Exhaust Podcast: The Cianciarulo Career

There was so much anticipation for Adam Cianciarulo's pro career when it began a little over a decade ago, and now we can look back at it in full because he's announced his retirement. Jason Weigandt has a few thoughts from Adam to share (via the SMX Insider show's exclusive interview) and then Weigandt adds his own thoughts. Hardly anyone had expectations to live up to like Adam did, because he was entering the ranks right on the heels of a 15-year run of Kawasaki Team Green prospects going straight to the top immediately, through Ricky Carmichael, James Stewart, and Ryan Villopoto. Thus, the microscope was on Adam right from the start to see if he could be the next one, and for a brief moment, he delivered by winning supercross races immediately. Unfortunately, injuries then kicked in, leaving everyone wondering what might have been. Adam surely wondered this more than anyone, but was also able to gain perspective from it all. He might not have won all the races he would have won if he was healthy, but he might have emerged from the process as a better person. That's why his legacy is now not as one of the winningest riders ever, but one of the most liked.