Belgian Team to Ride Belgian Bikes

by Chris... on Nov 20, 2009 6:47 PM EST in News Comment 31 comments

By Bryn Lennon, Getty Images Sport

This is what constitutes news in late November, I guess. But the intertubes are all a-Twitter over the news that Quick Step will ride Merckx cycles for the next three years, parting ways with Specialized after a fruitful arrangement. Personally I find it hard to believe that teams change major bike sponsorships because they have suddenly decided one bike is crap and another is gold. Among the very biggest, wealthiest teams, I have always assumed the riders got great gear, and if they had a problem the company would rig something special. Boonen has had his share of special Specializeds over the years. So if the quality of the bike isn't the story, then the story is about either money or connections... neither of which interest me too much. Or maybe this is a Buy Belgian thing, local politics, which I know nothing about but would find perfectly normal. In any event, Merckx makes great bikes, and I can't wait to see what they gin up for Paris-Roubaix. Meanwhile, if you're curious about Specialized's service to the pro peloton, look no further than Saxo Bank. Apparently another team is about to cut a deal with the American company too.

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Quality pic

by tedvdw on Nov 20, 2009 7:02 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

It's money

The companies pay the big teams to serve as their sponsors, just as Specialized is paying Contador 700k to ride their bikes.

I dig that pic. Nice find.

by gavia on Nov 20, 2009 7:03 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Very nice find. Excellent scenery there.

"If I were World Road Race Champion, I would wear black shorts. That probably has more to do with me being on the wiser side of 30 and understanding better that the decisions I make now never really go away. White shorts would not be something I'd be proud of...." - David Millar, in Rouleur.

by Albertina on Nov 20, 2009 7:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

What she means is:

It’s all about the money
It’s all about the dum dum du du du dum
I don’t think it’s funny
To see us fade away
It’s all about the money
It’s all about the dum dum du du du dum
And I think we got it all wrong anyway

What do you fear most?
1. coup d’etat
2. putsch

by Frinking on Nov 20, 2009 8:06 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Should be good rides...

though I am very curious about the TT bike situation. The top of the line EMX-5 bike can be built up to 15 lbs comfortably so it should be ready to do good work.

I am loving these Getty pictures.

by Vlaanderen90 on Nov 20, 2009 7:09 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

QS was just a money sucker

Specialized has some big bills to pay. Contador+Astana=$$$$$$

I bet cutting QS and keeping Saxo was an easy choice w/ all of Boonen’s “issues” as of late.

Now there are two huge TDF forces on Specialized bikes, and hopefully a TDF win for the big S next year. QS hasn’t done squat in the Tour the last 2 years.

Big companies pay big money for big results.

by left coast kid on Nov 20, 2009 8:13 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Sadly Enough

This mentality probably factored into the decision. This mentality being that the Tour is the only bike race of importance. Never mind that QS has won both Roubaix and Flanders two years running (Roubaix being a race that Specialized developed and named a bike for). But then, maybe people savvy enough about the sport to appreciate such races are savvy enough not to buy a bike just because of which pro is riding it.

Tickets are bought, Belgium here I come!

by jsallee00 on Nov 20, 2009 9:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Well

If specialized want their bikes in the Tour, then paying Lefevre was a bad idea.

Otoh, I am not sure Merckx needs to market their bikes to Belgians. But I gather branding is more subtle than this sometimes.

"Harder! Better! Faster! Stronger!" Philippe Gilbert

by Chris... on Nov 20, 2009 11:03 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

Boonen and his partying is not really the problem (if any at all) but more like...

they just really really really want to win a Tour and they would drop QS in a heartbeat if they could get that. If they could get the same kind of marketing that SRAM did this year with having the whole podium using it, they would be in heaven. The classics do not make you the money in the states, only the Tour can do that.
I disagree wholeheartedly with your statement that Quick Step is just a money sucker, like they don’t have any results in “big” races. FLanders and Roubaix are 2 other-worldly races and to win them both 2 years in a row is nothing but miraculous, so I would say that they got there money’s worth out of that (look at ads in magazines where Boonen has cobbles for abs). It didn’t matter what QS did in the Tour because Specialized knew that they were not going to win the Tour when they signed them on, they knew that they were a classics team.

by Vlaanderen90 on Nov 20, 2009 10:53 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

with the departure

Of the great Eddy I am pretty sire that he sold his shares last year)., is this really a Belgian company anymore? The bikes are basically replicas of Pinerellos.

by jaymo on Nov 20, 2009 9:29 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Well they are not made by Pinarello per say, they just use the same materials i.e. the same carbon. In there joint agreement

they said that they want to keep each brand independent of each other and keep the quality of ride what you expect for each company.

by Vlaanderen90 on Nov 20, 2009 10:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Which is standard, no?

