Apartado 1
Issue 02
04 Building Athletes 08 Orbea’s landscapes 22 Inside: I.Barandiaran 30 Orbea Lab: BWC 36 Friends: Orca 38 Interesting
mag.
Summary and editorial 3
mag. 03 Summary and editorial / Jon Fernández. Competition in the DNA
04 Review
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thanks to all the Orbea family for bulding the stories that we have been able to capture in the second edition of the Orbea Magazine.
/ Building Athletes
08 Pedaling. On the cover / Orbea’s landscapes
22 Inside / Ixio Barandiaran
© 2014 Orbea S. Coop. Polígono Industrial Goitondo s/n 48269, Mallabia (Bizkaia). Spain T: +34 943 17 19 50 F: +34 943 17 43 97
30 Orbea Lab / Big Wheels Concept
36 Friends / Orca
38 Interesting / Oiz & Orca
EDITORIAL
COMPETITION IN THE DNA Jon Fernández, CEO at Orbea
We are now well into a new year and with it, the our initial steps in our new collaborative project with the CofidisSolutions Crédits Team; one step further in our long history on the field of competition. This is a journey we began in 1930 with Mariano Cañardo competing for the Vuelta a España, and it is very much alive to today, the year we celebrate our 175th anniversary. This second edition of Orbea Magazine is meant as a tribute to that journey and to competition. Our commitment to competition is not a simple advertisement; the reason we are in competition is clear: to innovate and build the best bicycles. We don’t deny the obvious inspirational role that competition plays in our process, but beyond that role, our presence in competition is motivated by being part of
an environment rich in knowledge, where professional excellence is at its height. Being at the top of competition keeps our eyes open, and reminds us of the importance of even the smallest details. Competition is the main source of knowledge at Orbea. That is why, in this new collaborative project with CofidisSolutions Crédits, we plan to fully answer the needs of the riders, and to develop specific bikes to win mountain legs, sprints or classic races, and to plan our future work on road bikes, time-trial bikes and helmets. Competition is in our DNA, and is crafted into every product we produce.
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REVIEW
BUILDING ATHLETES
Athletic partnerships and projects based on strong values, tend to be focused on building longer-term relationships rather than making quick impressions. They tend to be more about substance and character; about patience, perseverance, overcoming and finally rejoicing together in a mutual achievement. Ander Olariaga Marketing Manager
For those who don’t know Orbea, let me introduce it to you. Orbea is a relatively small company, where the owners are the people working there, where one person is one vote. There are no funding partners or investment groups, and besides, our by-laws do not allow this. Our goal is to generate quality employment, and project profitability as a means to support our project. We like to see ourselves as a small group of people who like to do their jobs well, and occasionally, we are able to do exceptional things. And we really enjoy when this happens!
What makes us feel proud is to see that the seeds we have sown, and nurtured with our values, have flourished and borne fruit.
For us, success is not just about winning the Olympic Games, stages of the Tour de France, Giro or Vuelta; XC World Championships… or even the Kona Ironman or Xterra triathlon.
Maybe the most significant project which best illustrates this philosophy in action is the Euskadi Foundation with the legendary Euskaltel Euskadi cycling team, marking a time in road cycling. Back when we decided
With our size, it is difficult to aim at sponsoring the greatest or most successful sport stars. When we have won, it was rarely because we signed the best athletes after they had already achieved their status. Our philosophy has always been based on growing with our athletes, nurturing long term relationships, going with them until they achieve their maximum potential.
“WE LIKE TO SEE OURSELVES AS A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO LIKE TO DO THEIR JOBS WELL, AND OCCASIONALLY, WE ARE ABLE TO DO EXCEPTIONAL THINGS.”
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to support that project in 1994, seeing Roberto Laiseka raise his arms in 2001 in Luz Ardiden, was unthinkable. Samuel Sánchez was a young man from Asturias that we supported when Tomás Amezaga – a mechanic of the Euskaltel Team - took him into his house when he was competing among the ranks of Olarra. Eleven years later, he won the Olympic Gold medal in Beijing.
sincere expressions, as sincere as the smile we have when they get good results in their sports as well as personally.
