Sponsors drop Strickland after his admitted 'proximity' to Wilson's shooting death

Prominent sponsors of Colin Strickland ended their support of the gravel racer this weekend after more details of the shooting death of Moriah "Mo" Wilson were made public.

Strickland, 35, has not been charged with any offense in the case and has cooperated with the authorities. In a public statement issued last week, he admitted to having a relationship with both Wilson and the suspect at large in her death, Kaitlin Marie Armstrong, 34.

Specialized confirmed the termination to Cyclingnews, stating, "As of Saturday, May 21st, Specialized has terminated the contract agreement with Colin Strickland and he will no longer be a sponsored athlete for the brand."

Clothing manufacturer Rapha also dropped Strickland and, along with bicycle supplier Allied Cycle Works, removed web pages on their sites that referenced Strickland's special collection of clothing.

An affidavit that was made public by major news outlets over the weekend states that Strickland met Wilson for a swim and dinner before dropping her off at an apartment where she was staying in Austin, Texas on May 11, 2022 ahead of the Gravel Locos race.

Hours later, Wilson was found unresponsive by her host and later declared dead from gunshot wounds. The police issued a warrant for the arrest of Armstrong, Strickland's live-in partner, on May 19 on first-degree felony murder charges. Strickland is not a suspect in the case.

The US Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force declared Armstrong a fugitive and requested public help in locating her on May 20.

On the same day, Strickland put out a statement insisting his relationship with Wilson was "platonic and professional" and writing, "There is no way to adequately express the regret and torture I feel about my proximity to this horrible crime."

The family of Moriah 'Mo' Wilson have organised a GoFundMe to raise funds in honour of her memory. The Feed, an online sports nutrition store, are offering Ride Like Mo bottles, with 100% of the $24 fee being donated in memory of Wilson to a scholarship fun of her family's choosing.