A puncture. A broken screw. An air leak. I am the nightmares of any cyclist and mechanic who struggles every day with attention to detail to gain victory. A chaos of variables that find their solution in the perfect balance of technical prevention. Mariposa effect e Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert consolidate their technical partnership for 2022 and continue the journey they began a year ago.
Inconveniences that did not hinder Girmay at Ghent-Wevelgem or prevented the second place of Hermans in Liège. A good dose of luck, of course. But behind Lady Luck there's always a solid and quality-based preparationAnd it is precisely in the detail of the small component, as if it were the beating of a butterfly's wings, that the Swiss company takes care of the products and supplies the technical material to the Belgian World Tour teamLet's discover this relationship together with Alberto De Gioannini, President and owner of Effetto Mariposa.
The products used by the teams are the same ones that can be purchased and are available on the market On the rim stickers you can write the date, quantity and type of liquid used
The products used by the teams are the same ones that can be purchased and are available on the market On the rim stickers you can write the date, quantity and type of liquid used
Invisible but decisive
I products that Effetto Mariposa provides to the Belgian team are the Caffélatex Tubeless Valve For tubeless conversion, use Caffélatex sealant and Végétalex sealant. Finally, use Caffélatex Tubeless Strip., a very lightweight tubeless rim tape, which makes tubeless conversions quick and easy. Mechanics also use Just strength, the first torque wrench developed specifically for cycling, an icon for the Swiss brand, conceived and designed by De Gioannini himself.
Products that are hidden in workshop trucks, or inside the wheels in the middle of the group. This is why they are stickers born from the input of Intermarché to be positioned in correspondence with the valves.
«They told us – says De Gioannini – that It's a shame that our products are hidden by their nature, because being inside the wheels they cannot be seenSo the team asked us for the stickers and we decided to create them to have an additional element of visibility. It's a unique and rare thing that a team gives you this opportunity.».
The importance of the WorldTour
Communicating product quality through social media and advertising is not easy.. Furthermore, the partnerships between Effetto Mariposa and Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert is born spontaneously after an explicit request from the team.
From these communications and performance have found a meeting point from which they have benefited both parties, as De Gioannini explains: «It is an excellent legitimation of the product qualityIt is clear that in competition the products are pushed to the limits of their usability. Therefore If they work well for a professional, they will even more have no problems in practical use. for an enthusiast.
«Contrary to what happens in Motorsport – he continues – when the brand becomes legitimate, the products used at a competitive level are not the same ones marketed to enthusiasts. Not so with bicycles. The product we supply to the team is standard and manufactured, and it's what users can buy. Of course, if the team asks for something more, we're happy to provide it and get it into production as quickly as possible."
The importance of feedback
Among the The benefits of technically supporting a WorldTour team are certainly the feedback that bike and Allen key professionals are able to give by testing the materials.
«Mikey Von Kruiningen – continues De Gioannini – is in charge of the mechanics and he is happy and satisfied. They told us that Caffélatex is a guarantee for them to reach the finish line. Half of the success and reliability also comes from the tubeless conversion strip. No problems have been reported. They started testing and using Végétalex, not in the running for the moment because they prefer to test it further. There have been positive comments."
Are there other teams knocking at the door? "We sell sealants to some," he continues. Obviously we don't say anything because they have contracts with tire companies and they should use their products. And because, not being their technical partners, it is best to respectfully maintain anonymity. As for the official teams, thethe only team is Intermarché and we are happy with that, because the feedback they give us is sufficient for product development».
Intermarché is testing the eco-friendly sealant Végétalex during training sessions Converting to tubeless is quick and easy thanks to the complete kit provided by Effetto Mariposa Once the fluid has been inserted into the tyre, the valve is reassembled and the wheel is ready. All that's left to do is inflate it to the desired pressure and off you go...
Intermarché is testing the eco-friendly sealant Végétalex during training sessions Converting to tubeless is quick and easy thanks to the complete kit provided by Effetto Mariposa Once the fluid has been inserted into the tyre, the valve is reassembled and the wheel is ready. All that's left to do is inflate it to the desired pressure and off you go...
Tubeless on everyone's wheels
One of the technical breakthroughs that are sweeping the pro scene are the advent of tubeless for road bikes. This word is on everyone's lips far and wide. What does De Gioannini, who was the first to... precursor of the first synthetic latex (Caffélatex) for cycling use on the market?
«The road tubeless was in suspended animation for many years – he replies – because the technology was there, however since it wasn't used at a professional level, it never caught on. Enthusiasts tend to copy the technical choices, rightly, of top-level riders. The other The limitation was that when running with tyres with a reduced section of around 25 millimetres, tubeless effectively offered no advantages, due to the reduced air volume. There was no interest in inflating to lower pressures. Now that more and more people are using 28mm or even more depending on the type of terrain and race, it is clear that tubeless has much more to offer in many respects. Furthermore with the data that came out on rolling resistance, the tubeless seems to offer what it once upon a time it was at prerogative of the tubular».
