I still disagree with how he handled it. He was under contract to them and he just showed up riding a bike from another company.

As I asked back then, how hard would it have been to release a statement that said "Upon mutual agreement, I have ended my relationship with Orbea. I would like to thank them for their support over the years and I wish them all the best in their future endeavors."

No need to go into details or get in a p*ssing match. Firestorm averted.

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

Interesting stuff.

I think he made the right choice in 2011 to ride a different bike in spite of the contract, but I think he put himself in a bad spot. If there was an agreement that Orbea would produce a bike on par with the superbikes, it should have been in the contract. When they failed to deliver, it would have been them in breach. Instead, he agreed to sign on with them without anything firm about the new bike. Seems like a foolish move when your livelyhood is on the line.

Still, I love the candid interview.

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-Andrew

He got the same position on a Shiv tri that he had on a P4.

woah...

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My Blog - http://leegoocrap.blogspot.com

This is a great read. Thanks for posting!

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http://www.usprotri.com/LAMASTRA.html
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It sounds like it wasn't a 'mutual agreement' though...but I agree with the sentiment. Having been in the position of waiting for a product that a company is not delivering on (anybody else own a Blackberry Playbook!?) I understand his frustration though. With delays like that, the quality of the product is suspect, and the delivered product is likely still behind the competition.

My respect for Crowie has grown a ton over the years. It's impossible to fault a guy who is that much of a competitor.

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There was no mutual agreement.

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How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?

Wouldn't matter if it was a mutual agreement or not....take the high road and let the chips fall where they may. This is only about PR and positioning....truth, to some degree, is irrelevant. And the reality is that, given the support he has, he would have come out of it smelling like a rose. Orbea would have had no choice but to suck it up, at least publicly

And I completely understand his frustration, nor do I fault him for wanting to leave Orbea. I fault him only for his handling of the situation.

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

Interesting read.

I don't blame him, obviously it worked out for him in the end, a victory was more important than a dollar.

I think most pro triathletes are in the sport for the love of it and for a victory not the money. If money was their motivation they would certainly have a easier time doing something else.

Whoa. Great read. Thanks for the post.

That's nuts.
I thought there wasn't a big difference between fast aero frames and slow aero frames. I wonder if he was in the same position on the Orbea as he was on the P4?

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@christopher_borden •
Spinning Spoke • Dimond Bikes • Flo Cycling • Castelli Cycling

Why? Pragmatically it worked.
Do you think he did something wrong ethically?
If there had been an oral agreement to deliver a new bike, and they didn't, I don't see an ethical problem.

Expound on your ideas.

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

Whoa, sizing down and/or replacing stems.
amaze!

=)

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

good read...thanks

It is very simple. He was sponsored by Orbea. He willingly signed a contract with them. You agree to represent your sponsors in a positive light. He didn't do that (whether justified or not). he basically admits in the interview that he was in breach of his contract.

A simple statement from him PRIOR to showing up in Vegas would have greatly eliminated the firestorm.

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

I guess...

So if I wanted to ride the same position I have on my 51 p3alu do you think specialized would make me a 4 foot stem for my 42cm Shiv? :D

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My Blog - http://leegoocrap.blogspot.com

he basically admits in the interview that he was in breach of his contract

Not really, no. He said that he expected Orbea to sue him for breach. That's not the same as admitting that he breached the contract, as it appears that Crowie felt that Orbea had breached the contract first by repeatedly failing to deliver on their promises.

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And Orbea promised him a new bike...

Both parties were in breach.

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How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?

I'm not sure how we can know how simple it was, given our complete lack of knowledge about what exactly the contract said, or what other oral agreements there were.

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

His own lawyer told him he would be in breach.....

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

His lawyer, who read the contract, seems to disagree with you.

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

Agreed he would have been in breach, but in your example, he would have to lie. I can understand why someone would prefer to be in breach of a legal contract rather than lie publicly (by stating the parting was mutual when it wasn't).

Assuming the situation played out as he described it seems to me he acted in a reasonable manner--he tried to resolve the problem privately and gave them several chances to deliver on their promises before riding an unmarked bike (keep in mind that a casual observer may not be able to identify the brand without labeling.)

Now, if you say that a wiser choice would have been to put an opt-out clause in the contract if Orbea did not deliver a superbike, I agree. His retelling isn't really clear on what was in the contract vs. verbal, but he did state that the new bike "was the crux of the whole renegotiation"

You are not comprehending what I am saying.....I am talking about the PR side of things, not the legal side. He could have largely prevented the firestorm that happened when he showed up in Vegas by releasing a statement PRIOR to the race saying he was leaving Orbea. That's it....

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

I don't know enough about law to know if that was really a viable option for him.

I also don't agree that would change the temperature or wind speeds of the firestorm. I mean maybe, I don't know. Seems like it would be exactly the same, but I am not a PR expert either. =)

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

And he goes on to say that he'll countersue.... That usually means that the other party is believed to be in breach as well. Without seeing the details of this particular contract, a material breach will often cause the entire contract to be declared null and void as of the time of the material breach.

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Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly