Ecky

Juergen Eckmann, “Ecky,” grew up in a family-owned sporting goods manufacturing & retail business in Germany and has spent the last 25 years in the sporting goods industry. With his sports equipment experience and an extensive bicycling racing background, he has served in management and leadership roles at Scott USA, Scott Sports, Schwinn Cycling & Fitness, GT Bicycles, Shore Sports, Nautilus Fitness, Pearl iZUMi and Shimano. With Juergen Sprich, Ecky co-founded Eurobike and Bike Magazine.

• German National Team 1979-1985
• LA Olympics Long Team
• Gravel World Champion
• Pro MTB 1988-1990
• Founding Member Eurobike Tradeshow
• Founding Member Bike Magazine
• I still love to ride

Champy

Juergen has spent his entire career in the bicycle industry. Starting with his passion for competition, “Champy” earned his nickname as a junior cyclocross world champion, 8x Germany Nation Champion, 2x European Downhill Champion, and numerous MTB World Cup wins. As a leader and innovator in the cycling industry, Juergen has been integral in the success of Scott Sports as the apparel and footwear manager, co-founder and owner of Shore SportsWorks, created to bring US brands to the EU, and also served in leadership roles at Schwinn/GT Europe and Pearl iZUMi. In addition, Champy co-founded Eurobike and Bike Magazine with his long-time friend and partner Juergen Eckmann.

• 8x German National Champion
• 2x European Downhill champion MTB
• Founding Member Eurobike Tradeshow
• Founding Member Bike Magazine
• Founding Member of the MTB Federation and later integrated into UCI
• Brought 1995 UCI MTB World Championships to hometown, Kirchzarten, Germany
• Has finished wearing numbers on his jersey… but still has to finish first

Mark

Mark is one of those rare individuals who loves a complex challenge. A problem solver at heart, Mark has spent most of his adult life in factories around the globe, figuring out how to connect customer's dreams and factory capabilities. Mark has lived and worked in Asia since 2006 in various leadership roles and has led the OutSkin/UAS team since 2019. German by birth, triathlete by passion, Asian by location, Mark has somehow fixated on Italian brands. An avid collector of Bianchi and Campagnolo equipment, he somehow managed to get Ecky and Champy to attend L’Eroica with him in Italy in 2022.

• First bike was a red Bianchi at 8 years of age (got stolen at the pool)
• Riding road, MTB, single speed, fixie ever since
• First Triathlon in Dallas, Texas did fundraising for TNT (Team in Training Cancer Foundation)
• About 25 Marathon/Ironman races around the globe
• The more challenging a customer is, the more inspiring it is for me to work with them
• Still love to ride bikes, rather long than fast, as long as the cadence is reasonable
• My wife & son give me the balance & power I need for my day

Rahul

Born in India to a family with a culture of diversity, garment creation comes naturally from his rich heritage. While Rahul’s first sewing lesson was from his mother, he continued his formal education in the garment manufacturing industry at the National Institute of Fashion Technology, India. Rahul has set up four factories and, as the GM of UAS Myanmar fabrication facility, he is well versed in all aspects of the garment production process. We are proud to have the depth of knowledge that Rahul brings. As he says, “I’m excited to learn every day from every project and every customer interaction.”

• Started in high-fashion garment production management (2000).
• Managed production overseas in Bangladesh (2003).
• First factory set-up experience and learned Third Party Quality and Compliance (2005).
• Led production of organic cotton, woven and knit garments (2008).
• Set up two factories and became a General Manager (2013-2014).
• Foreign investment start-up experience in cycling apparel manufacturing (2019).

Didi

A passionate Road and MTB Cyclist, Rally Motorcyclist and Skier/Snowboarder, Didi has a long list of firsts in the performance garment and footwear industries. As Product Manager for Scott softgoods, he developed their first “baggy” MTB short and road shoe (that just happened to win a World title its first year on the market), and first ever MTB Shoe with VIBRAM Rubber Outsole. Didi also knows about owning and running brands as the founder of Frontweaver and Qloom, and as the Head of Marketing and eCommerce at AG Cilander. Didi brings first-hand product development skills to both the UAS team and in service of facilitating customers' dreams.

• Pro Cyclist, 1994 - 1996
• Swiss National Team (Road Team Pursuit & Track)
• 3 x Swiss Champion (Track Omnium / Road 100km Team Pursuit)
• Founder of Frontweaver GmbH, building European Customer Base / Product Innovation processing for 2 Chinese Manufacturers (Outerwear & Footwear), Exclusive Product Developments Performance Garments & Footwear, 2003 - 2009
• Qloom Sports AG, Founder, 2006 – 2020

Julien

Julien is our resident technology guru. His path to all things X and O was paved with degrees in biotech and law as well. When Julien realized his passion wasn’t in the lab or courtroom, he became a dot.com expert honing his craft in the marketing agency environment. Julien’s path crossed with Ecky and Champy where he helped shape the go-to-market technology foundation at Nautilus, Shore Sportworks, Pearl Shimano, and Pearl iZUMI GmbH where he crafted b2b customer service solutions. He later started as “Employee Number Zero” to help the Juergen’s articulate their customer-centric business model for Cuore and UAS.

• Born in France, studied biology and law, graduated MSc. in biotech.
• Moved to Germany after I fell unconditionally in love with the country
• Juergen and Juergen asked me to help build up a new business with them…Sounds like a challenge, where do I sign up?
• Cuore Employee Number Zero. It was a pioneering time. No brand, no logo, nothing but a dream.
• After all these years, I still love every challenge thrown at me
• Ultra-distance cyclist by heart

Yannick

Yannick, originally from Germany, developed a passion for cycling at a young age due to his family and friends. Growing up, he had the opportunity to race multiple World Championships for Germany, and later on US National Teams. At the end of his cycling career, he took his real-world cycling expertise to product creation. As a link between product and operation, Yannick plays a major role in managing this balancing act on a daily basis. In addition, his customer relations role at UAS further expands his horizons and knowledge. His experiences in sports and business have taught him the value of determination, teamwork, and the pursuit of excellence. He continues to apply these principles to deliver the best solutions for our customers.

• 3-year German National Team (Road/ CX)
• US National Team Member (Road/ CX)
• I lost some teeth in a crash but came away with a better smile
• I use my real-world knowledge to bring innovation to the cycling world
• Coached BJC for 5+ years
• Only compete now for bragging rights at crazy events
• “Professional” home gardener, fixer-upper, and Dad of the most precious girl on the planet

Robin

Robin's lifelong connection to cycling began in his youth, representing both the German and later, the US National Teams. Unexpected accidents redirected Robin's focus to his career. His journey included roles learning the industry from the ground up in Pearl iZUMi's warehouses, providing insights into large corporations. He joined Cuore of Switzerland at its inception, initially managing operations in the US. Over time, he expanded his role, leading global automation projects and improving operations worldwide.

Robin also played a vital role in establishing a manufacturing facility in Myanmar, overseeing budgeting and financial matters. He actively explores new manufacturing sites beyond China.

Robin embraces outdoor adventures, from river trips to mountaineering. His passion for the outdoors shapes his character and enriches his life.

• Lived and raced in Spain, Netherlands, and Belgium
• “Almost self-guided” white-water rafting in a remote area in a jungle in Mexico
• 20+ Canyoneer adventures
• Love to make super complicated cooking dishes
• Working in large corporations gave me detailed insights into the cycling industry
• Trying to master cheese-making might be harder than a sprint finish