Home > News

Team Giant-Shimano to become Giant-Alpecin in 2015

John Degenkolb of Giant-Shimano won the 2014 edition of Gent-Wevelgem. Photo:  Dion Kerckhoffs/Cor Vos
John Degenkolb of Giant-Shimano won the 2014 edition of Gent-Wevelgem. Photo: Dion Kerckhoffs/Cor Vos

For the 2015 season, Team Giant-Shimano will lose Shimano as a title sponsor and gain Alpecin. The German hair product brand has made a four-year commitment to the WorldTour team, which will be called Giant-Alpecin. Shimano will continue to work with the team by supplying it with components.

“In partnership with Shimano, we made a strong commitment to the team this year so they could compete at the highest level,” said Giant CEO Tony Lo. “We’re happy that the performance and dedication of the riders and staff has led to the addition of Alpecin as a new long-term partner. Our mission to advance the sport of cycling, and to promote this healthy activity worldwide, will continue with Team Giant-Alpecin.”

Alpecin, a company based in Bielefeld, Germany, has been connected with professional cycling for years. “Alpecin has been committed to cycling for more than half a century,” said Eduard R. Dörrenberg, executive director and shareholder of Alpecin. “With this important step, for us the circle is now complete. For Alpecin, unique opportunities to activate new worldwide markets open up, working in co-operation with Giant, the biggest worldwide bike producer.”

The company has used a marketing slogan that might be too edgy for the sport: “Doping, just for your hair.” In 2012, Jan Ullrich became a brand ambassador for Alpecin, a day before he was handed a two-year suspension stemming from the Operación Puerto scandal. In light of this history, Dörrenberg issued the following statement: “There is a clear division here between the sponsoring of a professional cycling team on one hand and a metaphor used purely for advertising for a shampoo on the other, one that evidently improves the performance of the hair root. Consumers understand this advertising message, and the German advertising council has approved it. As a consequence of the clear split, the slogan will not be used in connection with our cycling communications.”

“This partnership with Alpecin sends out a strong message, also for global cycling. Our international team gets a German heart,” said Team Giant-Shimano general manager Iwan Spekenbrink, who currently has five German riders signed for 2015. Two of those riders include sprinter Marcel Kittel, who won stages at this year’s Tour de France and Giro d’Italia, and John Degenkolb, who won Gent-Wevelgem.

Giant-Shimano's Marcel Kittel won on the Champs-Élysées on the final stage of the 2014 Tour de France. Photo: Davy Rietbergen/Cor Vos
Giant-Shimano’s Marcel Kittel won on the Champs-Élysées on the final stage of the 2014 Tour de France. Photo: Davy Rietbergen/Cor Vos
Categories: News |