Stradalli Cycle Insider: Stradalli Racing

Showing posts with label Stradalli Racing. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

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!

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Emile Abraham Testing Stradalli White R7 Frame; Reviews and Findings

Stradalli Racing continues to push the envelope of what a cycling team can do in a single season. Designing and manufacturing their own frames, team Stradalli has unveiled its new White Stradalli R7 bike which is now in production and available as of spring 2015. Even bigger news is that accomplished pro racer Emile Abraham will be racing for team Texas Roadhouse - Stradalli Cycle on the brand new White R7. Abraham (pictured above) has a long and impressive resume in Pro cycling since 2001 with nearly 40+ wins including the his home race, the tour Trinidad and Tobago International and has raced and won all over the world. Currently the team leader for Texas Roadhouse-Stradalli Cycle, Abraham is the first pro cyclist to test out the new R7 and so far it has not disappointed.

When asked about the new frame and why it is being tested out with the Texas Roadhouse Stradalli Cycle team owner Tom Steinbacher had this to say; “I didn’t pick one cycling team over another. Emile is a badass, look at his resume. You put him in a Crit race; he wins, if you put him in a circuit or road race he wins. I’m pretty sure if we dropped him in the ocean with a bike he would find a way to win. You win and finish in the top 3 of all those races you know what you are doing. We have our guys in Florida and we have our guys with Texas roadhouse and others around the country and internationally. I went with Emile because of his track record. There is no one I trust more to literally beat up on the new frame and tell me what he honestly thinks about it. I need the best to review how this bike will work. Emile has been in more races than I can count and he knows what it takes to win those races. That’s why when I had to find someone to test out the frame it was him, no question about it.”

The decision to go with Abraham wasn’t surprising, but what has surprised people in the industry is how quickly the frame went into production for public sale as well as being used in professional races. After going through rigorous wind tunnel and factory tests along with countless reviews, Steinbacher wanted to put the frame under the ultimate test, having Abraham use it in Pro races. This is certainly an aggressive move by the team and Steinbacher wasn’t shy about the decision.

“We are going against the titans of the racing world and we have spent years putting together a great product and now a great team. This is a frame built for racing at the highest level of competition and I want everyone to know it. We spent years designing and manufacturing the R7 and it is ready to be shown off. I want other teams, fans of the sport and anyone else who follows cycling to know exactly what we are bringing to the table. Stradalli has the best bikes, the best sponsors and the best riders in these races and we are going to win and look good doing it. Emile has been working with this bike for months and I wanted him to be the first one to use it in pro races. The results speak for themselves and we are ready for the next step. People are going to know very soon if you want to win you win with a Stradalli Cycle!”

Stradalli has begun to sell the R7 “Team Edition” publically and racers from around the world have inquired about it already. This is a major boost for the team as a whole and seems to be the start of what could be the most successful season for the entire team, racing as well as business.

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Stradalli First Race Weekend Hot then Cold

It was an up and down weekend for the Stradalli race team, literally. The team had awesome results Saturday night at the Sunny King Criterium Race but cold temperatures and hilly terrain made Sundays Fort McCellan Road Race anything less than desirable.

“Needless to say our Florida Fast Crit squad is not cut out for the hilly, cold road race courses. This was a race more suited for Cesar Grajales.” Jokingly said Tom Steinbacher after the race was over. “This was a new challenge for the Florida boys! I mean it was so bad the team was in Wal-Mart looking for extra gloves and we spent over an hour finding Princess more clothes. She definitely was not happy about the conditions.”

Sundays’ rough conditions aside this was undoubtedly a successful weekend for Stradalli Racing, starting of their 2015 NCC season at the Sunny King Criterium Pro Race with a top 5 finish. Led by newcomers Ruben Campioni and Sebastian Morfin, the team was able to make huge strides in a single race, proving that the offseason moves and work was well worth the effort. Steinbacher, the team owner was more than pleased. “To come out here to the Sunny King Crit and compete against 120 other racers and almost 25 teams is huge. It is a major race to even be in, yet alone finish in the top 5! That is an awesome start to what we expect to be the best season ever for Stradalli Racing.”

It was extremely important that the team get off to a fast start in the NCC this year to justify all the moves Steinbacher made as well as to make sure the rest of the circuit is aware of the presence of team Stradalli.

“At the end of last year I looked at the team as a whole. Not just can we improve with new riders but can we get better everywhere. How can our frames be better, our gear be better, how can I be better as an owner? I wanted to find answers to what has been holding us back for years and just like a race team it starts from the top. I knew we wouldn’t go anywhere in 2015 unless I showed we are serious about being competitive this year. What surprised me is how much support and interest I found. Our sponsors were all in with us and the changes I would be making, racers wanted to come here because they knew we were heading in the right direction. It is just such an amazing feeling to see all your hard work pay off and this is just the start of the season for us!”

Sponsorship has played a big part in the success of the Stradalli race team with SAFETTI providing the uniforms, JACO Athletics providing additional clothing gear, DIADORA providing the shoes and FULL SPEED AHEAD (FSA) providing the cranks. Many who follow professional cycling noticed the change in the Stradalli game plan early on when riders were looking to join the team. Now the question is can Stradalli continue and even improve upon its early success? Many believe they can.