Jared Graves Retires from Racing - Will Become Yeti Team Performance Coach

Feb 24, 2022
by Sarah Moore  
photo
Photos by: Dave Trumpore, Craig Grant, Sebastian Schiek


Jared Graves has announced today that he is retiring from full-time racing. His final race was the Australian National Championships last weekend, where he won the short-track cross country race. After a total of fourteen years of racing for Yeti throughout his career, most recently on the Yeti / OneUp Pro Team, Graves will remain on the Colorado brand's bikes, but will transition from racer to Team Performance Coach.

bigquotesI’m stoked to go out on top and I’m excited for the next phase of my career with the Yeti crew.Jared Graves


During his long career, Graves won world championships in 4X and Enduro, earned a bronze medal in downhill at the World Championships, represented Australia in BMX in the 2008 Olympics, and has won a total of 10 elite Australian national titles across five disciplines. Graves is also a cancer survivor after being diagnosed with a brain tumor in October 2018 and publicly battled through chemo and radiation treatments.

bigquotesJared’s work ethic and competitive drive are legendary, and we’re excited to have him continue to mentor our young racers and work with our product development team. He’s mentored some of the best in the sport – Richie Rude, Sam Willoughby, Kasper Woolley, and even a young Jack Moir, who raced for Yeti back in 2013, benefited from his wisdom.Chris Conroy, Yeti’s CEO

bigquotesJared’s mentorship over the years has had an invaluable impact on my career, my riding, and who I am as a person. I remember looking up to him in the early days of my racing career, and to have had the opportunity to work so closely with him has been an honor. While I will sorely miss racing with him and watching him between the tape, I am eternally grateful for the lessons I’ve learned from him and the friendship we share.Richie Rude

photo
For a total of fourteen years throughout his career, Jared Graves raced on Yeti.

Jared Graves has done well on the long EWS stages over the years and La Thuile has some of the biggest stages of them all.
Graves also spent four years racing for Specialized during his career.

Photo Gerard Lagana
Graves was most recently on the Yeti / OneUp Pro Team. Photo: Gerard Lagana

Graves also worked with the Yeti engineering team to develop many of their bikes, including the 303 DH, 4X full-suspension, DJ, limited run BMX bike, SB66, SB6, and SB150.

bigquotesIt’s almost impossible to overstate how much Grubby has influenced our program. He always knew what he needed to go faster and our engineering team was committed to make product to get him on the top of the box.”Steve Hoogendoorn, Chief Technology Officer at Yeti

bigquotesI owe my Career with Yeti to Jared. He trusted my skills and knowledge with his bikes from my first race with the team at the '09 World Champs in Canberra (which he won 4X). He has taught me things about bikes that I would never have learned otherwise. He’s become one of my closest mates, and I'm honoured to have worked with him for the past 13 years. I look forward to being a part of his career into the future as he continues with the Yeti Cycles team. Congratulations on an incredible career.Shaun Hughes

photo
We wish Jared all the best in his new role as Team Performance Coach!


Author Info:
sarahmoore avatar

Member since Mar 30, 2011
1,321 articles

140 Comments
  • 235 0
 I’m just glad that his health has recovered!
  • 60 0
 Indeed, Grubby beat cancer, there's no bigger prizes left to win.
  • 15 26
flag KK11 (Feb 24, 2022 at 18:02) (Below Threshold)
 Yetosterone
  • 2 0
 Amen to that.
  • 260 83
 *Must not comment on what he will use to enhance performance*
  • 135 36
 Yeti team water bottle coach.
  • 33 18
 "While I will sorely miss racing with him and watching him between the tape, I am eternally grateful for the lessons I’ve learned from him and the bidon we share."
  • 95 47
 Perfect people. who can read about a mans' incredible career and have their only reaction to put the needle in, one more time. I feel sorry for you guys, such small people.
  • 12 14
 @codypup: They're just jealous they can't ride and conquer like Grubby. Grubby is a legend !
  • 34 23
 @codypup: actually once someone gets popped for PED. They cease to be newsworthy
  • 32 7
 @codypup: PED offenses don't age well in cycling.
  • 19 48
flag codypup (Feb 24, 2022 at 15:24) (Below Threshold)
 @weebleswobbles: No, once people make the same tired wisecracks for the umpty-hundredth time, that ceases to be newsworthy and is just tedious. Did you think we forgot or something? BTW, you are getting smaller by the minute.
  • 10 1
 @codypup: Even his competitors wondered when he was going to cross the line. Come on.
  • 50 25
 @codypup: Incredible career? He got caught doping. His career, like all the other dopers we are unfortunately plagued with in cycling, has so little value anymore.
  • 7 10
 I guess he won’t be using Higenamine or Oxilofrine. Once bitten, twice shy…plus your plausible deniability goes out the window.

