Wiggins’ Tour de France bike set to boost Halfords
HALFORDS is to become the official UK stockist of Pinarello cycles, the brand ridden to victory in the 2012 Tour de France by Olympic gold medallist and Sports Personality of the Year Bradley – now Sir Bradley – Wiggins.
The Redditch-based retailer, which has used sporting endorsements for its cycling products in the past, will be hoping the star-name and branding delivers a big boost to its sales when the bikes hit selected stores in the spring.
The company was founded by Giovanni Pinarello in Treviso, Italy in 1952 and is one of the world’s leading bicycle brands.
It uses cutting edge technology and materials to build award-winning bikes that are ridden to race victories around the world.
For British cycling enthusiasts the brand reached iconic status last summer as the hugely successful Team Sky powered their way around the Tour de France on Pinarellos to secure first and second places on the podium.
Pinarello are also British Cycling’s official supplier, with over 250 of their bikes used across all the Olympic programmes. In addition, more than 800 Pinarello bikes are used daily by British Cycling’s Go Ride coaches at school and community cycling coaching sessions, benefiting over 20,000 young people across Britain.
Details of the range to be stocked by Halfords and prices will be released in the lead up to the cycles going on sale.
Halfords said it was planned that the cycles would be available online from Halfords.com and in selected stores from spring onwards.
Paul McClenaghan, Commercial Director of Halfords, said: “I’m delighted that we have become an official stockist of Pinarello bikes, which are among the best in the world and have an incredible pedigree of success. Halfords has been developing own and exclusive branded ranges for several years to cover all aspects of the market, from child and entry level cycles all the way through to performance road bikes. Our partnership with Pinarello will further extend our range at the top end.”
Luciano Fusar Poli, of Pinarello, added: “Pinarello bikes have been ridden to fantastic victories by British riders through our partnerships with Team Sky and British Cycling. Cycling fans have seen our bikes in action and having Halfords, who are the UK’s largest bike and accessories retailer, as an official stockist means our bikes are now more accessible to the British public. I’m looking forward to seeing more Pinarellos out on the roads of the UK as a result of this agreement with Halfords.”
