Dear friends,

If you’re like me, you’ve been in disbelief these last few days. Issues with the COVID-19 virus have escalated so quickly that we’re all left wondering what to do next.

I’m writing to let you know that at Hincapie, we have a plan. And because you’re a part of the Hincapie Family, I wanted to keep you abreast of what we’re doing.

First, in our Greenville office, we have instructed all employees to work from home to protect their health and well-being. We’ve set up an internal system to ensure that all processes run smoothly so that we may continue to take care of all of your needs, from custom cycling kits to retail products, future cycling events and Experience Domestique camps. If employees do come into our office, they are diligently washing their hands and sanitizing work spaces.

Meanwhile, our factory in Medellin continues to run as normal. Thus far, Colombia has only experienced a few cases of the virus, but the factory has their own protocol should the virus spread to their area. At the moment, they’ve been instructed to stop their work every two hours to thoroughly wash their hands. In addition, all equipment and work spaces have been cleaned with soap and alcohol. Lastly, extra hand sanitizing stations have been set up throughout the factory.

In addition, the next few Gran Fondo Hincapie events have posed a challenge for us. As some of you may know already, we were forced to postpone the Gran Fondo Hincapie-Fort Worth ride, which was slated to happen March 28. Likewise, our staff convened this morning regarding the Chattanooga ride set for May 2, and we have made the decision to postpone this ride until the summer. We’re finalizing details now and will publish the adjusted date for the Chattanooga ride in the next few days. Those who were already registered for the Chattanooga ride will be alerted via email. I’m sure this news is frustrating to hear, but this postponement is in accordance with the CDC’s requirements of cancelling or postponing any mass gatherings of more than 50 people for the next eight weeks.

Though this time is a difficult one for us all, I urge you to stay positive and take advantage of the extra moments to be at home with family. I’m sure you’d agree that no matter the amount of races missed or events postponed, our top priority is always our family.

However, if you need a little break from it all, we’d encourage you to get on your trainer and work out with us. We will continue to lead weekly rides on Zwift at 7:20 p.m. EST, and to make them a little more fun, we’ll be conducting some giveaways during the rides! Stay tuned for more.

Be safe and healthy.

Rich