teamTBB closes its doors

teamTBB has officially closed.  Known as “the world’s longest running professional team,”  teamTBB first launched in 2006.  The team endured a difficult adjustment following the departure of Head Coach Brett Sutton on January 1, 2014 and an end  to Cervélo’s  sponsorship which had been on board for seven years. A statement was posted on the team’s Facebook page last Friday:

Thank you to each and every[one] who has been involved with teamTBB since the humble beginnings in December 2006. It’s been an amazing experience for athletes, coaches, sponsors and founders.

We have worked relentlessly and were driven by passion these past 8 years to implement our mission of providing hope and opportunity through sports. I know this goal was achieved year in year out.

This team provided many young people in countries such as Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Mexico, Netherlands, USA, Brazil, UK, Australia, Belgium, Japan and Germany an opportunity to live their dream, become a full time athlete and be the best they could be.

We have provided more than 100 development athletes a helping hand in the challenging step from amateur athlete to professional athlete.

In the process teamTBB produced some 5 World Champions, 49 Ironman Champions (last teamTBB Ironman Champion was Diana Riesler in Sept 2014 in Malaysia) and 100+ other major race wins around the world.

There are however more good causes in [the] world that are in need of support and resources, to mention just one; orphanages in the North of Thailand. I therefore believe it was only fair to close one door gracefully before opening a new door without spreading time and efforts too thin.

Our team website will be updated over the next few weeks to pay respect and say thank you to the many people and sponsors that have helped teamTBB succeed in its goals for all those years.

I’m grateful for the experiences these past 8 years have provided me to see the passion, commitment and will-power people can produce to fulfil their dreams. It shows when we put our minds to something and really are willing to put in our best effort and hard work, we can create miracles!

I wish all of you who were part of this entire journey a healthy, happy and successful 2015. If we can all focus our own efforts on providing some hope and love to someone in need and those close around us, it will become an amazing year! As written by Victor Hugo in the musical Les Miserables: “To love another person is to see the face of God.”

Wishing you a love filled 2015!

Triathlon teams have been helping to raise the profile of the sport as well as providing essential support for pro triathletes. This closure leaves a big gap in an important development stream.