Jenny Rissveds and SCOTT-SRAM part ways
Jenny Rissveds, reigning Olympic and Swedish XC mountain bike champion, has announced that she wants to fully recover and be 100% ready before racing again. Consequentially, the 23-year-old has terminated her contract with the SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing team.
After winning Olympic gold at Rio 2016, Rissveds found herself in a completely new situation. A lot of things changed for her in a short period of time. Some things were positive, but some very negative. Most notably was a bitter disagreement with the Swedish Cycling Federation that kept her out of last year’s world championships.
She also lost both her grandfathers in a short period of time. As a result Rissveds faced mental issues holding her back from racing for a good part of the 2017 season. With the 2018 season starting soon, she has come to the conclusion that it is better for her to fully recover and then think about a comeback, as opposed to trying to fulfill obligations that she can’t keep up with. The result of this decision is a withdrawal from her contract with SCOTT-SRAM.
Rissveds had been riding on SCOTT bikes since she started mountain biking and has been a member of the team since 2014. She has had plenty of success throughout the years, including her Olympic win, the U23 World Championships in 2016, and the U23 World Cup in 2015.
“I am very thankful for the years I have had with [team manager] Thomas [Frischknecht] and the SCOTT-SRAM Team,” said Rissveds. “They have provided me with unique and vital support. Without Thomas and the team, I would have never done what I have been able to do on the bike over the last few years. I also want to thank SCOTT Sports for their unwavering support and belief in me, especially throughout the last year. I would love to stay a part of the team but to be part of a team you need to contribute and unfortunately, I am simply not able to do so at the moment. It hasn’t been an easy decision, but I am convinced this is for the best for all parties involved and that this will provide me with the best conditions for coming back, better and stronger than ever.”
“The whole mountain bike scene and in particular the SCOTT-SRAM Team is tremendously sad about what has happened to Jenny,” added Frischknecht. “In order to get healthy again and to be free of any kind of obligations I not only respect Jenny’s decision, I believe it is the best way for Jenny to find her way back to a balanced life. I truly believe she will be back at some point and I hope that we can help her on her journey. Our team’s door will always be wide open for Jenny to come back whenever she wants to.”
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