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Jared Graves is returning to his former team, Yeti Cycles, where he began his stint as an Enduro World Series racer.
On a slow wave of press release rollouts, Yeti Cycles announced today that Graves has made his way back into a turquoise jersey, after announcing last week that Richie Rude re-upped his sponsorship. The week before, Yeti announced that freerider Reed Boggs joined the Yeti team as well.
Graves raced for over ten years with Yeti Cycles before, and won a World Championship in 4X, an Enduro World Series overall title, placed 3rd in a World Cup downhill round on a trail bike, and represented Australia in Olympic BMX.
“The Yeti crew is like family, so it feels very comfortable to be back,” said Graves.
Graves will be acting as a Yeti ambassador, and he won’t be on the Yeti/Fox Factory race team anymore, but still plans to race some of the Enduro World Series events this year. “I still feel like I have some good racing left in me, and a little bit to prove. After a very difficult year-and-a-half personally, I’m looking forward to racing and working with Yeti again,” Graves said. His new role will also focus on mentoring and coaching the younger Yeti riders.
Graves was diagnosed with brain cancer in the summer of 2018, and he went through a lengthy treatment process that involved chemotherapy. He stopped racing the rest of the EWS that year, and took the 2019 season off to fight cancer. Specialized, his sponsor at the time said that they would still be supporting him off of the bike. A year later, he was cancer free, although it would still be a process to return to his normal level of athletic ability. At the end of 2019, Graves said that his contract with Specialized would be ending.
“We’re stoked to have Jared back in the family,” says Chris Conroy, president of Yeti Cycles. “In my mind, he’s one of the best bike racers of all time. His work ethic and commitment to the sport will set an example for our younger riders. We’re excited to see him riding a Yeti again.”
Graves’ new role will also involve aiding product development for Yeti Cycles. He hasn’t said yet which EWS rounds he will race in.