Euskadi Foundation has been only the tip of the iceberg; we have also spend 17 years working with the MTB team, ten years of cooperation with Andrew Starycowicz, nine years with Luna Chix Pro-Team or the legendary Seat Orbea, Perico Delgado, Marino Lejarreta… these are all a clear reinforcement of our reserve philosophy.
In the end, I am sure we will continue our commitment to the reserve in the future, giving us great satisfaction, and not forgetting that beyond obtaining victories, it is a way to repay everything cycling and society have given us.
In such long term relationships we have lived through moments of great highs and lows, but most of the times these relationships have crossed the barrier of merely sponsor and athlete, and given rise to strong personal relationships. Today, that we go to races and we feel that the affection we hold towards Perico, Julien, Aimar, Samu, Marino… are
But it’s not just looking backwards: Cofidis Team, Primaflor, Luna Pro Team, Andrew Starycowickz, Albert Moreno… they are the competitors right now that make up our athletes’ community.
We look forward to having you join the ranks of athletes who have achieved their best with Orbea beside them.
“EUSKADI FOUNDATION HAS BEEN ONLY THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG; WE HAVE ALSO SPEND 17 YEARS WORKING WITH THE MTB TEAM, TEN YEARS OF COOPERATION WITH ANDREW STARYCOWICZ, NINE YEARS WITH LUNA CHIX PRO-TEAM OR THE LEGENDARY SEAT ORBEA, PERICO DELGADO, MARINO LEJARRETA… THESE ARE ALL A CLEAR REINFORCEMENT OF OUR RESERVE PHILOSOPHY.”
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ORBEA’S LANDSCAPES Cofidis, a veteran among French cycling teams, and Orbea, celebrating its 175th anniversary, are embarking on a joint adventure in 2015. Alain Laiseka
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Cycling is, above all, a journey. Bikes are our best travel companions. “Riding a bike is not about running,” young Miguel Delibes was told by his father. This is how his own journey began. He was seven years old. Between the bright blue sky in the Castilian summer and the green carpet of the garden in his house, surrounded by high stone walls. They soon fell. No bike survives captivity. Locked up in a garage or a basement, surrounded by forsaken farming tools in a dark stable, bikes wither, fade, as sad, bitter tears cover their slim bodies and they are slowly consumed by rust. Rust is a bike’s wrinkles, the metallic equivalent to aging and dying of sorrow. Delibes, like any child, soon found out you can fly, free as a bird, when you ride a bike. Pedaling is like flapping your wings. There are no limits to this desire. To Delibes first, boy rider, then forever a writer - riding a bike meant jumping into
an open grave and escaping the grip of the pot-bellied guard. To Luis Ángel Maté - first, boy rider, then, still, rider and child - it meant being free, forgetting all about fear and rules. “On the bike we were wild,” recalling his childhood in his neighborhood in Marbella. Maté grew up on a bike. Always next to him was an Orbea. “It wasn’t mine, but it was the neighbourhood bike.” The kids flapped the pedals in the sun, jumping down the steps, crashing, getting bloody knees and scratched trousers. Oh my; The bike had its paint chipped and its saddle gnawed at by the greedy floor and the rubber handlebar grips peeled off. “That was my childhood.” Maté grew out of childhood and out of his neighborhood in Marbella by pedaling . His journey was in the best possible company.