m.pinkbike.com/news/exclusive-richie-rude-and-jared-graves-failed-drug-test-at-ews-france.html
  • 15 1
 @codypup: it wasn’t a needle it was a bottle ;-)
  • 27 37
flag TheSlayer99 FL (Feb 24, 2022 at 19:12) (Below Threshold)
 @codypup: the fact that the first reaction to him retiring is bullshit doping claims is incredibly disrespectful to his career, his work ethic and overall Jared as a person. People always look for something to hate in success and it’s just shitty when there’s no reason for it most of the time. Jared Graves is an all time great in the sport and one of the best all around bike riders and nothing will change that. People needing to write off the multiple world titles in multiple disciplines he won, as well as him surviving cancer to feel good about themselves just shows how incredible an athlete he is, and how shitty those people are.
  • 27 2
 Interesting read this.

MTBer that gets done doping = great guy, you’ve got to look past it
Roadie that gets done doping = not so much
  • 14 2
 I'm a big fan of Grubby. His battle for EWS overall against JC is legendary. I was really glad when I heard that he beat the cancer. F*ck cancer!

As much as I like him though, that one positive test really makes me question his wins. I don't doubt his work ethics. PED alone won't make you win races. But when only a few seconds can determine whether you stand on the top step of the podium or that lonely almost-but-not-fast-enough 4th place, PED usage may give that extra two or three seconds.

I sincerely want to believe that it was an honest mistake. A bad batch by his supplement sponsors. But, there will always be a tiny sliver of doubt about his racing performance.

At the end of the day, I am still a fan of Grubby. But maybe not as a racer anymore, just a mountain biker and human in general.
  • 7 1
 @rifu: exactly, I’ve always been a fan of him and the way he has managed to be so successful across multiple disciplines and I’d like to think that it was a one off accident and nothing he (or Rude) could do about it. But there have been far too many athletes cheating without being caught for a long time who then either turn around and admit to it once they’re caught or are found guilty in retrospect for me not to look at his previous career without a little suspicion.
  • 10 4
 @TheSlayer99: you lose all respect and all credibility when you are found to cheat. It brings into question all those previous titles. Especially when the circumstances are so hilarious. It is quite right that it gets reacted on as it serves as a reminder to others. He might be the nicest guy etc etc but he cheated himself and the sport. I would not have him as my coach because his stigma rubs on me. Salazar and olympian Mo Farar for example.
I will look no further than one Lance Armstrong……
  • 2 20
flag TheSlayer99 FL (Feb 25, 2022 at 5:38) (Below Threshold)
 @ilovedust: I missed the part where I asked for your opinion
  • 24 3
 @TheSlayer99: I missed the part where I valued yours
  • 2 20
flag TheSlayer99 FL (Feb 25, 2022 at 5:57) (Below Threshold)
 @ilovedust: they say you can’t argue with stupid and you’re really showing why that’s true
  • 8 1
 @TheSlayer99: well incidentally I think its you that is actually proving that point by getting immature about me challenging your point.
You are giving me a laugh at your expense though so feel free to continue embarrassing yourself publicly and I will check back and comment if required or can be bothered to give you further time in my valuable day of doing not much.
  • 1 18
flag TheSlayer99 FL (Feb 25, 2022 at 6:12) (Below Threshold)
 @ilovedust: your claims have nothing to stand on. You’re just looking for reasons to hate Jared Graves and I think that’s hysterical. It makes me laugh that people like you can’t just respect success.
  • 5 9
flag StFred (Feb 25, 2022 at 6:13) (Below Threshold)
 The exam he caught cheating was the only and one test he taken in his entire career. So, let's deny all the achievements. Nice logic.
  • 9 1
 @StFred: I had no idea Graves failed 100% of the doping tests he took. It is really unlucky he had 2 PEDs in the system that day, its not fair when that happens to a respectable guy with unquestionable success.
  • 5 0
 @rifu: Yours is a great take, and I feel similarly.

When this happened, there were some comments from competitors to the effect of "It was only a matter of time". He'd been riding the line for a while with what he was taking, along with other EWS racers as well.

The "tainted supplement" defense doesn't carry any water (pardon the pun), especially with one of the substances involved here. And then falling on his sword for rude with the shared water bottle excuse... come on.

It's not quite Tyler's vanishing twin or Valv/Piti's dog, but it's still playing with fire.

