Focus Bikes

In conjunction with the Mallorca Challenge, FOCUS invited road bike dealers to the island to witness the racing and ride the German company’s new bikes. A total of 32 dealers from Germany, Austria, Belgium and France as well as partners from the United States took part. Led by ex-pro Thorsten Wilhelms, the dealers rode around the island on FOCUS racing bikes, taking in Mallorca’s sights and testing the bikes along parts of the challenging route. Breaks were scheduled so that the dealers could watch key sections of the race close-up. The FOCUS contingent was on the spot when Team Milram captain Linus Gerdemann claimed the first victory of the year on his FOCUS Izalco. The German racer bested a field containing some of the world’s best riders in the mountainous 157-kilometer stage that started and finished in the picturesque town of Inca.

"The proximity to the teams and especially riding in the Van Vliet team car was great. Experiencing Gerdemann’s victory was also tremendous,” says Manfred Figl, a FOCUS dealer from Austria. Dieter Zankl (Cycling Center Dingolfingen) enjoyed spending time with all the dealers and professionals from the FOCUS-sponsored teams.

The dealer itinerary included dinner with Team Milram pros Robert Förster, Thomas Fothen, Luke Roberts and Arthur Gajek, and NetApp director Jens Heppner, as well as Christoph Pentecost, Bram Schmitz and Bas Stamsnider of Team Van Vliet. FOCUS brand manager Jörg Arenz also spent time speaking about the development and marketing plans of the German manufacturer. Component partners SRAM had staff on hand to explain the latest racing braking and shifters.

While the retailers left on Wednesday, the riders had one more stage to complete on Thursday.