There are a few suppliers in Taiwan that everyone gets their raw mat’l from?

"Harder! Better! Faster! Stronger!" Philippe Gilbert

by Chris... on Nov 20, 2009 11:06 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

This guy says it better, I got it from Bicycling Magazine when they talked to them back when it happened in 2008

Pinarello’s marketing director, Luciano Fusar Poli explained the terms of the arrangement to me: the companies are very much separate and operate independently. Pinarello acts as a consultant or outside contractor, mostly in the areas of design, materials, engineering and manufacturing. The bike is still an Eddy Merckx: his company sets overall goals and requirements regarding ride quality, geometry, purpose, intent, etc.

http://bicycling.com/blogs/thisjustin/2008/09/19/2008-interbike-exclusive-merckx-and-pinarello-team-up/

by Vlaanderen90 on Nov 21, 2009 12:28 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Bit more detail in this review

Not having ridden a Pinarello or a Merckx before, some of the ‘clearly’ hear I have to take for granted.

http://www.bicycling.com/gear/detail/0,7989,s1-16-156-1883-0,00.html

by mychal on Nov 21, 2009 10:56 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

La la la

I not listening to this probably true assertion. (covering ears…)

"Harder! Better! Faster! Stronger!" Philippe Gilbert

by Chris... on Nov 20, 2009 11:04 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

I'll miss my

Tom Boonen “I am Specilized” commercials during the TdF :(

by Katiek on Nov 20, 2009 11:18 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

So

how about “I am Eddy Merckx?”

"Harder! Better! Faster! Stronger!" Philippe Gilbert

by Chris... on Nov 21, 2009 12:27 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Oh same here!

Never mind, they’re on Youtube ;-)

by Albertina on Nov 23, 2009 4:54 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Makes this competition prize suddenly seem less special

from Pro Cycling Dec 09

https://www.futurecompetitions.com/quickstep/Default.asp?

Will they now have 2nd/3rd place prizes?

by andrewp on Nov 21, 2009 4:11 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Nice to see Eddy's bikes

back on the Pro Tour. I believe Domo Farm Frites was the last team to ride them. First Belgian bikes for QS too as far as I can recall. Colnago, Time, Specialized. Good to come home.

by Mr Van P on Nov 21, 2009 7:54 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Chocolade-Jacques was riding them two years ago,

but I can’t remember about last year. I love the fact that the team was racing the “premium”, Merckx’s scandium bike.

by brunopitton on Nov 21, 2009 10:58 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I read Merckx quoted

as saying that the carbon-love everyone had was a damned shame, since aluminium bikes were bloody good and people were missing out on great bikes.

Okay, did you spot that I paraphrased a little?

The old Team SC was legendary, though.

by Drongo on Nov 22, 2009 3:21 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The other thing about their metal frames

is that they made (make) them in the factory.
(Okay, not the Ti ones, they were Litespeeds.)

The carbon ones get polished and painted there, but what else gets done to them in Belgium?

by Drongo on Nov 22, 2009 3:25 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Topsport Vlaanderen still ride them, no?

by Albertina on Nov 23, 2009 4:55 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Lefevere says Contador's deal a factor, but not the only one.

The old “no longer shared the same vision” split:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contadors-specialized-deal-a-factor-in-quick-step-switch

by mychal on Nov 21, 2009 10:50 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I like that Eddy was realistic about the role bikes play

He’s quoted as saying “But in cycling it is not like in the Formula 1, where the car makes the difference.”

by dansel on Nov 21, 2009 11:01 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

And his marketing department

…have just handed in their resignations.

by Lou... on Nov 21, 2009 4:23 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm glad QS is off Specialized.

I heard back when the team got Specialized, riders were breaking bikes left and right. That must have been a harsh reality for the riders after riding Time frames for so long.

Maybe Specialized was forced to step up their game by working with QS and made a better product from it.

by brunopitton on Nov 21, 2009 11:01 AM EST reply actions 0 recs