Stradalli Cycle's Pro Race Team Trip

The Stradalli team has gotten to spend time with awesome friends as they get ready for a morning ride in beautiful Colorado to spin their legs before they continue on their road trip to Boise Idaho for the big race saturday. The trip has been a lot of fun and the scenery is beautiful.

One of the things the team has enjoyed the most is friends and family they have seen along the trip. It is awesome how many supporters and fans they team has and everyone has been extremely supportive and wishing us all the best. You can learn more about the trip at the Stradalli Cycle Blog

Stradalli Cycle Pro Race Team West Coast Trip

The Stradalli Cycle pro racing team has begun an exciting an all important west coast trip that will take them to huge USA Crits races in Boise, Vancouver and San Francisco.

The trip itself has been a blast with the team able to enjoy seeing the beautiful scenery of America and also gives them a chance to watch the Tour De France as it is in progress.

The mood has been light but it's not all fun. Serious preparations are being made; planning, training every chance they get and more. The reason? Stradalli Cycle pro racer Ruben Companioni stands in first place in the overall USA Crits standings. The entire team stands in 2nd place overall as well.

What an awesome accomplishment it would be for the racers, the team, the company and owner Tom Steinbacher if Stradalli could win both championships!

To read more about the team, race updates and more, visit the Stradalli Cycle Blog

Congrats Kyle Perry for winning Tour of Bloomington, Morgan Monroe pro road race , texas roadhouse - stradalli cycle

Bob Mccarty and Doug DeWeese getting ready to race there Stradalli carbon Race machines at Marathon XC National Cahampionships

Bob Mccarty and Doug DeWeese getting ready to race there Stradalli carbon Race machines at 

Marathon XC National Championships

Stradalli shows their versatility

The 2015 season is off to a great start for Stradalli Cycle Racing. However, that success is not only limited to road racing. Mountain biker Bob McCarty had a very successful weekend at the USA Cycling Marathon Nationals over the weekend on his 650b carbon cross country full suspension bike

The race in Georgia, just outside of Augusta, is over 60 miles along and has some of the toughest terrain you will find. There are parts of the race where you actually cannot ride your bike, you have to hike with it over your shoulder as you walk through streams and over down trees. Mountain bike racing is certainly a different breed of racing but it brings excitement to fans and competitors alike. McCarty led most of the race in the age 40-44 category and finished 2^nd. The most impressive stat of the day is that he finished with a top ten time out of all amateurs of the weekend, including riders half his age.

“This is the type of race where you have to be in great shape, you have to be able to grind it out there, but you also need to have the experience and understanding of what the course is going to throw at you. Sometimes it’s the weather and sometimes, like this weekend, it’s the actual terrain you are up against. You can be the fastest guy on a bike and that’s great, but this is mountain bike racing, if you can’t transition from clean road to throwing your bike over your shoulder and hiking through water and then jumping back on your bike and not letting that slow you down, you aren’t going to be very competitive.” Bob McCarty.

Bob was not the only one pleased with his race results at the USA Cycling Marathon Nations. Team owner Tom Steinbacher loves the versatility of his race team; “When people look at cycling, when they look at our team they may think of us as a usa pro road team and we have been having a great year at that. But I want to be more than just a pro road cycling and pro ncc crit team, I want us to compete all over the world in any type of race that involves a bike. That’s the mark of a true race team and bicycle brand, not just versatility but being able to win races, no matter the type of race it is. You want to be a real race team, you have to be able to compete anywhere. Every weekend it seems we have great news regarding the team because we are in so many races and competitions. I love that. ”

2015 Speed Week Athens Twilight Pro Criterium ,first official USA crit race

2015 Speed Week Athens Twilight Pro Criterium ,first official USA crit race

Team Stradalli cycle went to Athens Georgia to make a statement, that they were a team to be reckoned with.
After lots of blood, sweat and tears the team left Speed Week having proven just that. Ruben Companioni  finished 2^nd in one of the most competitive races of the year, but this was a win for the entire team as owner Tom Steinbacher discussed; “Look at the field, look at the course. You are going against the defending NCC Champ, Daniel Holloway, you are going against a fully stacked Pro field with world champions and Olympians. This is where you have to prove what you are made of and right now I’m completely ecstatic.”

