Italian bike brand has helped team to notch up two Tour de France wins plus over 130 other races
After some degree of media and fan speculation about what bikes they will be using from 2014 onwards, the Sky Procycling team and Pinarello have confirmed that they will extend their current collaboration until the end of the 2016 season.
The three year extension adds on to the previous four year cooperation, with the Italian company having come on board when the team was launched in 2010.
In that time the British squad has won the Tour de France twice, with Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome respectively, and also taken numerous Tour stages, Froome’s bronze medal in the Olympic time trial title and other additional success.
In all Team Sky’s riders have notched up 136 wins on Pinarello bikes, of which 27 were time trials and twelve were national championships, and led each of the Grand Tours.
“I want to thank everyone on the team, from the riders to mechanics and all the staff, for the great support that they have given us during the last four years,” said Fausto Pinarello. “And a special thanks to Sir Dave Brailsford, the strongest leader in the peloton. It’s my honour to be a Team Sky partner and I am sure that together we’ll make the best bikes in the world.”
The team’s head of operations Carsten Jeppesen said that he believes the synergy of the partnership has been a significant part of Team Sky’s success.
“This has been a great partnership and it’s natural to extend our relationship with Pinarello,” he said. “Fausto is a real gentleman, his team understand us, are excellent to work with and we’ve really enjoyed developing bikes with them over the last four seasons.
“The Dogma and Bolide have certainly worked for us; over 130 race wins, twelve riders earning national champions colours and, of course, those two successive victories at the Tour de France.”
Riders such as Wiggins and Froome used the Dogma 60.1, Dogma 2 and Dogma 65.1 models, as well as other machines for time trials.
“There is a lot more we want to achieve as a team and we go forward knowing we have the best partner to do that in Pinarello,” said Dave Brailsford, the team principal.