make,” he said. “I believe it’s worth it. This new challenge will lengthen my career and a bonus is I will be based more in the USA. One of the mantras in my career is “A happy racer is a fast racer.”
“It makes sense for a lot of sponsors, but for the Euro managers, we didn’t see eye-to-eye. The main issue was that their responsibility is to win road races and the Euro-centric sponsorship model made it difficult for them to justify the gravel side gig."
“My sponsor model is going to be a bit different,” he said. “Luckily, I am partnering with companies that see the value in what I’m doing. I am confident how it’s going to work out, both on and off the bike. My partners and I have a plan that will radicalize the traditional sponsored pro format and I think will ultimately be more fulfilling both personally and for the industry.”
“Let’s be clear — this is not a retirement. It’s a transition,” Stetina said. “I’m in my prime physically. I’m happy and still hungry, but I realized there is more to achieve in a different realm.”