Stradalli brought a full team including Ruben Companioni , Sebastian Morfin, Yosvany Falcon, Grant Potter, Cesar Grajales and Abel Quintana, a new rider to the team. This was the biggest group to go to any race this year and before the race Stradalli cycle received a special call ups for 2 riders, Ruben Companioni and Yosvany Falcon were among the call-ups to begin.

It didn’t take long before there were some fireworks first a 9 man break and then Olympian Bobby Lea went down in turn 1 causing several riders including Ruben Companioni to crash as well.

“My heart jumped in my throat when I saw Ruben go down. You worry about these guys like they are your own kids , they are going extremely fast and it’s not like they are wearing nfl football pads. Ruben hurt his lower back and got bad road rash but got up and got back in there.” He is a real fighter.

Following the crash, Companioni went into the Sram Wheel Pit to get his bike fixed before returning to the race. After 2 laps another break in the field formed with Holloway and Companioni  leading up front and with in minutes it was just 2 racers of the front alone .  Companioni continued to battle, rotating in the breakaway to finish 2^nd with plenty of time left over to wipe the blood off and put on his Stradalli Cycle ball cap and ascend to the podium.

“What an exciting race. I never feel like an owner at these events, I always feel more like a fan ( and father )
but I am so proud of what we accomplished this weekend. Stradalli Cycle/ SAFETTI and Team Texas Roadhouse/Stradalli have been doing great this season and we wanted to come into Speed Week and make people realize we are contenders at every race.” Tom Steinbacher

Steinbacher wanted an “all hands on deck” mentality this weekend because of the competition. Speed Week is the first official USA Crit Race of the year and with brutal competition from all around the world it was important that Stradalli have an impressive showing. The sponsors; FSA providing their cranks, SAFETTI providing the uniforms, DIADORA providing the shoes and JACO Athletics providing additional athletic clothing as well as the new racers added to a team of veterans has played a major role in the early success of the team.

“I wanted this to be a team building experience and it was a great weekend. We stayed together, trained together and ate together and I feel that the younger guys all learned a lot from the veterans. I see a lot of teams out there with the next young stud of cycling but if you cannot surround that youth with veteran guidance and a “team” mentality it doesn’t usually workout the way you planned. This is such an exciting year and we circle races like these on our calendars because we know how important they are. The field was stacked but we left Georgia knowing AND proving we can compete with anyone and we raced and worked togther like a Family !” 

Bob McCarty Delivers Big Win for Stradalli Cycle at Sea Otter Classic

Visit Stradalli Cycle website for more information about our Pro Race Team and the best bikes.

Cesar Grajales , Grant Potter and Thomas Steinbacher training ride along pebble beach 17 mile loop on rest day at Sea Otter Classic

Ready to race tomorrow...

Blain doing what he does best,taking the top step with his baby blue Stradalli faenza.

  Congrats awesome job well done again!

Stradalli Race Team Ready for Sea Otter Classic Challenge

If there was a race circled on the calendar at  Stradalli  Headquarters before the season started it was the Sea Otter Classic, and the date has finally arrived. The Stradalli group will be joined by mountain bike competitor Bob McCarty, Doug deweese and road racing great Cesar Grajales. This is the 25th anniversary of the Sea Otter Classic, the World’s Premier Cycling Festival and there will be over 10,000 competitors and 65,000 fans in attendance for the weekend. Team owner Tom Steinbacher had this weekend circled on his calendar because he wanted to see how his team would match up against some of the best cyclists in the world. We’ve talked about the offseason moves, we’ve discussed the early season success for the race team, not only in South Florida but all around the country, but for this team the time has come to show what they can do.

This is such a big weekend for us because it’s not just about what the team is going to do, it’s not just how well the riders will do, this is going to be an opportunity for  Stradalli  as a brand to showcase how far it has come and prove to everyone we are a serious race team. Road, Crit, Mountain and more. If it is a competitive race, we want to be competitive in that race. The team, Sebastian, Ruben, Yosvani and others are in Florida getting ready for Speed Week in Georgia, but this weekend we are joined by Cesar after his huge win at Boulder Rubaix Pro Race and we are excited!”

