Arkéa-Samsic & Bianchi, a multi-year partnership
The famous Italian bicycle brand will make its return to the WorldTour in 2023. It has signed up for several seasons with our team with the Oltre RC, Specialissima and Aquila bikes.
“I am glad to associate the Arkéa-Samsic team with such a famous brand of bicycles as Bianchi, which is known and recognised by all passionate people for its heritage and innovation. Bianchi has written the history of our sport in gold letters with famous riders – I had the chance to race in the professional ranks on bikes from this Italian brand which was, and still is, one of the crown jewels of the cycling industry.
By partnering with the Arkéa-Samsic team, Bianchi is making its big return to the level of UCI WorldTour racing. Bianchi also wants to develop and enhance its high-performance products with us, such as its new Oltre RC, by working in close collaboration with our technical staff and pro riders. The alliance between Arkéa-Samsic’s “Breton will” and Bianchi’s “Italian excellence” will give rise to this common desire: to sign numerous successes with the aim of promoting both our riders and the Bianchi brand, whose history is already rich and well established. And new pages will be written in the present with Arkéa-Samsic. I would also like to thank Canyon, our equipment supplier for the last three seasons, for the excellent interaction and collaboration between our two entities.”
“In recent years, Team Arkéa-Samsic has demonstrated growth by achieving its planned goals. The solid organisation and the international approach are two factors that we consider decisive, and in the coming years we want to contribute to efforts for achieving new targets and to be well represented in the World Tour”
Meet with Théo Ouvrard, Sports Manager of the Arkéa-Samsic team, who presents the benefits of the brand new Bianchi Oltre RC.
What are the characteristics of the Oltre RC, Théo?
The Bianchi Oltre RC is one of the best aero bikes in the world, according to the studies carried out on this model. So this bike could take us to the next level. The Oltre RC is very fast on the flat, but is also very versatile for hilly classics, for example. It’s a bike that, in terms of pure technology, is like an F1 car – if I may make the comparison. Its CX (coefficient of penetration in the air) is one of the lowest on the market, everything has been designed to make it go fast on the road. The Oltre RC also has a very high stiffness, which is important when riding fast, as there is less loss of power. The cockpit also offers this advantage of stiffness, which is good for all riders, but especially for sprinters. So it’s a very responsive bike and it’s going to be very promising.
What kind of collaboration is going to take place between Bianchi and the Arkéa-Samsic team?
Bianchi is returning to the professional peloton via our team, which will enter the UCI WorldTour in 2023. Bianchi wants to work with us for the future. They wanted to work with a high-performance team, offering it equipment that is just as good. Our common desire is to have a synergy of collaboration and exchange with their famous Reparto Corse. They say: “when the riders have a request, when they have specific demands”, “we will be there to answer them”. It is this type of interaction that interests us, because the feedback from the riders allows the equipment to progress, which will be beneficial for their performance in the race, but also for Bianchi, because in this way the brand will be able to pass on this type of progress to its customers.