Olympic champion extends contract with Specialized
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Jaroslav Kulhavy (Czech Republic) shows off his gold medal.(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
2011 World Champion Jaroslav Kulhavy (Czech Republic) was on his special gold bike after winning the Olympics(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
Jaroslav Kulhavy (Czech Republic) poses with his brand new gold Specialized Epic, a surprise present for winning the Olympic Games. He didn't race it in the team relay, but look out for it on Saturday in the cross country.(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
After months of thinking about his future, 2012 Olympic mountain bike champion Jaroslav Kulhavy has decided to keep his career off-road. The Czech rider had been mulling over whether to switch to the road, a path several other top mountain bikers, such as Tour de France winner Cadel Evans, have followed before him.
Instead, Kulhavy extended his contract with Specialized Racing for the next two years according to his website jaroslavkulhavy.cz.
"I made the final decision about mountain bikes last Friday. I got [a] very nice offer from my current team Specialized Racing, and I didn't want to wait anymore. I am very happy with the conditions of this contract," said Kulhavy, who won the cross country world championships in 2011.
"Road cycling, or competing in the Tour de France, has always been my dream, but I'm standing with my feet on the ground. Now I am focusing on next four years as a mountain biker, and I would like to defend my Olympic title in Rio 2016. Maybe after that, there will be some time to try road cycling?" said Kulhavy in a press conference Thursday.
Kulhavy's manager Zdenek Löffelman confirmed that a WorldTour road team had expressed interest in him. "I can't tell from which team, but it was one riding Specialized bicycles," he said. "Unfortunately the dealing took too much time and Jaroslav's and my deadline was set to the end of November."
Kulhavy heads next to Gran Canaria for a training camp beginning on Saturday.
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Sue George is an editor at Cyclingnews. She coordinates all of the site's mountain bike race coverage and assists with the road, 'cross and track coverage.