Along with Bob McCarty and Cesar Grajales, who will be racing in road and circuit races, the team will be joined by Grant Potter. Steinbacher attributes a lot of the early success of the team to the help and support he has gotten from the teams sponsors. DIADORA providing the shoes, JACO Athletics provides additional clothing SAFETTI has provided the uniforms, and Full Speed Ahead (FSA) providing the cranks. This will be one of the most heavily watched race weekends around the cycling world and the team is ready to make an impact. The 25th anniversary of the Sea Otter Classic will feature riders from all around the world and is the perfect opportunity for team Stradalli to turn some heads. They have seen early success this season and with the team getting ready for Speed Week in Georgia next weekend this weekend is a great chance for the rest of  Stradalli  to compete on a bigger stage and no matter what happens, this is a big step in the right direction for the team as they look to move forward.

Visit Stradalli Cycle for more information about the Stradalli Race Team and the best bikes!

Vittorio Brumotti Partners with Full Speed Ahead

This will already be a huge weekend for Stradalli Racing and other companies in the cycling world. The 25th anniversary of the Sea Otter Classic will bring over 75,000 competitors, sponsors and fans to Monterey California. This is one of the biggest race events in North America on the cycling calendar and Stradalli Cycle Race Team Owner Tom Steinbacher promised there would be big news. Well he didn’t lie as Full Speed Ahead (FSA) who is already a sponsor for Stradalli race team, announced a partnership with former bike trial World Champion Vittorio Brumotti. 

Not only is Vittorio Brumotti a huge name in the cycling world, he holds 10 Guinness World Records, not too bad. This is an exciting announcement for FSA as it will bring more attention to the brand as a whole and what better place to do that than the Classic. Not only will there be huge crowds on hand, but hundreds of cycling sponsors will be trying to get brand awareness with race results, attractions and more. Partnering with a great organization like FSA at one of the biggest events in North America is a great way to not only get some brand recognition but turn some heads at the same time.

 “We love our relationship with FSA, they have been great sponsors and partners for a long time. We wanted to come to the Sea Otter Classic this weekend and get people talking about us. Of course I want to do that with what our riders are doing this weekend, and we expect big things from them. But I wanted to get some buzz going before the racing even started and of course FSA steals the show. Vittorio Brumotti’ reputation speaks for itself. The guy is one of the most iconic and famous people to have ever gotten on a bike and what he can do on it, I stand there watching like a little kid because I am just amazed. He is probably the greatest trick rider in the world and to watch him in person. 

For the company as a whole, Stradalli wanted to make an impact this weekend and not just with their race team. Stradalli Cycle has new frames in development, current frames winning races all over the country, riders winning races all over the country as well and they wanted to bring all that progress to a big race weekend like the Sea Otter Classic and show people they are a serious manufacturer and team. A partnership with Full Speed Ahead is a great way to start and their announcement of partnering with Vittorio Brumotti has certainly made an impact. FSA sponsors over a dozen major racing teams, many who compete in the Tour De France and other major races around the world. Being a part of the FSA family is a big accomplishment for Stradalli Cycle and shows they have to be considered a force to be reckoned with moving forward.

Visit Stradalli.com for more information on the Stradalli Race Team and the best bikes!

Ruben Companioni Wins Belmont Criterium on his Stradalli Faenza Aero bike

Team Stradalli cycle entered the Belmont Criterium Pro Race this weekend with only a three man team. Team Stradalli left the Belmont Criterium Pro Race on Sunday with another victory. Ruben Companioni once again took the jersey as he finished first in the race with the help of teammates Sebastian Morfin and Yosvany Falcon. The conditions were fair but it was undetermined how the team would fair with only three riders but that proved to be enough to take the victory in Sunday’s race. This was a great race but the team knows the competition is about to get a lot tougher. However, team owner Tom Steinbacher is more than pleased with the early season success of the Stradalli Race team.

