At Donovan Racing, we talk a lot about what it takes to build the next generation of champions. The training, the competition, the community. But one of the most important things we can give our athletes is the feeling that someone believes in them.
Orange Seal believes in them. And when you hear the story behind the brand, you understand exactly why.
John Vargus, founder and president of Orange Seal, did not grow up with a perfectly dialed race setup. He grew up racing on whatever bike his parents could get him. It might have come from a garage sale. He is not entirely sure. What he knows is they were doing the best they could for him, and he was out there giving everything he had because he simply loved it. He loved bikes. He loved racing. The equipment did not define his passion. His passion defined him.
That kid grew up to build one of the most trusted tubeless sealant brands in all of cycling. And he has not forgotten where he came from.
When the trail throws something at our athletes mid-race, they do not think twice about their tires. That confidence comes from knowing what is inside them. Orange Seal is what our team reaches for. It is what they count on when the stakes are high and there is no time to stop. It is what they trust, race after race, course after course, all season long.
That trust does not happen by accident. You can see it in how he shows up. At the first big mountain bike race of the season, John was at the Orange Seal tent, not watching from a distance but right in the middle of it all, just a few feet from the course. He was grinding fresh coffee beans on the spot and serving up spicy goat lattes to anyone who came over. He was talking to people, meeting riders and families, being genuinely present. That is not a marketing move. That is a person who loves this community and wants to be part of it. The product is excellent because the person behind it actually shows up.
It comes from a founder who cares deeply about the product he puts out and the people he puts it behind. John is passionate about youth cycling in a way that is hard to manufacture. It is rooted in his own story, in the memory of a kid who showed up and raced hard with whatever he had. He wants the next generation of young riders to have more than he did. He wants them to have real support, real gear, and a real shot at reaching their potential.
That is why this partnership means so much to us. It is not just a logo on a jersey. It is a shared belief that these kids deserve to be taken seriously. It is a man who built something from nothing, who remembers what it felt like to love this sport before the world knew his name, choosing to pour that love back into the next wave of riders coming up.
To John and the entire Orange Seal team: thank you. Your story is part of our story now, and we are grateful every time our athletes roll to the line with your name on their bikes.
Follow along on Instagram for race-day highlights, behind-the-scenes moments, and a front-row seat to what these kids are capable of.