Sportful, 10 years with Sagan: friendship, family, and good business

Sportful and Peter Sagan have a ten-year contract. When has a sponsorship deal this long been seen before? Does anyone think Peter will still be riding in ten years? Definitely not, the withdrawal date seems to have already been set and is not that far away.Should the discussion really shift to the sphere of friendship, as stated in the statement through the words of Dario Cremonese and those we gathered from his brother Alessio?

«The relationship with Peter has always been first human and then professional – says Dario Cremonese – tying ourselves to him is an important but completely natural step for those who know What kind of relationship does Peter have with the company, both with the owners and with its employees?It's always a pleasure to welcome him among us and knowing that we will be able to do so for the next ten years is a source of pride and a privilege."

«Peter – echoes Alessio, CEO of the company – is representing and has represented a way of experiencing cycling where you can be a winner even when you haven't wonThis made it reach both the audience of the cycle, but also those less close to our world. I believe that Even once you get off the bike, may you continue to send this beautiful message».

A bit of history

Sportful as well Castelli they belong to the Valcismon Manufacturing, owned by the Cremonese familyA little history doesn't hurt. The group was born in 1946 from the idea of ​​Olindo and Irma Cremonese, which began with wool yarns and, over the years, evolved into the production of quality underwear. The first turning point came in 1972. Giordano Cremonese, son of the founders, takes over the company and being a cross-country ski enthusiast, but lacking the right clothing, he creates a stretchy fit that exceeds the comfort and performance standards of wool garments. The Sportful brand This is exactly how it was born, and the following year a line of cross-country skiing clothing was developed. The first one designed specifically for cycling dates back to 1985. The acquisition of the brand Castelli It is more recent and dates back to 2003.

The company, in which the Equinox fund acquired a 40 percent stake in 2019, is today managed and administered by Giordano Cremonese's four children – Alessio, Alberto, Dario and Gioia – and despite top-class numbers he kept the crucial nature of human relationships at the centre. To be clear, it seems that the reason for the termination of the collaboration between Castelli and Team Ineos, which over the years has given rise to important results from which the Italian national team has also benefited, there has been precisely the lack of empathy between the top management of the British team and the family-run business.

Company visits

In sight of this, It's credible that behind the choice to tie himself to Sagan for so long there really is a personal affinityWe were present in Feltre when the clothing line named after the Slovak was launched, and it was clear that Peter was truly in his element. And we have no difficulty believing that friendship and solidarity are important values ​​for managers who, during the lockdown period, raised approximately 200 thousand euros from personal resources, thus intervening in support of employees.

«When we made the agreement – ​​he explains Federico Mele, Head of Global Marketing of the company – we didn't look at the business. We don't move forward just with numbers, but also by looking at the human side. Peter was already one of our testimonials, but above all, he's now part of the family. When he comes to the company, he stops to talk to everyone, the Cremoneses but also the employees. He experiences very familiar moments. His contribution is also technical. His feedback is important. Someone who has won three World Championships, a Tour of Flanders and the Roubaix knows what advice to give."

Sagan and sponsors

The most interesting and unusual aspect of the story, however, is linked to team sponsorships. Hiring Sagan comes at a cost. You pay his salary, you hire his entourage, and then there are his sponsors. Il transition to Team TotalEnergies saw the simultaneous move of Specialized bikes and obviously SportfulBut what happens if, for example, the new team already has an existing contract with a clothing supplier?

«Peter has a contract with Sportful – explains Federico Mele – so the team that wants him knows that it will also have to get his sponsorIn cycling, technical sponsorship contracts usually last a couple of seasons, they are never very long. But it is clear that if they want Sagan and have an existing contract, It will be up to the team to find a way to resolve it or at least manage the situation».

A very strange situation, if you think about it, which overturns the technical relationships within the teams. It is no longer the rider who has to adapt to the materials offered by the team, but the team and all its athletes to pass on those brought as a dowry by the new rider.

Like Contador and Cancellara

The uniqueness of the Sportful-Sagan contract, it was said, lies above all in its ten-year duration.

«We don't have any such long-term relationship – adds Federico Mele – even if with some, like Paolo Bettini, the company has a relationship that has lasted for yearsThere is also a beautiful friendship with Daniel Oss. Similarly, in cross-country skiing there is a very important relationship with Dorothea Wierer and Federico PellegrinoWe care deeply about keeping them close, because they embody the same values ​​we believe in as a company. And returning to Peter, the ten years are a demonstration of trust and confirmation that we don't just focus on athletic performance, but also, and above all, on the emotional side of sport. There are champions who never pass, like Contador and Cancellara, who have stopped but still have a powerful voice. We believe Peter is one of them."

The landing in France

And then there is the marketing aspect, because it's still the relationship between a company and a testimonial, whose role is to spread its name thanks to its popularity.

"Ma we didn't write down his list of commitments Federico Mele immediately clarifies, "We don't need to do so, given the availability he's always shown. Except for the Covid period when the athletes were unreachable, we've met three times in the last month. Then the races will begin, and we'll respect his schedule." Landing with him in France means entering one of the five most interesting markets for us., where we must and can grow. The French team, which also has interests in Spain, is an opportunity, after having been with him in a German team. But I repeat, Behind this agreement is the desire to have Peter with us regardless of what he can give us.It may seem strange, but when he proposed to do this, the aim was and still is exactly this."