Italian Bike Manufacturer Pinarello Debuts in Women’s WorldTour with Roland Cycling Sponsorship

Italian bike manufacturer Pinarello has entered into Women’s WorldTour for the first time after their partnership with Ronald Cycling became official. The move was already anticipated after members of Roland were spotted wearing the jerseys during training. It is a historic achievement for the Italian manufacturer, marking their first association in Women’s WorldTour.

The sponsorship announcement has come on the back of Israel-Premier Tech’s withdrawal of support in the winter. For a team that saw two title sponsors leave before the start of 2024, Pinarello’s investment in the team spells the beginning of a new dawn. Israel-Premier Tech withdrew their association with the Swiss Team after a two year period. They cited the difference in vision for the team’s prospects as one of the reasons but also added that they will return to women’s peloton. For Roland Cycling, their exit perhaps posed threats in the beginning but it all quickly changed after the Pinarello deal.

For an Italian bike manufacturer to be at the center of elite women’s cycling is nothing short of a dream. Fausto Pinarello, the brand’s face, expressed his delight about the deal while talking to the media. He said, “It’s a proud moment for us to be making our debut in the UCI Women’s WorldTour, and an historic milestone as well. We’re delighted to be supplying the Roland Cycling Team throughout 2024 as their passion for racing and continuous pursuit of excellence matches our own, and we look forward to seeing them in action on our bikes in the sport’s biggest races.”

The Swiss team will begin their third season in major WorldTours and have automatic invitations for all three Grand Tours, the Giro d’Italia Women, the Vuelta Femenina, and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. However, before cycling in the major races, Pinarello’s association with them will start with the UAE Tour Women.

The landscape of the sport is changing

Major companies have started putting in huge sums of money to the sport as of late. Just last week, energy drink and marketing moguls Red Bull announced a 51% stake in the Bora-Hansgrohe team. The partnership was sanctioned after no objections were raised before the deadline of January 26th.

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What this signifies for cycling is that major companies, sponsors, and players believe that there is a business to be made. The popularity of the sport is on an all-time rise and with companies showing such positive interest, it only promises to get bigger from here.

As Roland Cycling gears up for the start of a new chapter in their journey, all eyes will be on the UAE Tour Women. It will be the first time the team walks out with the Pinarello logo on the track. Hopefully, for them, this is the start of something special. With three WorldTours and a lineup that has Olympic champion Anna Kiesenhofer, Asian champion Thi That Nguyen, and young Canadian track star Maggie Coles-Lyster, Roland can dare to dream!

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