Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Tuesday, December 3, 2019
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2019 Tour de France | 2019 Giro d'Italia
Growing old is like being increasingly penalized for a crime you haven't committed. - Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Upcoming racing:
- Dec 7: IKO Cyclocross-Essen
- Dec 15: Vlaamse Druivencross
- Dec 22: World Cup, Namur
- Dec 26: World Cup Heusden-Zolder
- Dec 27: Azencross
- Dec 29: Superprestige Diegen
- Jan 1: GP Sven Nys
- Feb 22: GP Leuven
Latest completed racing:
- Nov 17: Flandriencross
- Nov 10: European Cyclocross Championships
- Nov 3: Telenet Superprestige Ruddervoorde
- Oct 27: Superprestige Gavere Cyclocross
- Oct 26: Cincinnati Cyclocross
- Oct 17-22: Tour of Guangxi
- Oct 20: Japan Cup
- Oct 20: Chrono des Nations
Astana will ride Wilier Triestina bikes in 2020
Here's the team's update:
Astana Pro Team proudly presents the new collaboration with Wilier Triestina. The Kazakh WorldTour team will start racing on the bikes of the Italian bike brand in its 15th season on the highest level of professional cycling.
The collaboration with the Rossano Veneto company - born out of shared ambitious sporting goals - will be wide-ranging, both in terms of duration and the areas addressed. While Wilier Triestina will initially provide its best racing products from the 2020 collection (i.e. Wilier 0 SLR and Wilier Turbine), over time, Astana Pro Team will be increasingly involved in designing products, and especially in developing new bicycles, aiming to raise even further the already excellent level of innovation present in Wilier bicycles. A level of innovation recognized internationally by the numerous awards the company received in recent years.
- I’m very glad that we start working with Wilier Triestina. It’s a very successful company with a long history and it has always been a family business. This fits perfectly with the mentality of staff and riders at Astana Pro Team, where we treat each other like family as well in our quest for victories in what will be the 15th season of the team on the highest level of professional cycling. We are happy to cooperate with this brand, I’m sure they can raise the bar for us while we can do the same for them. We’ve tested their road and TT bikes, both are an excellent piece of equipment. At Astana Pro Team, we hope that this bike helps us to win even more races next year. I thank them for their trust in our team and look forward to a successful partnership, - said the General Manager of Astana Pro Team, Alexandr Vinokurov.
- We are proud to announce this agreement that we are certain will play a central role in Wilier Triestina's growth and overall success. Astana Pro Team concretely shares our ambition to return to winning the world’s top races. It is an essential contribution to continue creating increasingly innovative products, as the highest expression of the value of the Wilier Triestina brand. The cycling season that has just ended brought major successes to Astana Pro Team and we look forward to celebrating exciting new victories with them, - said Andrea Gastaldello, CEO of Wilier Triestina.
De Rosa gets financial boost
This story was posted in Cycling Industry News:
De Rosa will bid to make a comeback in pro tour racing with a financial and management boost from an investor group that includes former Intense Cycles CEO Andrew Herrick.
Speaking to Bicycle Retailer Herrick suggested that the investors have backed De Rosa as it can be agile against its larger competitors. “We’re not so worried about the macro economics of the industry,” he told the site, “adding that there’s always an opportunity for a small brand in this age of niche brands.”
Herrick, also the co-founder of Pedro’s, is the managing director of Outdoor Capital Partners, a US-based investment group with eyes on cycling, snowsports and ‘urban mobility’. Other recognisable industry names on the team include Eric Horton, formerly Giro’s head of design. Likewise Michelle VanGilder has background in sourcing and supply with the now Rossignol-owned Felt Bicycles.
Despite the investment, the De Rosa business remains led by Ugo De Rosa’s sons, Cristiano and Danilo. Ugo remains the company chairman, while three grandsons work at the company’s showroom.
The ambition, it is said, is to return De Rosa to the pro tour next year with an announcement on the formation of riders due shortly. Since the opening in 1953 De Rosa has built bicycles for victors of the Giro D’Italia, Tour de France and World Championships. Many of those bikes were built by Ugo himself.
You can read the entire story here.
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