Video: Sam Hill Farewell

[BM-peacock]

With Sam Hill moving on to CRC Nukeproof for the coming season, the folks at Specialized felt it was a good time to say their farewells. Check out some of Sam's highlights on Specialized inside.
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Video: Sam Hill Farewell

[stoney]

So is CRC where formerly great riders go to die?

[S.K.C.]

I think Sam still has something left in the bag or else he wouldn't have opted for the challenge of so many drastic changes. He's there to win and is super competitve so this may be the kick in the a$$ he needs to set off on a new chapter of his race career.

With regard to Spesh, the video release really demonstrates that those guys are a class act through and through. When I was helping out Iron Horse I wish they could have done something like that for him but internally, things were pretty far gone at the compnay when his contract was up.

Kudos to Specialized for giving Sam a warm and respectful send-off and congrats to Sammy on the new CRC contract. Cheers to 2013!

[bizutch]

It's official. CRC is an online juggernaut with a way bigger DH specific marketing budget than Specialized. I have to assume he was offered more money over a longer term and since he has a family, he'd be a fool to pass it up. Can't blame Specialized for letting him go. I'm sure the big wigs in the company have a hard and fast # of what they're willing to pay for a DH race team.

And despite their success over the years, they've always stayed conservative rather than overextend themselves on gravity athletes. They can get the podiums they are looking for out of Brosnan for less money and no big hit to their bike sales, so why not.

Hope Sam's contract is well protected and puts his kid through school. That's more than I could dream of getting out of this crazy sport.

[Da Peach]

Monster just won't taste the same anymore...

[jnooth]

still riding for monster.... think it will taste exactly the same.

[Da Peach]

still riding for monster.... think it will taste exactly the same.

Just less special, I guess. I just don't know how to react.

[jonKranked]

I think Sam still has something left in the bag

We've heard this or some variation of it every off season for at least the last 3 years.

[rosenamedpoop]

Yeah, like after he won worlds...?

[jonKranked]

Yeah, like after he won worlds...?

I personally don't put a whole lot of weight on the world championship, I look more at who was the overall winner. He hasn't even been in contention for that since he won it in 09.

[peecee]

I personally don't put a whole lot of weight on the world championship, I look more at who was the overall winner. He hasn't even been in contention for that since he won it in 09.

Funny that as he didnt win it in 09 he won it in 2010 after he had a pretty much all season out after doing his shoulder at fort bill.

He had a bad 2011 Kinda started with an 8th, 9th, and a 7th before being injured again and getting a 7th at the world champs.

Then to come back for a full season and get a 5th over all not to bad maybe even better if he didnt get a 27th at Val D'Isere where he was pretty much going to win the race and slide out and it took him more time to get going that he was up on everyone by, but I guess thats racing even Gwins not perfect as we saw him also crash a few times.

[rosenamedpoop]

Bet everybody that's ever won an overall puts "a whole lot of weight on the world championship"..... especially the guys who haven't won a worlds too.

[boylagz]

^ Werd. Pretty much like Graves who couldve gotten 3 rainbow jerseys if not for shltty luck at Worlds. Dude is an animal on the 4x track.

[jonKranked]

Funny that as he didnt win it in 09 he won it in 2010 after he had a pretty much all season out after doing his shoulder at fort bill.

no, he won the overall in '09, worlds in '10:

overall results:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UCI_Mou...orld_Cup#Men_4

worlds results:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UCI_Mou...n%27s_downhill

[jonKranked]

Bet everybody that's ever won an overall puts "a whole lot of weight on the world championship"..... especially the guys who haven't won a worlds too.

while true, this doesn't discount the fact that anyone can show up at worlds after a so-so season, put together a banger run, and be crowned "world champ"