That third place in the DH World's on a single-crown is still amazing.
  • 5 3
 @TheSlayer99: doesn't matter what all you win or for how long, you get caught cheating once you will always be a cheater
  • 3 0
 @ilovedust: burn of 2022 so far I'd say...
  • 153 8
 His career must have been impressive due to the BMX background
  • 70 3
 Dang. What a career. Years of success in multiple cycling disciplines and going out with speed and a victory. Also congrats for maintaining such a tight relationship with Yeti for all these years. That's also a great accomplishment in sports where people shift around quite a bit.
  • 106 37
 Dope news.
  • 99 36
 As long as he ain’t the water boy they’ll be great!
  • 22 12
 Him being the water boy is exactly why they will be great
  • 17 49
flag Confluence-Outdoors (Feb 24, 2022 at 14:08) (Below Threshold)
 Mistakenly upvoted this one when it deserved my down vote. Jared is one of greatest of all time and has mentored one of greatest while being an all around awesome guy.. That is his legacy.
  • 9 2
 @Confluence-Outdoors: mentored one of the greatest who also turns out to be a cheater.
  • 68 28
 Remember team, hydration is important.
  • 33 2
 Guy is a Legend!!!
  • 31 4
 B M X B A C K G R O U N D
  • 1 1
 I can’t decide if the extra B at the end of BMX is just trolling or what
  • 2 0
 @babathehutt: it stands for
B
M
X
B A C K G R O U N D
  • 6 0
 @bkm303:

B M X
A
C
K
G
R
O
U
N
D
  • 31 11
 It's a Grave day, Yet-i can't help but feel good for the guy!
  • 22 1
 Bring back the Yeti DJ.
  • 7 1
 & 4x!
  • 9 1
 & 303!
  • 1 0
 And yeti flash games !
  • 18 2
 Didn't he just win an Aus XC national championship in short track? Still obviously up to the task riding or coaching.
  • 9 2
 Yep he’s still winning everything here in Australia. Had a crash in Aus xco nationals. Came out next day and won the xco race.
  • 15 2
 He was known as the guy who trained the hardest back in the day. Him and Justin Leov were on another level in terms of training very early in their careers. Gwin came into that environment and then dominated the world cup with it. He's got allot to offer MTB so it's awesome he's still getting after it.
  • 10 10
 @inside-plus: He and Leov were also known for riding the line on supplements as well.
  • 1 0
 even more...he won XC national champs with an important fork problem in 2014
  • 16 4
 His EWS rider journals that Yeti used to publish were some of my favorite articles on this site. I still go back today and read his stories and photos from Winter Park, CO. Big inspiration to me when I was growing up and learning to ride, hard to believe that was almost 10 years ago
  • 13 3
 Well deserved. I met him during 2021 Yeti Gathering in Durango at Purgatory Resort. He is super cool and down to earth. On the day of the group ride, he skipped the lift and rode his SB130(?) to the top and then rode 30 miles of what I would consider grueling, coming from slightly above sea level. This was before the SB160E was even revealed. Dude is still a beast on a bike and would easily out climb and out descend any of us normies.
  • 32 22
 One of the greatest mountain bikers of all time and people bring up a dirty water bottle.... So a life time of achievement and admiration is nullified by a banned pre-workout? You guys need a reality check. or maybe a trip down the "Natty or not" rabbit hole. Poor judgment for sure but pre-workout does not equal steroid cycle and EPO lol.
  • 21 14
 That's just what he got caught with
  • 9 6
 @mr-moose: that statement applies to everyone though. If you think he was doing a lot worse then what makes you believe it was only him?
  • 7 0
 @Steve0001: you're completely right, I don't believe he was alone. Richie was caught too but I'd be amazed if it ended there.
  • 4 1
 @Steve0001: but of the 9 riders tested on that fateful day only two popped hot for not 1 "preworkout" but 2 banned items. Team yeti. Graves and Rude.
  • 4 2
 @weebleswobbles: Anyone else think it's strange that instead of distancing themselves from the dopers, Yeti renewed their contracts even though they weren't allowed to race. I'm sure they had a statement at the time but can't be arsed to look for it.
  • 3 0
 @mr-moose:
Look at the Roadie scene, if you remove all directeur sportifs, coaches and managers with a PED-tainted past or even bans there would be a lot of job openings. Acceptance of doping and continuing employment of proven dopers by race teams unfortunately is a big part of professional bike racing and professional sports in general.

That`s why I like people calling out dopers here and at every given chance, even against a benevolent and forgiving majority, because it raises awareness and maybe one day somebody with morals but under pressure when young and ambitious thinks twice about the possible lifelong public stigma and repercussions before taking PED.
  • 21 9
 Graves with the special gravy ;pp
  • 10 1
 You build a hundred bridges and you're a bridge-builder, but you f@ck one goat you'll always be a goat-f#cker
  • 11 4
 15 year old Russian minor fails a drugs test - the world goes crazy with rage Fully grown american man fails a drugs test - what a guy You see the issue here. You can't have it both ways.
  • 2 4
 The subject of this article (Jared) is definitely not American.