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You know what they say; you shouldn’t go back to the places where you’ve been happy. A few months ago, Maté, who’s still on his journey, had no choice but to return to his wild childhood neighborhood. He was told that in 2015, his cycling team, Cofidis, would run with Orbea and he got a new Orca - light, elegant, supple, like the curves of a Dior model. He’s not one of those riders who whisper to their bike or tell her secrets, but he laughs with her as they see landscapes go by together. But he promised his bike, even before they set eyes on each other, that their journey would be fabulous. She’d see, he’d show her the world, wherever imagination and the cycling calendar brought them. But first he’d show her his valley, that of the river Genal, and a few nooks and crannies in Sierra de las Nieves that only a few people
“NO BIKE SURVIVES CAPTIVITY. LOCKED UP IN A GARAGE OR A BASEMENT, SURROUNDED BY FORSAKEN FARMING TOOLS IN A DARK STABLE, BIKES WITHER, FADE, AS SAD, BITTER TEARS COVER THEIR SLIM BODIES AND THEY ARE SLOWLY CONSUMED BY RUST. ”
had seen. And then, yes, he kept his word: the world before coming to France, the country of the Grand Tour. Orbea is familiar with it - a bike that has traveled the world for ages with Euskaltel. Its name reaching the most distant corners on Earth after being coined in Urkizu, Eibar. After filling neighborhoods and towns with the name ‘Velosolex’ in the 1960s and then with other model names, other bikes on which kids went wild and flew and fled the police and jumped over walls and understood that barriers only exist in the minds of those who set limits. Orbea learned from the kids who grew up on their bikes. Confined to the Spanish market, it realized the journey didn’t stop there. Beyond national borders, there was the rest of the world.
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In the 1980s, Orbea was a paper bicycle in the USA. “Before getting her, it was known by the pictures on Tour magazines,” Scott Warren recalls, who has been working on the bicycle market for more than three decades, the last three in the branch that Orbea set up in Little Rock, Arkansas, to travel a market that identifies that brand with Pedro Delgado and the Tour stage that he won in ’85 in Luz Ardiden, or Cabestany in ’86. And later, the same brand was linked to Euskaltel, courtesy of the accomplishments of riders like Laiseka, Mayo and the orange tide, which crossed the sea, the mountains and the sky on the Orbea that delivered Samuel Sánchez to Olympic gold in Beijing. But there were more riding landscapes than those in the Tour de France. They were explored by Orbea with the right gear ratio, neither too fast nor too slow, and with perfect balance. What a beautiful place, knowing that what matters is the journey itself - and the hidden places opening up to your inquisitive look. This you can learn in 175 years.
“WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PLACE, KNOWING THAT WHAT MATTERS IS THE JOURNEY ITSELF - AND THE HIDDEN PLACES OPENING UP TO YOUR INQUISITIVE LOOK. THIS YOU CAN LEARN IN 175 YEARS.”
“It was, and still is an icon; one of the few European brands from the 1980s that continues to be a big player,” says Scott about Orbea’s role in the USA, where the Tour de France is a showcase for the cycle industry - its most popular and prestigious cycling race. It’s only natural: in the feats accomplished by riders in the Alps or the Pyrenees, on the open road and in the confined, wild territory of sprints. After missing the French tour in 2014 following the demise of Euskaltel Euskadi, Orbea - born in a mill in Eibar in 1840 as a gun factory - is hitting the French roads again with Cofidis - a supporter of professional cycling since 1996 and a veteran in France. The union is neither fanciful nor unpredictable.
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“COFIDIS IS ONE OF THOSE RARE FIRMS WHO’VE BEEN IN THE WORLD OF CYCLING FOR A VERY LONG TIME.”
