Chapeau to Robert Marchand who at the age of 100 set a world hour record of 24.251km. Lapping the UCI’s velodrome in Aigle Switzerland, the Frenchman had tried an attempt on an indoor trainer before but this time made his way to a track and rode under the scrutiny of officials from the UCI.
Cervélo was a two man start-up company in 1995 and now the bike company is being sold to Dutch conglomerate Pon.
Pon was started in 1895 by Dutchman Mijndert Pon and soon began importing Opel bicycles from Germany. This connection with Germany grew and it started importing Continental tyres in 1920. Today this connection exists even more as it is the main distributor for VW-Audi (Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, Skoda, Seat) in the Netherlands and it continues to distribute Continental in the Netherlands. It also handles Caterpillar and Man trucks. As well as this it owns several bike brands including Gazelle and is completing the acquisition of Derby Cycles, better known for its Focus brand as used by the Katusha team in 2011, as well as Raleigh and Univega.
A question on Twitter last Thursday got me thinking: “name the last rider to win a Classic using an Aluminium frameset”. I was thinking of strange win from way back… until I remembered Philippe Gilbert. The Belgian won the Amstel Gold and the Tour of Lombardy on an aluminium frame. This was then a subject … Read more
Wiggo Jackpot I already wrote that Jonathan Vaughter’s crafty sale of Bradley Wiggins to Sky was a master stroke. Faced with a team desperate for success and flush with cash, Vaughters sold Wiggo at the top of the market. A pity Wiggins never lived up to the expectations attached after his excellent ride in the … Read more
If Cervélo claimed “subtle changes” in the UCI rules caused their Test Team’s demise then the other UCI rules may also hamper the ambition of Garmin-Transitions to sign several of their riders. Why? Well the UCI imposes a limit on the number of riders a ProTour team can employ. Here’s the relevant rule: 2.15.110 RidersThe … Read more
What follows is a random collection of points but following the abrupt withdrawal of the team, I wish I was at the team’s press conference this afternoon to put these points: Why did Brett Lancaster start tweeting about house hunting in Girona in late July? Did he fancy moving to a country where he doesn’t … Read more
Certain subtle changes in the rules that govern pro cycling, have established a trend towards bigger budgets to ensure participation in all the big races, and this is not something with which we are comfortable. We were okay with the significant commitment we originally made to the team, but to increase it is not prudent. … Read more
It started after the Tour de France when Brett Lancaster said on Twitter that he was house-hunting in Girona. The lead out specialist seemed suited to life in Italy, having been in Tuscany for a long time and riding for Italian squads in the past. Why up sticks to Spain when you don’t speak the … Read more
Stagiaire is French for intern. Like many prospective employers, the best way to judge if an employee is suitable to join the firm is to watch them in the workplace for a period of time, as opposed to an interview or a read of the CV. Cycling’s no different and now’s the time of year … Read more
I twittered the other day about Eritrean rider Daniel Teklehaimanot possibly joining the Cervélo Test Team and since then, a second source has independently hinted at the same thing although he says it’s at the “possibility” stage rather than contract time. You might not of heard of him but he’s 21 and finished sixth in … Read more