Manolo Saiz knows more than the devil. So when in 1998 its Once he shows up at the start of the season with his Giants in the shape of mountain bikes, the mechanics and riders of the group prick up their ears having smelled the news. While the local manufacturers, with a bit of their usual snobbery, shrug their shoulders and carry onThe Taiwanese house is still experienced as the Eastern assault on European tradition and reading how the story ended makes you smile.
Already in the 1987, Giant has launched carbon for everyone, introducing the Cadex 980 C to the market., with fiberglass tubes and glued aluminum joints. The Once frame, however, is a dizzying step forward. It's the first Compact Road. It has an incredibly sloping top tube and a compact rear triangle.. Bikes are on average smaller and more rigid thanks to the new designAmong the riders who used it, Jalabert (opening photo) used it to finish second behind Bartoli in the 1998 Liège, in a season that still included 13 victories.
Beloki and the Tour
Ours shrugs and turns a deaf ear to a certain extent. In fact, the market is gradually shifting toward sloping: Pantani's Bianchi also has a sloping top tube, because Marco appreciates it and demands itThose who can use carbon, the others use aluminum, which in those years had replaced carbon anyway.
Giant sets the standard. His TCR led the way and the Once riders continue to use it and win.In 1999, Jalabert finished fourth in the Giro. Joseba Beloki finished third in the Tour twice (2000-2001) and second once (2002). His progression was shattered on the asphalt of the ninth stage of the 2003 Tour, when he fell badly. (while Armstrong saves himself by cutting across a field), suffering a fractured femur, which effectively ends his high-level career.
2003 was also Once's last year in the group. Saiz continued with Liberty Seguros and BH bicycles, while We'll have to wait until 2009 to see the Giant brand again.
Menchov, first Giro
In fact, the Taiwanese brand is wanted by his side la Rabobank, who raced on Colnago bicycles for yearsMenchov's team, the very young Mollema, of Freire, Flecha, and Gesink, ended in 2008 with Menchov's third-place finish at the Giro d'Italia, behind Sastre and Evans. For 2009, the aim is to make a quantum leap, and Giant likely has the resources to invest further, in addition to the bikes. The results are evident.
Riding the latest version of the TCR mounted on Shimano, Denis Menchov wins the Giro d'Italia, beating Di Luca, Pellizotti and Basso on his return from suspensionGarate instead wins a stage at the Tour de France.
With Team Blanco
The bond between the Dutch group and Giant is so strong that when At the end of 2011 Rabobank will decide to withdraw from cycling following Armstrong's admissions (having two more years of contract, the Dutch bank will continue to pay its commitment, even if the team will be called Team Blanco), the oriental house will remain in its place until 2013. The Dutch group will then take the name of Belkin and will adopt Bianchi bikes, interrupting a collaboration that continued for five seasons.
Dumoulin, second rose
But going out is out of the question. And so Starting in 2014, Giant becomes the first name of a new team alongside Shimano, which for the following two years will be Giant-Alpecin. With the black and white shirt the young man runs From the mill, John Degenkolb and Marcel Kittel. A team for classics and sprints, while Dumoulin grows.
There are now two bikes. Tcr, it's always sloping and light, it has a carbon frame and is really fast. Then there is the Propel for the classics, also sloping and in carbon, but a forerider of aero bikes. In three years, Degenkolb won Ghent, Sanremo and Roubaix. Kittel won 14, including the Paris stage of the Tour. And he is when the team becomes Team Sunweb in 2017, that Giant wins the red jersey againa.
Dumoulin takes care of it on the classic Tcr and the Trinity for the time trials which in fact dominatesThe 2016 Olympics, which ended with the silver medal behind Cancellara, were an excellent test and when The Dutchman takes his time trial bike to victory in the Milan time trial, closing another circle for Giant.At the end of the season, Team Sunweb will also count the Eneco Tour of the same Dutch rider, but the Taiwanese brand will say goodbye to the pro group'.
The ninth Tcr
The long story continues. BMC closes and the Ochowitz block is taken over by the Polish CCC. Perhaps to gain financial support, Giant comes to the rescue of the team and in collaboration with the team launches the ninth generation TCRThe TCR Advanced SL (also in a Disc version) is the latest version of the bike born in 1998. Trentin and De Marchi use it and will have a hard time parting with it.
Back in 2022
If you're wondering why we're writing this article, we'll tell you something that hasn't been a secret for the group for a few months now. Giant is coming back. The riders have received their bikes and are testing them.But since the relationship between the team that will use them and the outgoing brand hasn't ended on an amicable note, no announcements have been made so far.
The reference is to Team Bike Exchange And once again, as far as we know, the agreement with Premier Tech fell through, it's fair to assume that, in addition to the bikes, the oxygen of the huge Eastern company will be useful. While on the rumor front, these are completely subject to change, there is also one that says From 2023, Dumoulin could also return to the bike that brought him the pink jersey.