Like Orbea, Cofidis is one of those rare firms who’ve been in the world of cycling for a very long time. You don’t usually see the name of a sponsor on a rider’s jersey for so long. They’ve been around since 1997, when the team first saw the light of day, only behind Lampre, the stainless steel company run by the Galbusera family that’s been sponsoring a cycling team since 1990 - the longest-standing sponsorship in the history of cycling. Cofidis’s ride is like a mountain stage at the Tour: sometimes climbing uphill, sometimes going downhill. To seasons in which good results were impossible to grasp - sport is a fickle mistress - there followed others where milestones were achieved, especially at the Tour, where they stepped on the podium with Bobby Julich in 1998 or stamped their
name on David Millar’s yellow jersey after winning stage One in Futuroscope in 2000. The Scottish cyclist was a great ambassador of the French team for several years, but the team’s historical icon was David Moncoutié, who was a Cofidis rider throughout his entire career from 1997 to 2012, earning the team as many as 20 victories. His most celebrated triumphs were in the Tour de France 2004 and 2005 or in the happy days of the Vuelta, where, free from the pressure of the French tour, he won four stages and two King of the Mountains jerseys. In fact, Cofidis has left its mark on all three grand tours and most classic races. There’s a milestone in the team’s records: Liège-Bastogne-Liège won by Frank Vandenbroucke in 1999. And there’s a bête noire too. The fact that the team established itself in Lille, near the border with Belgium, a pebble’s throw from the Roubaix velodrome gives us a clue. He dreams of winning the cobbled race, the hell of northern France, Paris-Roubaix, where victory has eluded French squads since 1997, when it went to Guesdon with FDJ. This was the year of Cofidis’s birth. Eighteen years later and Cofidis still pursues its dreams. They’ve signed the tough French sprinter Nacer Bouhanni to conquer the sprint finishes at the Tour, now on the two wheels of an Orbea. They’re still traveling together.
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Apartado 15
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“BEING IN THE TOUR MAKES YOU RELEVANT AND STRENGTHENS YOUR PRESENCE. ” On a journey, companions matter as much as the route does. This is when two powers meet - The Tour binds them together. It’s the connection between them. “Being in the Tour makes you relevant and strengthens your presence. Then, now, and always,” says Joseba Arizaga, Road Product Manager at Orbea. Neither France nor the French tour are uncharted territory to the Basque manufacturer. The Tour de France it reached from the heart - the Pyrenees (Delgado’s win) - and nested there. The Pyrenees are Orbea’s ground par excellence. In the case of France, it conquered the neighboring country through the mountains, with the MTB team - one of the pioneers, back in the 1990s. At the turn of the century, it took a giant leap placing an Orbea between the legs of French hero Julien Absalon, Olympic champ in 2004 and three-time world champion before mounting the Spanish bike in 2007. Afterwards, a new world title and Olympic gold in Beijing was the result. “For the race in China,” Arizaga, recalls, “we redesigned the bike, which had in fact been developed with Absalon and the Beijing circuit in mind.” The result: Gold for Absalon. And Silver for compatriot Jean-Christophe Péraud, also a member of the Orbea team, who was second overall in the Tour de France last year. “The most important things that have happened to Orbea happened in France,” says Ari-
zaga, thinking about all those Tour de France and MTB achievements. “This is why we enjoy recognition in France, where people see us as a brand out of the ordinary. The French are nationalistic and care about their brands, and still they see us as a firm that is close to them.” In essence, there’s an emotional connection between Orbea and France. “It’s a feeling of fondness. Orbea just loves France and the Tour.” France, the French tour and Orbea know one another pretty well. Cofidis, however, is a new acquaintance to the bike manufacturer. “They’ll support each other, it’ll be a fruitful union,” says Maté, the boy from Marbella, the Genal valley and Sierra de las Nieves. He became a pro in France, where the history of cycling and the feelings it’s associated with are as huge as the rocky masses of the Alps or the Pyrenees. He’s wearing the Cofidis shirt and now he’s embracing Orbea to keep growing, jumping over walls to see the landscapes hidden behind.