And if you’re referring to Richie, then stating he is universally supported by riders after his positive test is ignorant.

Read the comments in any Graves/Rude article. Plenty of condemnation. So no need to woke troll everyone.
  • 7 2
 It is funny how all the idiots say, don't be that guy and talk about the drug taking (as was the case Richie Rude article the other week). Ha, eat a d!ck. If you get caught cheating accept people will never forget, it will also make them question other success you have had etc. However a shitty end to an amazing career. peace
  • 9 2
 One of my favorite racers of all time! He has got to be one of the most well-rounded riders around and beat brain cancer!
  • 5 1
 Dang, what an inspiration. I remember watching the post race video that Yeti put out from the 2009 Canberra 4X world champs, hit me right in the feels. He is an awesome ambassador for the sport, and should be looked up to for his insane work ethic. I still hold onto the last edition Yeti DJ hoping the sport makes a resurgence because of him... Congrats on the amazing career Jared!
  • 8 1
 One of the true pioneers of EWS.
  • 7 2
 Incredible, inspiring guy-- in his personal life and his career. Probably one of the greatest, all-around cyclists of our time!
  • 5 2
 Jared is a mountain bike legend with the record that proves it... more talent and work ethic than most people will ever fully appreciate. Congrats Jared and good luck in your new role.
  • 2 0
 I have met Jared on several occasions and he remains one of the most down to earth guys of MTB. At a world cup in Schladming I broke my handlebars on Graves suggestion I went handlebar shopping in the Yeti pit. Damian pulled of a set of handlebars from a team bike and gave it to me along with a good luck from the riders (Blinky and Graves). I still have that set of Sunline bars.
  • 24 17
 The CEO of EPO.
  • 5 1
 Yeah, this makes sense. I'd be pretty sick and tired of winning if I were him too.
  • 2 1
 What an icon. I remember tracking his progress through Yeti's promotional videos back when their fleet was the 575, ASR7, 303 DH, etc. Became a fan and loved hearing about him on 4x back then. Glad to hear he's doing well!
  • 5 1
 was he still racing ? lol
  • 1 0
 Just came here to drop this quote of Grubby: "If you call yourself a "mountainbiker" and you don't love it all (DH, enduro and XC) then you're doing it wrong!"
  • 6 3
 I was hoping for him to return to EWS racing. The mans a legend
  • 2 2
 One of the first guys I really looked up to when I got into mountain biking back in 2004. I watched so many of his videos--I just loved his aggressive yet stylish control of the bike.
  • 3 3
 This guy is a true inspirational....Monster of strengh in sport and in life.... beautiful and powerfull in any bike he road.... MONSTER ....thanks for your love on bikes ...cheeers mate...ROCKON
  • 2 0
 youtu.be/o0M3s_SvfIA anyone else remembers?
  • 9 7
 He made a graves decision
  • 13 10
 THAT'S DOPE!
  • 3 1
 Congrats to Jared. Much to be proud of.
  • 2 0
 Don't think I'll buy a Yeti anytime soon.
  • 1 0
 One a bad ass rider. Incredible talent
  • 7 7
 One of these days Yeti will figure out that Fox doesn't use that logo anymore.
  • 1 0
 Oh yeah?? How would you know?? Wait... lol
  • 1 0
 @whattheheel: Anyone that's even remotely paid attention over the last 10 years should know this. It's relatively straight forward... what's on their website? What's on the fork decals?
  • 1 0
 But it has a tail!!!! lol
  • 1 0
 @whattheheel: Suppose they at least got that right. LOL.
  • 3 3
 ...watch the gate...and Jared was 2 meters ahead of the other riders...totally legend.
  • 1 3
 L-E-L-O
  • 1 0
 @Btrails: JG was specialist at 4x starts, being ahead of his rivals most of races‍♂️
  • 6 6
 ‘I’m stoked to go out on top’ did he not finish last in a ebike race?
  • 11 1
 That’s actually how you win an ebike race - by being the person that gave the least farks about winning the ebike race.
  • 2 1
 @mick06: pretty sure he was trying though
  • 1 1
 GRAVES = yeti and JT and JF and Miles and xxx
  • 4 3
 Titan
  • 16 16
 Here just drink from this water bottle your race will go fine
  • 1 1
 I wonder who is going to race the Yeti 160e now?
  • 8 8
 Will they be bringing on Michele Ferrari as team doctor as well?
  • 2 0
 Rumor is Grigory Rodchenkov will be joining the staff as well.
  • 2 2
 Class Act and tough as nails!!
  • 1 2
 Congrats on a great career!!!!
  • 1 1
 cette fois, Jared
  • 2 5
 Still can’t believe Pinkbike left him of the list of the best cyclist
  • 4 2
 He is on list best dope excuses
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