“When we brought in Ruben I told him you were going to be part of a great team and the whole Stradalli family . A team with great frames, great bikes, great components, great sponsors and great teammates. The point I was trying to make to everyone is that cycling is a team sport and the better your team is, the better the chances are of you picking up victories and enjoying it together like a big cycling family . I am proud of our early success, it shows that what we did this off season was worth it but we still have a lot of work to do. The season has really just started and we are about to face steeper competition, harder races and tougher conditions. I know we are up to the challenge and it is nice to gain some early momentum to the season.”

The sponsors Steinbacher referred to; SAFETTI has provided the uniforms, DIADORA with the cycling shoes, JACO Athletics provides additional clothing and FSA the cranks, have all been a huge component if the teams early success as well. The new “one global force” model of team Stradalli has been an early success. The focus being the brand, rather than just individual success. Building the team around strong sponsors, veterans and athletes, better training routines and preparation for races. Input from other riders usingStradalli cycle bikes has also been a big advantage and all of this has worked well together in resulting in early season success.

“We don’t have one rider, we are never in one race, we have dozens of riders and are in multiple races each weekend. There are riders all over the world who race on Stradalli bikes and when they win it is a win for the whole Stradalli family. I looked at successful teams and tried to see what they were doing and I realized the key was the team mentality. Our manufacturers, the designing of the bikes, the sponsors, the riders, everyone had to go all in to make this year a true success for team Stradalli and that’s what you see happening this year.”

The team mentality and momentum has people looking at Stradalli Racing in an entirely different way this year. Now we will see what this new team can do as the meat of the competition and race schedule comes up. But Stradalli is ready to take on the challenge!

 

Stradalli Cycle

Visit StradalliCycle.com

Cesar Grajales Wins Boulder Rubaix Pro Race on Stradalli Cycle Faenza Carbon Bike

What is shaping up to be the most successful season in Stradalli racing added another huge accomplishment Saturday, and this time it wasn't from the race team itself. Cycling great Cesar Grajales won the Boulder Rubaix Pro 12 Men Race using the Blue Faenza Stradalli Bike in a solo effort. This year the field was stacked at one of the hardest races on the calendar.

“This is a deceptively difficult course because you feel confident after the first couple of laps. Then suddenly you start hearing “pop, pop” everywhere and it’s the sound of the riders popping off the back of their bikes because the pace gets so much faster. Your legs have to work harder to handle the constant surges on sandy hard pan and just before you think you have made it through the worst, the wind begins to mess with you. All these conditions string out the field and gutter the back half. You feel like you are on the rivet before you are back to a swelled field with a slightly slower pace. Just as you catch your breath you are on the attack again with the “pop, pop” noises coming out everywhere. The conditions make this a war of attrition and energy conservation.”

With only two laps to go a small group formed. The lead contenders in the main group began opening the lead from the peloton. That’s when Grajales took advantage of the growing gap and went in for the winning move. It was a tough move as other riders tried and failed to pull away from the main group, but the group itself was not gaining on the leaders. Grajales surged forward alone and began working with them. It was there that he took the hard workload of the group for the next twenty miles as other riders eased up, taking advantage of his pull. But he could tell the race was his to win as no one else had enough in the tank to surge forward with him. He went on the attack with 3 miles to go, pulled away from the lead group and finished with a solo victory!

“This was an awesome win for Cesar Grajales and Stradalli racing! This was a stacked field, major competition, tough conditions, over 65% of it was gravel roads in Colorado that is a great win for Cesar Grajales and Team Stradalli! Cesar is one of the greats in the sport, people watch him because of what he can do on a bike. His work ethic, his passion and his aggression are unmatched in road racing and I am so very proud of him and what he has accomplished.” Tom Steinbacher, Stradalli CEO.

Stradalli cycle continues to see success in Pro Races all around the country. Their bikes are being used in multiple races each weekend and the results are steadily coming in. Champion riders are taking advantage of all the team has to offer at it is already paying dividends. Cesar Grajales’ triumphant win is another huge indication that this is the year of Stradalli in the cycling world.