Racing With Time: On The Clock With Cycling Legend & Leader Of The Tudor Pro Cycling Team, Fabian Cancellara

Welcome to On The Clock, an exclusive interview series where Haute Time goes one-on-one with the watch industry’s most intriguing players, from enthusiasts and collectors to tastemakers and legendary figures.

Photo Credit: Zachary Piña

It’s the quintessential New York summer day; the sun is shining, the air is crisp, and it’s quiet — all of the elements that also make for the perfect cycling ride. Cyclists gather right outside of the Tudor boutique in the heart of the Meatpacking District, anxiously awaiting both the ride and the guest accompanying them on the ride. Inside, two-time Olympic gold medalist, professional cyclist, and the leader of the relatively new Tudor Pro Cycling team Fabian Cancellara gears up to ride.

Cancellara’s energy is infectious — his passion for the sport and the joie de vivre of simply living life cannot be ignored upon meeting him. With a professional career spanning over 15 years, achieving some of the greatest accomplishments in the sport — from winning the Paris-Roubaix three times and winning the opening stage of the Tour de France five teams to winning two Olympic goal medals — Cancellara’s time did not stop when he retired. Pending your perspective, his clock was just getting started.

Photo Credit: Zachary Piña

“I accomplished almost everything,” he admits. “Yet, still today, when I look back on everything, I am happy for what today is and what I have. I miss a few races, but I know my race is not finished. I returned to racing with the Tudor Pro Cycling team — that team is my medal today.”

In 2022, the Tudor Pro Cycling team was born between Cancellara and Tudor, mirroring the structure of the Swiss Racing Academy while also setting the goal to build a team that first focused on the human element of cycling. The team began as a development team, and now, in 2023, they officially have become a Swiss professional racing team. “I’m so proud of the Tudor Pro Cycling team,” Cancellara passionately says. “I am super enthusiastic about the team — not just how it started, but how it came together. I have Tudor as a partner, not a sponsor, and learning from them as they are the best at what they do has helped us do things differently.”

Photo Credit: Zachary Piña

This particular road in Cancellara’s race, it’s all about taking the back seat, as opposed to riding at the front of the pack. “Year two of [the Tudor Pro Cycling team], I talk less,” he jokes. “It is all about balance, and I have taken the back seat as I know how it is in the front. It makes me so happy that I can be a part of this project and bring it on the road, pushing people in the right direction.” Cancellara has stood at the team’s helm, becoming an incredible mentor for the cyclists.

For Cancellara, one thing is certain: the human connection is imperative. “On the [Tudor Pro Cycling team], we have questioned our world of cycling, setting certain standards. I believe if you want to be different, you question things. We have put the right people together, and while the product (like the watch or the bike) matters, the people behind the product are even more important because of the human element,” he says. But you certainly cannot deny the tools that help enhance the human experience of cycling as we both glance down at the Pro Cycling team’s incredibly exclusive watch, the Black Bay Chrono – a watch and cycling enthusiast’s dream.

Photo Credit: Zachary Piña

Cancellara’s perspective on the sport transcends beyond cycling into a feeling. In fact, even the watch he wears evokes a feeling for him. “Receiving this watch [the Tudor 41mm burgundy Black Bay] was a special moment for me — it was a completely unexpected moment,” he shares. “[The watch] even has a special engraving for me.” Glancing down, he adds, “I do feel bad it is scratched, but I wear it; the watch is meant to be worn and used.”

And while watches are integral to racing and life, time is crucial for Cancellara. “We live in the 24 hours,” says Cancellara, admitting at times he wishes there were more hours. “We are lucky we have a clock — it stops you, makes you think, and gives you our own time.”

Photo Credit: Zachary Piña

Racing against the clock has certainly dominated Cancellara’s time thus far, but it, fortunately, hasn’t clouded his reason for riding. “It is hard to find a passion in something you like where it becomes a hobby and then a professional job, but for me, riding is still my passion. I still like to explore wherever I am in the world on the bike,” says Cancellara, then reflects: “I actually started cycling in front of my parents, and they saw me pedaling, then eventually pedaling away — it’s a life journey.”

Photo Credit: Zachary Piña

Indeed, cycling and time make up the circle of Cancellara’s life, and we patiently await to see where he takes the Tudor Pro Cycling team to next.