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From inrng - What’s new for 2014?

  • There’s been a Dutch merry-go-round as Giant swaps Belkin for Argos-Shimano and Belkin pick up the Bianchi sponsorship left by Vacansoleil-DCM
  • Germany’s Canyon now has two teams. It has been supplying Katusha but now sponsors Movistar after Pinarello decided to focus on Team Sky only
  • Specialized supplying three teams; the US brand is part-owned by Merida who co-sponsor Lampre
  • Have you heard of Pon? Probably not but the Dutch firm is the parent company of Cervélo and Focus meaning it’s behind two teams
  • Colnago returns to the top thanks to Europcar
  • As for groups, Shimano supplies 10 teams, Campagnolo five and three for SRAM. A contrast to 2011 when SRAM was the largest supplier of components with eight teams

As ever these deals are commercial and those adverts saying “the choice of” such and such rider? More like the sponsor offered the largest sum of money to the team and management said yes, riders rarely get a say in what they ride.

 

Note the other corporate relationships. Fulcrum is brand belonging to Campagnolo. SRAM owns Zipp and Quarq so a team sponsored by SRAM will normally use their sister components too. Similarly those with full Shimano sponsorship have to take the full package of Pro components and Shimano wheelsets.

 

Overall there’s doesn’t seem to be a big change in bike technology for 2014, just a few new frame models. We’ve still got €10,000 top of the line bikes that rely on 10 cent cable ties to strap the CPU for electronic gearing to the stem.

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