16.12.2016 Hermida to extend contract with MERIDA Bicycles

José Antonio Hermida to extend contract with MERIDA Bicycles
Earlier this year, 3 times World Champion (Junior, U23 and Elite) José Antonio Hermida announced his retirement from the world of Mountain Bike World Cup racing. José’s decision to step back, coincidentally went hand in hand with the discontinuation of the MULTIVAN MERIDA BIKING TEAM, which has been José’s sportive home for the last 13 years.
 
Even though the two have more or less happened at the same time, it has been José’s long-standing intension to bring his active World Cup racing career to an end after the 2016 Olympic season.
 
For months there has been endless speculation about what José is going to do after leaving the World Cup circus, so we are now happy to announce that he will stay with his long time sponsor MERIDA and will take on an active role as a brand ambassador and product tester.
 
As one of the most versatile riders in the World Cup, José’s wealth of experience will support MERIDA not just in the development of our cross country product range but also with our growing range of accessories, as well as our full suspension, cyclo cross and even road bike line-up.
 
José will get more involved in product development, testing, promotions and events but will also keep one leg in the racing world by continuing with selected marathon and stage races as well as getting involved in enduro and e-bike racing.
 
José is a living legend in the mountain bike world; always friendly and conversing in 5 languages, he will shine in his new public role and we can’t wait to get his input into the MERIDA product line-up.
 
‘After 13 years of José successfully racing for the MULTIVAN MERIDA BIKING TEAM, we are excited to start a new chapter and work even closer together with him. It is not only his vast experience and knowledge but also his great character that makes him the perfect brand ambassador for MERIDA.’ Andreas Rottler, Director of Sport Marketing
 
‘I am really proud to extend my relationship with Merida beyond my long standing racing career with the MULTIVAN MERIDA BIKING TEAM. I am excited to dive into my new role as a brand ambassador and product tester and I am looking forward to sharing my experience and knowledge with the R&D team and the company as a whole.’  José Antonio Hermida MERIDA brand ambassador.
 

One of most loved and most entertaining characters in the world of cross country mountain bike racing, José Antonio Hermida has got not only an extensive fan base, but he is also one of the most successful and most universally skilled mountain bikers in the world. José was one of the founding members of the MULTIVAN MERIDA BIKING TEAM and has been at the top of his game throughout his long and illustrious career.
 
With a powerful riding style, a healthy dose of dare devil attitude and with an unbreakable fighting spirit, José has managed to secure not just 6 World Cup wins, 10 national cross country and cyclo cross titles but also three times World Champion wins (Junior, U23 and Senior), gaining his Senior titles at the 2010 World Championships in Mont Sainte-Anne, Canada. He is a 5 times Olympian (2nd in Athens, 4th in Sydney and London), 3 times European Champion and managed to finish in the top 5 in the overall World Cup for 10 years (for 4 years he finished in 2nd position overall).
 
Besides XC racing he is also a long-standing and very successful stage racer with former team colleagues Ralf Naef and Rudi van Houts. José demonstrated his strong team spirit and his ability to put a smile on the faces of his team mates and support crew even if the demands of week long stage races started to show.
 
With a wealth of experience in his sport and a strong connection to MERIDA and its engineers, José has also been heavily involved and responsible for some of the major developments in the line-up of MERIDA. One of his latest (and probably most important technical projects) has been his leading role in the development of the all new BIG.NINE – one of the most up to date, comfortable and lightweight race hard tails in the world. A bike which carries the passion and expertise of our Spanish champion well beyond the end of his World Cup racing career.