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Tinker Juarez Signs With New Floyd's of Leadville CBD Team

Dec 21, 2021
by James Smurthwaite  
photo

Just a couple of months after being let go by Cannondale, Tinker Juarez has been announced as the lead rider on a new team supported by Floyd Landis.

Landis is a former professional road racing cyclist who is known for being the original winner of the 2006 Tour de France but later tested positive for synthetic testosterone. In recent years, he has founded Floyd's of Leadville, a CBD brand, and it is through this company he has started his racing team.

Tinker Juarez is a two-time Olympian, World Cup winner, Masters World Champion and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame member. When the news broke of Tinker being released from Cannondale, who he had been with for 25 years, Floyd was eager to sign him for 2022. Floyd said, “Tinker Juarez is a cycling legend, and almost 50 years into his career he continues to impress as a racer and ambassador for the sport. It’s my privilege to sponsor Tinker, and I look forward to the success we’ll have together."

The five-rider squad is made up of a further two men and two women, including the 2021 Unbound XL Champion Taylor Lideen, Anne Donley, Team USA U23 MTB racer Victor Cashes, and Canadian Geneviève Jeanson. Paul Thomas will serve as Team Director and racer at select events. Landis and his former US Postal Team mate David Zabriskie will also be guest racers at select events in 2022.
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Speaking on his new racing team, Landis said: “After taking a couple years away from racing, we felt the timing was right to get back into it. Bicycle racing is where our core customers spend their energy and attention and we felt that being at the races would be an important step to further grow our brand. Our aim with the program is to create a family feeling, and develop a racing culture that emphasizes the experiences and stories we will share together, more than racing results. We are looking forward to connecting with all cyclists out there.”

The team will race in both gravel and mountain bike races across North America, including the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo and the Borah Epic MTB and Gravel. The team will be riding on Squad Bicycles with further sponsorship from Elevate Data + Analytics, Hellbender Gear, Kenda Tires, infinit Nutrition, Borah Teamwear, Wren Sports, Presta Cycle, Selle Repente, Boyd Wheels, B&W International GmbH, Kask helmets, Koo Eyewear, Wahoo Fitness, and the Afgravelstan 1.0 Gravel and Music Festival.

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119 Comments
  • 160 3
 Two weirdos join forces. Good for them.
  • 6 3
 Top comment!
  • 4 1
 I didn't know that Bono was a shareholder in Floyd's. Respect.
  • 4 0
 @WasatchEnduro: He moves in Mysterious Ways
  • 71 30
 You left some key parts of Landis' career out of the article. Specifically, the part where he threw everyone under the bus to save his own skin and to collect a whistleblower paycheck.
  • 6 3
 Not to mention hacking.
  • 7 0
 Tell us more
  • 3 1
 Sounds like a match made in heaven
  • 8 1
 @Jimmy0: All this information is out there and easily searchable if you want to read all about it. Its pretty crazy. I believe the whistleblower part had to do with the team being sponsored by the US Postal service, so when these guys cheated it constituted some kind of fraud against the government.
  • 66 2
 Save his own skin? He was already skinned by that point. He blew the Lance doping story wide open, which was a good thing.
  • 13 2
 That's some profound analysis. Now do Lance.
  • 16 9
 @bikerbarrett: Landis was broke after fighting his own accusations, he saw an opportunity to save himself financially by throwing everyone else on his former team under the bus.

He brought the case forward for money, not because it was the right thing to do.
  • 29 3
 I don't know. Not like the guy got rich off that or anything. If I remember correctly he ended up with a couple hundred $K. For helping to bring down an evil empire of dopers, cheats, and at least one a*shole (who is still loaded thanks to investing his crooked winnings in Uber).

Of that whole group of unsympathetic people, Landis is among the least bad, in my opinion.
  • 2 1
 @igxqrrl: $1.1 million was his payday, he was hoping for A LOT more if the original penalty had stuck to Armstrong.
  • 24 15
 @igxqrrl: is Lance armstrong the a*shole? I always get confused why people have so much vitriol for one guy out of an entire corrupt organization. Like if you actually look into it, he raised a shit ton of money for cancer research while defrauding the federal government. In another 20 years we'll probably recognize him as a folk hero.
  • 12 2
 @Caligula1620: No, he raised money for cancer awareness. Still a good cause, but not quite like directly funding research.

