MIKE SINYARD

SPECIALIZED CEO

Forty years on from when he distributed Cinelli’s products in California from a canvas- covered bike trailer, Specialized CEO Mike Sinyard remains obsessed both with bikes and his company’s lead in the industry. In a book handed out to every Specialized employee, Sinyard writes: “Our bikes and equipment must make riders want to ride… What we make needs to look fast even standing still.” The company’s well-financed commitment to R&D has led to them supplying bikes to three WorldTour teams this season, with Mark Cavendish just one of many riders who acknowledge they were tempted to join a Specialized-backed team because of the product quality and the company’s readiness to respond to riders’ demands.