For most of his career, Fabian Cancellara made a living measuring success in fractions of a second. Four world titles in the time trial and victories at Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders don’t leave much room for error. So it felt fitting to catch up with him at the opening of Tudor’s new Bloor Street boutique in Toronto.
On his wrist was the newly unveiled Black Bay Chrono 39 in yellow, a watch he’d only received days earlier. “Every watch has something special,” he says. “It is not just a watch. It has always a meaning behind it.” While the design and bold yellow face are certainly eye-catching, when it comes to watches, Cancellara says he’s drawn more to the intangibles, like the story a watch tells and the values it might represent to the wearer.
“The team stands in the middle of everything. I’m just part of it, but I’m not in the centre. The human is in the centre of everything. Happy people perform better. When you have happy people, they live better. They work better.”Fabian Cancellara
That same philosophy carries through to Tudor Pro Cycling, the professional cycling team Cancellara launched in 2022 with the backing of the Swiss watchmaker. What began as a development project has quickly evolved into one of the sport’s most ambitious outfits, earning invitations to cycling’s biggest races while nurturing the next generation of talent. The partnership, he says, came together organically. “We found out that there’s common sense, there’s common things to create, to build, to go long term, creating legacy, creating history… not just, okay, it’s marketing.”
The watch industry prizes heritage, but Tudor has built its reputation by balancing Swiss craftsmanship with a willingness to evolve and modernize. Cancellara shares that ethos, making small refinements while continuing to push forward.
Growing up in Switzerland, he says watches were simply part of the culture. His career only strengthened that connection. As one of cycling’s greatest time trialists, he spent decades racing against the clock, making mechanical watchmaking feel like a natural extension of the sport. Discipline, patience and an obsession with detail define both pursuits, making the partnership feel authentic.
The same appreciation for detail informs the way Cancellara approaches leadership. Building a successful team, he suggests, comes down to dozens of people doing their jobs well every day. “The team stands in the middle of everything,” he says. “I’m just part of it, but I’m not in the centre. The human is in the centre of everything. Happy people perform better. When you have happy people, they live better. They work better.” It’s a refreshingly collaborative outlook from one of cycling’s biggest names — an outlook that values consistency over ego. His own role, he insists, is a simple one: “At the end of the day, what we are, we are coaches, nothing else.”
Cancellara has spent his life chasing tiny advantages. “Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but in the end you lose more than you win,” he says. “You learn most when you’re down. When you’re up, everything is easy.” It’s a fitting thought to leave with as guests begin to fill Tudor’s newest boutique. Great cyclists and great watchmakers have at least one thing in common: they know the smallest details often make the biggest difference.