Defrauding the federal government? What did Landis sell to you? :-D

I agree Lance gets a disproportionate amount of sh*t though. Cycling had a big doping problem then insert unfounded comment about current road cycling here>. It was culture, it was unhealthy, it was bad for young riders coming up and it was cheating, but so did the rest of the stage race top 10. Hardly one to be found with a clean slate from that era. He gets portrayed as the mafia boss of that time, pulling all the strings, but that's probably an exaggeration.
  • 8 2
 @FrankS29: Whereas Lance saw an opportunity to make bank for himself by creating and managing one of the most sophisticated doping programs in history. Who was he looking out for, if not for himself?
  • 5 7
 @SinglespeedAssassin: Haha. USPS/Discovery doping program doesn't hold a candle to the doping programs that happen/ed on the national stage for stuff like the Olympics.

Lance and his doping get massively overblown in the complexity of it and the amount used.
  • 38 1
 Let me help you.. There's cheating. And then there's ruthlessly punching down, from the most powerful position in cycling - ruining "little people" who dared expose the cheating. And that's what Lance did, he squashed and ruined regular people. Made an FU commercial "what am I on? I'm on my bike..." and oh drugs. He has garbage character.

Landis cheated. Then threw a tantrum monkey wrench into the whole apparatus and system. He also did unforgiveable things like intimidate witness by using privileged information about sexual abuse.

Pick your fighter. Or not, they're just old bike racers not heroes.
  • 4 6
 @jeroenk: I think summing it up as "raising money for awareness" is disingenuous to the amount of support his organization provides. it's way more than just raising awareness: charity.lovetoknow.com/Lance_Armstrong_Foundation
  • 6 10
flag Caligula1620 (Dec 21, 2021 at 8:52) (Below Threshold)
 @CarlMega: my point is that this guy who is villainized so passionately like people such as yourself, has done scores more for local communities and global cancer communities than likely anyone else in pro cycling. So at what point do we get over our collective bruised egos of being lied to and recognize he's still probably the greatest cyclist that's ever lived, and probably a better person all said and done than most of us?
  • 8 4
 @FrankS29: 'one of the most sophisticated doping programs in history'. He only doped to win the biggest road cycling event 7 times while ruining the careers of anyone who wanted clean racing, but yeah, 'massively overblown'.
  • 5 7
 @SinglespeedAssassin: nobody is arguing that he did bad shit, but the fallout from his bad behavior seemed to be pretty positive on the whole, aside from some disgruntled fans and participants. but the entire league was doping and people continue to do it without as much hate from the masses. I think it's more of people loving to watch someone fall from the top. some of the hate I understand, but the majority is just schadenfreude
  • 4 6
 @SinglespeedAssassin: are you honestly going to believe all the grown ass adults who blamed Lance as their reasoning for doping? like come on, you have to realize what a fantastically convenient excuse that is....
  • 10 2
 @Caligula1620: I'm under no obligation to see an unrepentant sociopath in a new light. Being judged by his conduct is completely reasonable - it is so much worse than what I even bothered to put here. Not even close to being the most gifted cyclist ever.
  • 3 1
 @Caligula1620: I suppose if everyone was doing it, that makes it alright, correct? The issue is that the 'entire league' was not doping. The only positive is that he was caught, and while it doping still happens, all indicators are that it is vastly reduced from Lance's time. The idea that what Landis did is somehow worse than what Lance did is laughable and this comment thread is a response to that insinuation.
  • 8 1
 @Caligula1620: Well, this has nothing to do with my comment(s), but he literally threatened riders' contracts - you know, the mechanism that ensures they are paid- if they didn't dope. I don't care who blamed him for what - the fact is he doped and coerced others to do the same. Those are facts, not excuses.
  • 3 1
 @jeroenk: What does "raised money for cancer awareness" mean?
  • 13 1
 @Caligula1620: Yes Armstrong is the a*shole. He spent 25 years bullying, intimidating, ruining others' careers. And I'm not talking about just fellow cyclists. I'm talking about collateral damage. Support staff. Regular people who called out his criminal behavior were threatened and saw their careers destroyed.

It's great that he helped raise cancer awareness. I guess? I'm actually not sure what the real impact of anything he did was. Maybe it was significant. I suspect it's more along the lines of Susan G. Komen. But he is still an a*shole.

