At the end of 2024, the KOM attempts of gran fondo rider Jack Burke drew significant attention. The Canadian had a clear goal with those efforts: he wanted to become a pro again, preferably in the WorldTour. Today, he announced in an Instagram video message that his chances of achieving this appear slim for now.
Photo: Instagram Jack Burke ©
There was no shortage of interest, thanks to his record times on the Mortirolo, Alpe d'Huez, and Stelvio. No fewer than five WorldTour and two Pro-Continental teams reached out to Burke. However, none of those contacts have resulted in a contract so far. "That’s unfortunate; it remains my biggest dream to become a pro. On the other hand, 2024 was a huge bonus, as I hadn’t even planned to race. How cool is it that the manager of the biggest WorldTour team reaches out via a DM on Instagram? For 2025, I want to approach things more seriously. I’ll race even more events (gran fondos, ed.) like I did last year, and the MTB XC Marathon World Championship is my big goal. I really want to become world champion and wear the rainbow jersey."
Burke also has ambitions in gravel racing. "Gravel racing seems fun, but I’d need more budget for it. So I’m not sure if that will work out." The two-time winner of the ORM concludes with a call for more sponsors.
That Burke is serious is evident from his Instagram, where he has posted several grueling rides through the Austrian cold in recent weeks. It seems the gran fondo world will need to keep an eye on Burke for now — unless a pro team decides to sign him after all.
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