Florian Nicolai Announces Departure From Canyon Factory Racing

Dec 16, 2019
by James Smurthwaite  

After a stunning season that saw him just miss out on the overall EWS title, Florian Nicolai has announced he is leaving Canyon for a new team in 2020. Nicolai joined the German team at the start of the 2018 season and only failed to finish in the top 10 three times in two seasons. His crowning achievement with the team was his maiden EWS win at round two in Tasmania round in March this year.

bigquotesToday I would like to thank Canyon and all the staff who accompanied me during these two years, and who allowed me to carry out two exceptional seasons!! thank you guys you are amazing!!! Now it's time for me to start new projects! Stay connected, news are coming—Florian Nicolai

bigquotesThanks for the last two amazing years, your hard work and dedication for racing was shown in this year's epic championship battle. The memories will last a lifetime, see you on the race track!—Canyon Factory Racing

Pinned and into second for Florian Nicolai

We've no official news on where Nicolai is heading next but he recently posted a picture of his passport and some plane tickets with the destination Madison, Wisconsin, which likely means the obvious conclusion, that Schwinn is fielding an EWS team next year.

Earlier this week we reported that Ines Thoma has extended her contract with Canyon so that just leaves Dimitri Tordo's future yet to be settled left from the team. Will Florian be replaced by a new rider or are Canyon scaling down their enduro operation to make room for something else? We'll update you with more information as we get it.

Posted In:
Racing and Events Enduro Racing Racing Rumours Canyon Florian Nicolai Enduro World Series


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60 Comments
  • 50 0
 "the obvious conclusion, that Schwinn is fielding an EWS team next year." LOL!! That's cold shit. Wink
  • 35 0
 He will racing the 2020 Schwinn Homegrown Enduro. Just heard it from Wiki.
  • 18 0
 Yea I read the same. I already pre-ordered his pro model RST factory fork.
  • 10 0
 This would make me so happy.
  • 7 0
 Pull shock?!
  • 5 1
 Team Radio Flyer already has it in the bag, so it makes no difference.
  • 11 0
 He will ride Nicolai for real this time.
  • 3 0
 Schwinning!!!
  • 24 0
 I better take a trek over to the team rumors forum and see what those guys think.
  • 2 0
 Subtle.
  • 17 2
 YT has saved a massive chunk of change after Gwin left. They’ve had a good showing in DH but never in Enduro. Everyone sells more enduro bikes than DH so it makes sense to me that they might try to field a proper enduro team next. Maes, Hill, Rude, Oton were all taken. Nicolai is the best of the free agents.
  • 17 0
 Nicolaï with YT ? sounds weird definitely not his style
  • 5 1
 Remember that Specialized is closing its enduro team caus Loic Bruni makes sell Enduros much more than Demos?
  • 3 1
 The Decoy took all the money and killed Gwin
  • 2 0
 @MisterJones: by not his style do you mean he doesn’t like getting paid?
  • 1 0
 @MisterJones: Gwin was a super weird fit for YT so that won't stop them. EWS support is a logistical pain in the ass though, so I doubt they'd go there. They have a busy DH Mob year with Daveboy and the rest, so not very likely. Just a guess, though. I'm still riding my 2015 Capra and would welcome an EWS presence
  • 17 0
 I hope he rides for Nicolai next year.
  • 7 0
 Trek. Obviously. I've been a bit off Schwinn since they parted company with Jeff Lenosky. (which happened more or less when Schwinn went bankrupt, or got bought and anyway went back downmarket, having been higher end for a brief period before then. But that is all long in the past)
  • 20 0
 lol! Thanks!
  • 10 0
 Trek.
  • 1 0
 That's where my money is on board a Slash.
  • 2 0
 And the headquarters are 30 mins from Madison Airport. Would make sense.
  • 8 0
 Maybe he's just flying to Madison to throw all us armchair-racers off balance.
  • 26 0
 Naah, he's going ice-fishing on a fat bike and will document the journey and post it in an upcoming PB article.
  • 19 0
 @MMOF: #sponsoredcontent
  • 2 0
 Frenchie isnt going for the cheese. Phat chedda maybe
  • 4 0
 @won-sean-animal-chin: Cheddar is not french fromage. it's English. (Cheddar cheese is a relatively hard, off-white (or orange if colourings such as annatto are added), sometimes sharp-tasting, natural cheese. Originating in the English village of Cheddar in Somerset,[1] cheeses of this style are now produced beyond the region and in several countries around the world.)
  • 1 0
 @LessardBicycles: or a phat roll o paper but ya thanks
  • 3 0
 @LessardBicycles: cheddar is money yo
  • 2 0
 @LessardBicycles: Pfffff... everyone knows that cheddar comes from the moon, `cos the moon`s made out of cheddar. Wallace and Gromit cannot lie Smile
  • 2 0
 @softsteel:
Nope, the moon's made of Wensleydale cheese, not Cheddar!
  • 3 0
 @gmt: Ah merde! OK, I didn`t know. Thanks for the correction. I`ve checked that Wensleydale cheese on internet; seems pretty good actually :-)
  • 1 0
 @LessardBicycles: good knowledge
  • 3 0
 @LessardBicycles:

Cheddar also has one of the highest fat contents - nearly tied for #2

Here is the Cheese fat podium

1. Mascarpone
2. Stilton
3. Cheddar
  • 1 0
 @softsteel: Cracking good cheese, Gromit!
  • 8 0
 Huffys newest team member!
  • 5 0
 The Schwinn Upside-down-Duro-country Bike
  • 5 1
 Moving to Santa Cruz? Their ews team is not as strong as dh team
  • 2 0
 not as strong as SC Syndicate but fast enough to take good results
  • 3 0
 My guess would be Trek, they are based in Wisconsin from what I can remember
  • 1 0
 @adventuresbycole: that’s right
  • 3 0
 Bout time Schwinn got back in the game....
  • 1 0
 Gonna do some testing on that big mountain enduro terrain next to the Trek headquarters, ride around some gnarly af corn fields or something.
  • 1 0
 And Canyon will found a Canyon Trail Racing Team (CTRT). Just because it's totaly progressive to have an agrrassive trailrider team.
  • 1 0
 I have to give Trek credit. They have really shed the fat for the past year and crewed up with quality riders, especially in downhill. Results speak louder than big names.
  • 1 0
 specialized? dont know where they have the facilities but I know they will need more power to show the new frames
  • 2 0
 eh, when I see black and white photo I dont want open the article
  • 3 3
 " or are Canyon scaling down their enduro operation to make room for something else?" - so, the eletcric EWS is comming ... 202x decade will be the death of MTB.
  • 1 0
 He was posting an electric plug in the comment section... maybe he's joining the WES
  • 1 0
 Will he be able to hold Sam off if he's on a Session?
  • 2 1
 Heard it was Vitus.
  • 8 0
 Never heard anything about Flo, but I did hear that Vitus would be stepping up their game with some big names. Might aswell be him.
  • 3 3
 Canyon is a fuckin hack, good riddance and best of luck in 2020, Florian
  • 1 1
 Here we go again.....
  • 1 4
 Ibis?
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