Are there other cheaters in pro cycling? Of course. But few of them were as unabashedly bad to other people as Armstrong.
  • 6 0
 @Caligula1620: I think even Lance admits he was an a*shole
  • 3 2
 @SinglespeedAssassin: I never brought up Lance himself or compared Landis to Armstrong in my original post. I simply pointed out that Landis is a special kind of dirtbag, and people love to gloss over that fact.
  • 3 0
 Draaaaama llamaaaaa
  • 2 1
 @FrankS29: Agreed - you did not say that. I also agree that Landis is a dirtbag and that he did look after himself, but the context is also important- without Armstrong, Landis would still be raising barns.
  • 1 3
 @SinglespeedAssassin: you know they went through like the top 20 riders before they found a clean rider, right?
  • 2 6
flag Caligula1620 (Dec 21, 2021 at 9:47) (Below Threshold)
 @SinglespeedAssassin: I'm sorry but if you're a grown up, and a professional athlete, you don't get to blame all of your bad decisions on someone else. like ya he coerced others, but we know athletes dope up left and right without any threat to their contract, so I'm not buying the sob stories from these outed cheaters.
  • 1 5
flag Caligula1620 (Dec 21, 2021 at 9:49) (Below Threshold)
 @igxqrrl: nah, I just think it's easy to hate someone and it's even easier to hate someone who is falling from the top. recognizing that the issue is industry wide and didn't end with lance is too difficult, so it's easier to just vilify him. by your own admission you're ignorant of the effects of his charity work, so maybe educate yourself there since you're clearly judging people without the full facts?
  • 2 5
 @sargey2003: lol I'm not disputing that, but I'm so sick of people acting like he was the only cheater or that his accomplishments are somehow diminished.
  • 5 1
 @Caligula1620: Quick, without research, cite one thing that Livestrong has done that isn't 'raising awareness'. Without EPO and bribes, Lance is nowhere near the top, by any metric. He used the doping to build a career and fame, then used the charity to burnish his image. If you think he's a better person than you, I am sorry for you. I don't even know you and I think you are a better person than peak Armstrong.
  • 2 7
flag Caligula1620 (Dec 21, 2021 at 9:51) (Below Threshold)
 @CarlMega: name a more decorated or successful cyclist. keep in mind Lance would likely have destroyed professional mountain biking had they not banned him to avoid him participating.
  • 4 1
 @Caligula1620: Uh, no, not quite. But even if that was the case, and there was only one clean rider, your argument falls flat.
  • 6 1
 @Caligula1620: But you'll gladly simp for the ringleader? Strange choice, but you do you.
  • 1 6
flag Caligula1620 (Dec 21, 2021 at 9:53) (Below Threshold)
 @SinglespeedAssassin: easy, they give grants to other foundations in other parts of the world. knew that one without googling. "without EPO" ok so are you going to compare against only riders with a clean record? cuz your list just got decimated. "he's nowhere near the top, by any metric' except for the most tour wins, which is essentially the world standard of road cycling greatness. lol you sound like a jealous/bitter ex. how desperately do you need to diminish Lance to feel good?
www.statista.com/statistics/268020/tour-de-france-riders-with-the-most-overall-victories
  • 1 5
flag Caligula1620 (Dec 21, 2021 at 9:55) (Below Threshold)
 @SinglespeedAssassin: lol resorting to name calling? ya you're clearly showing your maturity here. Seriously how fragile is your ego you're now getting defensive over me proving you wrong? i'm embarrassed for you dude lol
  • 3 0
 @Caligula1620: Give grants? That's great, guy. For what, exactly? I'm going to compare against riders who weren't popped, so officially he's won none. Besides, you do know there are other races, right?
  • 3 0
 @Caligula1620: I was describing your responses, but if you want to assume it as name, it fits and I don't object. Keep moving them goalposts- you'll score eventually.
  • 1 1
 @SinglespeedAssassin: ya just like there other soccer games than the world cup, but guess which is more important? and they give grants for a multitude of reasons, funding hospital construction, outreach programs in 3rd world countries. is it that hard for you to do a little research?
  • 3 2
 @FrankS29:

