La Hincapie Sportswear sbarca sul mercato italiano e per far conoscere ancor di più il suo marchio ha scelto il team Amore & Vita - Selle SMP come principale veicolo pubblicitario.
La squadra della famiglia Fanini ha infatti stipulato un accordo con Roby Di Giovine, ex corridore del team ed ora distributore per l'Italia, per le prossime due stagioni con un'opzione anche per il 2017.
Non si tratterà di una semplice sponsorship tecnica, ma anche di una partnership nella distribuzione che spera possa far crescere il nome di Hincapie Divisione Italia.
“Sono veramente soddisfatto di aver raggiunto questo importante accordo con Hincapie Sportswear – spiega Cristian Fanini, team manager di Amore & Vita – Selle SMP – ringrazio Roby Di Giovine, mio amico ed ex compagno di squadra, perché è stato determinate in questo progetto. Voglio ringraziare anche Rich e George Hincapie per la fiducia che hanno in noi, sapremo sicuramente come ripagarli.
Hincapie Sportwear è un top brand nella produzione di abbigliamento da ciclismo di altissima gamma.
I nostri atleti avranno a disposizione il meglio del meglio presente oggi sul mercato. Potranno usufruire di materiali innovativi, areodinamici e potranno contare sui preziosi consigli di un ex campione come George Hincapie e sul supporto di Roby Di Giovine che sarà anche il nostro performance coach e dirigerà inoltre il team di dilettanti e triathlon che avremo in USA e che si chiamerà Amore & Vita – Hincapie Sportswear. Tutto al fine di migliorare le performance dei nostri atleti e lanciare in Italia un brand di per già conosciutissimo grazie all’alta qualità dei suoi prodotti ed anche alla precedente collaborazione con BMC”.
The American cycling apparel company will be providing technical apparel to the Italian continental cycling team for 2015 and 2016, with an option to extend the sponsorship to 2017. The joint operation will be carried through Hincapie Divisione Italia, a distribution company managed by former Amore&Vita’s rider Roby Di Giovine, in conjunction with Amore&Vita’s Team Manager Cristian Fanini.
This joint venture is unique in that it combines both a technical sponsorship for Amore&Vita-Selle SMP and a distribution partnership between Di Giovine and Fanini.
Di Giovine explains: “I am not sure that such a symbiotic venture has even been tried before. Both Cristian and I understand the importance of sharing vision and goals/return on investment between sponsor and cycling team, as opposed to simply providing free gear to a team. Our objectives with Hincapie Divisione Italia will be to provide Amore&Vita with the best technical apparel available and to constantly push the performance of the product line with the team being a key element of the R&D process; for all intent and purpose, Amore&Vita-Selle SMP is/will be the Test Team for Hincapie Divisione Italia. Who will really benefit from this collaboration is the final consumer: our Italian custom line will simply mirror what was developed for the pros. This is a never-ending process, yet a necessary one, as cycling apparel continues to evolve: our customer base demands and deserves the most sophisticated, professional, custom gear. It’s a simple concept, but it is what ultimately drives this sponsorship-distribution operation.
Since I left Italy in 2002, I learned the American way of doing business. I understand the importance of prioritizing R&D within a product-centered business vision; moreover, I have fully embraced an ‘outside the box’ approach in finding solutions to challenges, both in life and business. Consequently, to share the financial risk of a technical sponsorship with the Amore&Vita team is a natural step toward developing a successful distribution venture in Italy. It is an unconventional way to do business in cycling, but this is a natural business evolution for both a sport and an industry that increasingly drive innovation around the world.
We are all cycling fans here, and by joining forces with the ‘oldest professional team in the world’ to spearhead the next wave of technical apparel innovation seems like the best possible way to honor cycling's rich heritage as well as the sport's tradition of excellence and style.
Back in the late 1990s, Ivano Fanini gave me a chance to learn the art and craft of professional cycling. Although not nearly as gifted as professional cyclist George and Rich Hincapie, Hincapie Sportswear gave me a chance to apply my talents as a designer and my deep understanding of cycling performance to the world of technical apparel. Today, this joint venture brings everything to a full circle. The two families I owe most of my success in life--Cristian, Ivano, and the whole Fanini family, and Rich, George and the whole Hincapie family--are now joining forces to bring to life this exciting and innovative project: Hincapie Divisione Italia.
Although my life is now in the United States, my heart and roots are still in Italy. Italian cycling is the history of cycling. As an American, I can see an opportunity to combine innovation in cycling apparel and performance with Italian heritage and cycling traditions. Metaphorically speaking, Hincapie Division Italia is an extension of my soul and a reflection of my personal journey from mediocre cyclist to visionary entrepreneur of the sport, and passionate student of its history and inherent technologies alike.”
With a 2-year (plus option for 2017) sponsorship in place, Hincapie Divisione Italia will provide Amore&Vita-SMP Pro Cycling Team with a variety of high-end professional race and training apparel. The same apparel will be offered to some of Fanini’s cycling development-programs and clubs under the Amore&Vita umbrella. From the product standpoint, Hincapie Divisione Italia will focus on providing time-trial specific products, cutting edge race gear, and innovative solutions for professional cycling. The same product line will then be offered to those Italian teams and clubs seeking high-end gear and sophisticated design solutions.
