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Team GB to ride Cervélo bikes through Tokyo 2020

Five-year deal includes R&D cooperation to create "world's fastest track bikes"...

Team GB cyclists will ride Cervélo bikes at the Rio and Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics under a five-year deal between British Cycling and the bike maker announced this morning.

Cervélo will provide frames for road and track racing and also work with the team on bike development with the aim of designing, and manufacturing the fastest track bikes in the world.

British Cycling’s technical director Shane Sutton OBE said: “I’m looking forward to working with Cervélo. They have a long-standing reputation for supplying world-class bikes to world-class athletes so it’s great to have them as a partner.

“The research and development aspect of our partnership is particularly exciting for me, and it will be interesting to see what we can do in terms of developing the next generation of bikes.

“The whole team is looking forward to working with Cervélo and I’m confident we will be on the start line with the best bikes in the world at both the Rio and Tokyo Olympic Games.”

Robert Reijers, managing director of Cervélo said: “This partnership allows us to bring new levels of innovation into track cycling. The Great Britain Cycling Team has taken the track world by storm in the last 15 years. It has developed a remarkable programme with world class athletes, staff and facilities.

“Track racing is one of Cervélo’s three core pillars next to triathlon and road. We are proud to be recognised by one of the most successful track teams in the world as their technology partner of choice.

“We are confident that the Great Britain Cycling Team’s track specific knowledge and our expertise in aerodynamics and structural engineering will bring new levels of innovation to the sport of track cycling in coming years.

“For our team it is an honour to be able to work with world class coaches and athletes on their road to achieving their Olympic goals.”

This content has been added by a member of the road.cc staff

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20 comments

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Nuclear Dan | 9 years ago
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The 2012 GB time trial bike doesn't look that fancy the front brake wasn't shrouded and the cables were external.

http://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/2...

The 2012 Tour Time trial bike looks much more aero.
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02283/report_2283836b.jpg

That British bikes cost more is a matter of scale not wages Taiwan is not a low wage country anymore.

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StuayEd | 9 years ago
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One British brand springs to mind as still churning out track bikes and keeping pace with modern tech and materials and they've supplied all the top riders over the years! Surprised no one's mentioned Terry Dolan! Anyone who's anyone in British track cycling has competed on a Dolan at some point and he has a long history of bespoke bike development for just that purpose!

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pedalpowerDC | 9 years ago
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If you think about it, Cervelo was founded as a Canadian brand. Canada has some sort of allegiance to the British crown, or at least tip their hats to the crown as needed.

Plus, long ago, the Normans were ravaging both the British Isles and the Netherlands, where Cervelo's current owner, PON, is located. Plus, PON used to own Raleigh, a distinctly British brand, but they sold Raleigh to another Dutch company, Accell, furthering Team GB's nationalistic connection to their Cervelo bikes via the horrors of the Norman conquest.

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joules1975 | 9 years ago
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I love it when every complains about lack of British bike (or whatever) manufacture ring industry. There is one very simple reason why little is made in Britain any more - the wages are higher so it costs more to make and it's us that look for the best 'value' or try and find whatever item for the cheapest price, and thus aren't as a rule willing to pay for the item that was made here.

I.e. It's our fault!

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glynr36 | 9 years ago
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I understand your logic, but sports funding should not come with strings attached such as 'you must buy bikes from xyz'
It's there to support sport, not an industry.
I'd never purchase machinery/services in my line of work based upon if they are British or not, but on the basis of a combination of the best technical solution and value for money, probably the same top level criteria used byTeam GB.
Supporting industry on the basis of it's British when there are technically superior and better value options out then us just pure jingoism, and why for many years British industry was/still is a joke.

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glynr36 | 9 years ago
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The rules change put an end to that.

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Quince | 9 years ago
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I rather liked how GB whizzed around on their unmarked stealth-machines while everybody else went down the traditional billboard route, but hey-ho.

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Must be Mad | 9 years ago
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Quote:

What happened to UK Sport Innovations?

I would like to know that too. Were the bikes banned (as part of the move towards 'off the shelf' kit rather than specially made prototypes) - or was the project too expensive - or did it just fizzle out after Boardman ended his involvement? (Boardman - now there is a British brand who could have made some traction with a bike supply deal. Does Boardman still supply the UK triathlon team?)

Of course we have skills in the country to make aero-dynamic carbon fiber bits. McLaren I believe did the aero for the UK Sport Innovations bike, as well as the Spesh Venge. However if the deal with Cervélo makes sens financially and technically, then so be it - although with the way Team Sky have been able to get Pina and Jag to work together, that would have been an easy fit got team GB as well.

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SuperG | 9 years ago
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The fact that the British bike industry is no more is sad, but it also applies to the motor industry. Although there are still some great smaller manufacturers in cars and bikes

I think Tata Motors owns Jaguar cars!

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glynr36 replied to SuperG | 9 years ago
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SuperG wrote:

I think Tata Motors owns Jaguar cars!

They do own JLR.

Don't get why everyone is bleating on about not British bikes etc.
Team GB is bothered about winning medals not supporting an industry where they can't get the bikes they want.

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finbar replied to glynr36 | 9 years ago
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glynr36 wrote:
SuperG wrote:

I think Tata Motors owns Jaguar cars!

They do own JLR.

Don't get why everyone is bleating on about not British bikes etc.
Team GB is bothered about winning medals not supporting an industry where they can't get the bikes they want.

Who is Team GB funded by? And what are some of the things they're bothered about? Heaven forfend anyone should actually engage in some up joined up thinking...

Boardman would be a good call.

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Simon Walker | 9 years ago
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It's not an ability or inventiveness problem, traditionally Britain has been the source of original and ground breaking ideas. It's just as a country we are hopeless at capitalising on our inventions.

I think it's a lack of governmental strategic thinking and long term manufacturing policy. The authorities are far to snake fascinated with making a quick and risky buck on international money markets, with nothing of any substance to back it up.

Sadly not an easy one to fix

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Charles_Hunter | 9 years ago
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Any mention of money? Are cervelo sponsoring team GB?

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Dapper Giles | 9 years ago
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Pretty sure Dawes manufacture their bikes in the far east just like everyone else.

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amawby | 9 years ago
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What happened to UK Sport Innovations? I remember it being noted at the 2012 Olympics that all the Team GB riders were offered UK Sport Innovations bikes and all used them except Millar, who stuck to his Cervelo, which he said was faster!

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CafeRacer71 | 9 years ago
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Yeah, they'd look just awesome on their steel Dawes Clubmans.

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AJ101 replied to CafeRacer71 | 9 years ago
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CafeRacer71 wrote:

Yeah, they'd look just awesome on their steel Dawes Clubmans.

Exactly that, it didn't do PMS-Dawes any harm all those years ago plus a good Clubman will still be riding nice and solid in 30 years time!

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AJ101 | 9 years ago
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When you think of all the great names that used to be based around Coventry/Derby and the midlands in general its a real shame British manufacturing of high end bicycles hasn't kept up.

With Team Sky being equipped with the latest Jaguar cars it would have been great if Dawes had stepped up to supply the bikes...

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finbar | 9 years ago
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Disappointing they couldn't find a British brand to work with instead.

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stenmeister replied to finbar | 9 years ago
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finbar wrote:

Disappointing they couldn't find a British brand to work with instead.

The reality of modern day economics and capitalism is that such loyalties to home grown or manufactured products just doesn't exist anymore.

They have gone for a top brand because they want to succeed and that's the goal in sport, not to prop up local business.

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