Kind of like the Ted Cruz story from his Princeton days. After losing too much in a game of poker he ratted the other students out to the Dean.
  • 3 5
 @SinglespeedAssassin: lol ya nice try, like when I call you a little whiny bitch it's not a name I'm callin you, just referencing your responses. I think only the people as emotionally and intellectually immature as you would fall for that for even a second. you keep attacking others if it makes you feel better, I can tell it's just about all that does.....
  • 12 1
 @Caligula1620: Nah, Lance is a cheater, a liar, and a bully. he doesn't deserve anyone's respect.
  • 7 0
 @SinglespeedAssassin: ^ this x 1000
  • 6 0
 @Caligula1620: Bless your heart.
  • 1 9
flag Caligula1620 (Dec 21, 2021 at 10:25) (Below Threshold)
 @Skooks: not debating he's all of those things, just saying most professional cyclists are guilty of the lying and cheating. and if after evaluating the entire scope of his good and bad impacts, you think he deserves zero respect, then that's your call. But everyone saw one or two documentaries and got their pitch forks sharpened and the majority can't keep a consistent argument as to why they don't like him. just bandwagon hate pure and simple.
  • 1 6
flag Caligula1620 (Dec 21, 2021 at 10:25) (Below Threshold)
 @SinglespeedAssassin: thx little guy
  • 2 0
 It's entirely possible there's not enough information to make this judgement.
  • 7 0
 We found Lance's burner account
  • 3 0
 “Look, the guy was a sociopath on a bicycle. As far as I’m concerned, we got off easy.”
  • 4 0
 @Hayek: I also think Bill Burr is a genius.
  • 1 0
 @FrankS29: Those two things are not mutually exclusive.
  • 5 0
 @Caligula1620: Yes, yes he was. He actively went out to hurt others, and inflict career ending damage to people who wouldn't cover for him. Complete a*hole. Have the money he raised for cancer awareness he spent on a private jet to fly himself around on...
  • 5 0
 @Caligula1620: yes he raised a bunch of money, but he’s also one of the most raging narcissistic a$$holes to walk this earth. And also a BAMF on a bike.
  • 3 1
 He called out dopers. Screw all of them and you and your crappy omertà attitude.
  • 3 2
 @Caligula1620: doubt it. He was willing to let other riders twist in the wind while claiming he wasn’t doping.

If you’d raced road bikes in that era, you’d understand just how miserable it was getting crushed by teams of doped up riders.
  • 4 0
 @Caligula1620: greatest cyclist (but also doper)? Jeannie Longo.

Look it up.
  • 1 0
 @deez-nucks: this is the most accurate statement yet.
  • 6 0
 I just came in to say congrats to Tinker for pedaling his butt off all day every day and having a smile on his face the entire time. Animal. Deserves so much respect. Also....a bad ass on the BMX!!!
  • 1 0
 How much do you think Landis would get for ratting me out for lying about my weight on Strava?
  • 5 0
 @Jimmy0: Landis, no doubt, made some mistakes. But repented much quicker and without near the level of collateral damage LA did. He did get a whistle blower paycheck, but he used the money to sponsor a professional road team: www.bicycling.com/racing/a23587057/floyd-landis-cycling-team. Which speaks to his character and love of cycling. I don't think he threw anyone under the bus who hadn't already laid down in the road by their own choice.
  • 2 0
 @captainshapely: thank you
  • 1 0
 @igxqrrl: Buy Floyd’s book, Positively False: The Real Story of How I Won The Tour De France.
In which he explained how it was shots of whisky and pouring water over his head, not doping.
  • 17 0
 I appreciate that Tinker means more to mountain biking, but surely Genevieve Jeanson being signed by the team is the bigger news. Having her back in competitive cycling is sure to bring up many mixed feelings for some - she could have been the poster child for everything that was wrong with cycling in the late 90's early 2000's - but the point is SHE WAS A CHILD.

Unlike Floyd who was not so worldly (aka f'n dense) and ended up in a group of less-scrupulous people with no idea doping and bullying wasn't just how things were, Jeanson was led down the path by her coach and those around her who were trusted to take care of her as a junior athlete. Looking at others who have experienced the same (Ullrich, VdB, etc), I'm happy she's found a way to still be here at all, let alone to still have any love left for cycling.
  • 4 0
 This.

I was a team mechanic when Geneviève was dominating the women's field. It's wasn't even funny how much better she was than everyone. And it really is a tragic story on all sides. Did her coach/manager/doper/abuser ever face any punishment? From what I was seeing in those days, he was a real piece of [redacted].
  • 18 4
 Tinker is a legend and it seems like he lives to race. Glad he got picked up by a team and it'll be fun to see him cross over into gravel racing as well.
  • 30 20
 Assole signs with doper. Sounds like a winning combination there. Less press for dopers and assholes. -weebleswobbles
  • 13 3
 Yeah.
I have met hundreds of pro riders over the years. They are all super friendly. Results don't really get these guys paid anymore so trail reputation and brand promotion goes a long way. Tinker is a has-been and is a jerk when you meet him in person. If I was Cannondale I wouldn’t pay him either. Tinker hasn’t brought in big XC results in a long time and is a jerk!
On the other hand look at someone like Hans Rey, the guy has no recent results to speak of but is a super nice guy and does a great job promoting GT.
As a Pro athlete you need to produce big results and promote your sponsors and not be a jerk.
  • 2 0
 @FearlessFly: "Tinker hasn’t brought in big XC results in a long time"... 3 times the Masters XC World Champion aren't big results?
  • 13 1
 Who is this tinker guy?
  • 8 0
 Ask his fan Paul.... www.pinkbike.com/news/tinker-juarez-announces-split-with-cannondale-in-now-deleted-social-media-post.html
  • 3 1
 @bikewriter: Paul just became the biggest cbd fan! Thanks for reminding me about this story, Tinker’s Fan Paul is one of the best characters of 2021!
  • 13 6
 Love that Tinker got a ride for next year.

