It’s been just over a full year since Enve entered into a sponsorship agreement, or partnership as the brand is quick to point out, with UAE Team Emirates. Today the brand is adding Team TotalEnergies to the roster and I had a chance to sit down and talk to Enve director of marketing, Neil Shirley, and Design Engineer, Kevin Nelson, to hear what that means for the American brand.
What it does not mean is any change to the agreement with UAE Team Emirates. Call it a sponsorship or a partnership but either way, it’s proven successful. Enve is responsible for wheels while Colnago and Continental handle the bikes and tyres respectively which Enve also makes. Over the course of the time this sponsorship has been active, Enve is also quick to point out that the scope has grown. Sometimes Enve describes that as a “component relationship” and sometimes as a “one off handlebar R&D project” with “Tadej Pogacar and the team requesting a one-piece version of Enve’s SES Aero Handlebar.” To hear it from Shirley and Nelson, the important piece in either regard is that Enve was able to respond to a request and engineer a product quickly.
The Team TotalEnergies relationship is going to go farther than just wheels. For the 2023 season you will see the team on Enve wheels, bikes, cockpits, and even Enve tyres. From the Enve point of view this is a big opportunity to transition the brand in a very public way from a wheels and components brand to a bike company. We can all see how that benefits Enve but does it benefit the consumer? What about the sponsored team, can Team TotalEnergies expect something different compared to a sponsorship from another brand?
From the team perspective, all we have are the glowing remarks of Team TotalEnergies Manager Jean-René Bernaudeau who said, “We already knew their wheels, defined as the best in the world, and it made us very curious. October was full in discussions with their engineers at the Team headquarters. Our technicians and riders were impressed by the responsiveness of Enve. The tests carried out by our riders were more than positive and everyone, unanimously, recognized the very high technology of the bikes.
“I am delighted to associate our team with this innovative brand. We have many things to learn from our structures and have the same motivation to get great results through an important R&D work. Between our two companies, this collaboration will contribute to future victories. It’s a beautiful and ambitious…
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