Not so stoked about a bunch of doped up ex-pros bringing their baggage to other disciplines of cycling. Even if they’re “clean” now, they get to keep some of the gains they could only attain through pharmacological means.
  • 10 0
 Lotta Lance fans in here...
  • 2 0
 Lotta people who think him and Landis are both cheating arseholes too.
  • 8 1
 good god, he has a face like a ball sack these days
  • 2 0
 Thank you. Well played, sir.
  • 6 0
 Signed with Floyds is like saying Shaq signed with Icey Hot. yay
  • 3 0
 Nice. Well played.
  • 2 0
 There's a little asshole in each of us thats taken a little shit for money. If you think yours doesn't stink every now-n-then, maybe you can't truly forgive anyone. Humans race, and the rubbin smells worse the higher the stakes. These dudes have done their time and I'd love to see 'em all race each other once again!
  • 3 0
 Harsh thread. Juarez is just keeping his historically epic ride alive.
www.pinterest.com/pin/411235009719190675/?d=t&mt=login
  • 6 2
 "We will give you health insurance....if you give us the password to your social media accounts. Oh, it's 'PASSWORD123'?"
  • 2 1
 Not to say I’m a fan of Lance, I’m actually neutral. But I remember watching a documentary about Lance in the Leadville 100 and I swear he blew right by Tinker Juarez on a greasy downhill! I couldn’t believe it..
Didn’t know doping could give you DH skills..
  • 1 0
 Thank you Greg and Kathy Lemond, Frankie and Betsey Andreu, David Walsh, Tyler Hamilton, Emma O'Reiley. and yes Floyd Landis for taking down the biggest sociopath ever i n professional sports. NOW start the Lance Fan down votes begin.
  • 5 1
 It's a perfect fit! FTW, we're going racing for the fun of it. Love it
  • 6 3
 If Tinker hadn’t become obscure enough already, now he’s linked up with Floyd the Rat.
  • 3 0
 I feel like riders on this team will be “randomly” tested quite frequently.
  • 5 1
 I'm getting a Haas / Rich Energy vibe.
  • 2 0
 best comment right here
  • 2 0
 Let’s not forget the doping and let’s not forget the money they scammed from fans.....
  • 3 0
 Dopers on a dope team, siiiiiick!
  • 1 0
 Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't see that Squad has a mountain bike. That seems problematic for the mountain bike races Tinker plans to race.
  • 1 0
 They are using CBD oil in their shocks and forks. Still using a lefty but putting a fake right stansion to carry ' suplements'
  • 4 1
 Afgravelstan??
  • 1 0
 afgravelstan.com
  • 35 0
 Yes, it's an event that people are encouraged to enter hastily, but unfortunately when it's over none of the exits are clearly marked.
  • 9 9
 Is he paying for the team with his snitching payout?

and

Didn't Landis form, then fold, Floyd's road race team a few years ago?
  • 1 0
 True, he did, Floyd I believe may have money problems, I mean the real money is in the real weed not this CBD weak sauce stuff.
  • 2 0
 ...on Ellsworth bikes to complete the oddity
  • 2 0
 I bet "Paul" is stoked for this signing!
  • 2 0
 They want all the smoke, y’all keep firing!
  • 1 0
 Katie Compton to compete for the women of Floyds
  • 1 0
 Landis?! That's not CBD they're taking before the race
  • 1 0
 never heard of either of these people.
  • 1 0
 Love my Dreadlock grips! keep on pedaling Tinker!
  • 1 0
 Floyd filling the void.Wink
  • 1 0
 A perfect match.
  • 1 0
 Who? Signed with who?
  • 1 3
 Which ones which in the photo?
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