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Brave new world Behind the wall lies Paris-Roubaix, a race whose history is paved with cobblestones and legends. This is the territory Orbea is ready to explore. “It’s a new milestone for us,” says Arizaga. A new landscape, not because of the ground itself - trodden with Euskaltel for many years - but because of the new approach. “We’d never thought of it as a goal.” Orbea had never experienced the cobbled classic with the intensity conveyed by Cofidis, a couple of whose members - Frenchmen - dream of Paris-Roubaix. They live on the cobblestones. They go out and step on them. And they’ve ridden along them on the new Orca, which they’ve used to assess and recognize the terrain in some of its most mythical parts, like the forest of Arenberg. “It’s like having your mind reset,” Arizaga remarks. From the bike required by the Basque sprinters of Euskaltel to the new bicycle needed by these more muscular, sturdier cyclists to face a cobbled world (Omloop Het Volk, Paris-Roubaix, Tour of Flanders...). “No-one has ever seen us in these settings. We have to adapt ourselves using a bicycle born with weight and stiffness goals that make it perfect for competition, for the Tour de France, for the French mountains, for any kind of race,” Arizaga explains. He gathered the riders’ impressions in October, after they tried the bike on the roads paved with sets. And the feedback was reassuring. The bike
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performed amazingly well on the new surface, as if it’d been used to riding there. The riders praised its balance and maneuverability. Moreover, they said they had the feeling when they first rode it that they’d known the bike for a long time. As if they’d always ridden together. There’s no better thing to say about a bike. No better way of setting out on a journey.
“THEY LIVE ON THE COBBLESTONES. THEY GO OUT AND STEP ON THEM. AND THEY’VE RIDDEN ALONG THEM ON THE NEW ORCA, WHICH THEY’VE USED TO ASSESS AND RECOGNIZE THE TERRAIN IN SOME OF ITS MOST MYTHICAL PARTS, LIKE THE FOREST OF ARENBERG.”
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COFIDIS TEAM 2015
COMPITING IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES
Italy
France
Spain
365 DAYS H A R D W O R K I N G
Begium
25 RIDERS +
2
B I KE
M O D E L S
SEVEN PA R A LY M P I C R I D E R S +
32 STAFF PEOPLE ORCA
ORDU
R10 HELMETS
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INTERESTING DATES
Flanders march 6-8
Paris - Niza march 8-15
Milán - San Remo march 22
Vuelta Catalunya march 22-29
Vuelta Pais Vasco april 2-11
Paris Roubeaix april 12
Liege Bastogne Liege april 26
Dauphine june 7-14
Tour de France july 4-26
Vuelta de España august 22-13
World championship september 19-27
Inside Orbea 23
INSIDE ORBEA
IXIO BARANDIARAN If there is anyone in Orbea whose life is linked to competition, it’s Ixio Barandiaran (Ataun, 1963).
Text and photos by Jon Saez
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When I proposed interviewing Ixio for this second edition of Orbea Magazine, he didn’t hesitate, but he had a condition: that the interview be at his house: “our house is like our Facebook. It is the place where we get together with our friends.” So, one cold Friday in December we went up to Gabiria, at the heart of Guipuzcoa, to eat with his wife Camino and his daughter Irati in an updated farmhouse called “Gurutzeta”. And we got to talking… We started at the beginning. Tell me how you got started in the world of cycling. It’s curious. When I was little, my twin sister was sick and my mother spent many hours at the hospital with her. During this time, she sent me to my cousin’s house in Urnieta. That cousin was a professional cyclist. He
was really into cyclo-cross and my love for the bike was born there. As a little boy I had a great love for cycling. I remember going to Spain’s Cyclo-Cross Championships at that age, holding a bike that was bigger than me, and hanging around with my cousin. For me bikes were everything. But my family had eight brothers and there was no money. I got my first bike really late and it was not a proper racing bike. It was a green standard Orbea that all the brothers had to share. I remember racing up the mountains with that bike like lighting. I have good memories. Then, as life would have it, my brother-in-law, Jokin Mujika arrived with my twin sister and encouraged me to ride bikes. By then, he had also opened a bike store and offered me a
“FOR ME BIKES WERE EVERYTHING. (...) I GOT MY FIRST BIKE REALLY LATE AND IT WAS NOT A PROPER RACING BIKE. IT WAS A GREEN STANDARD ORBEA THAT ALL THE BROTHERS HAD TO SHARE. I REMEMBER RACING UP THE MOUNTAINS WITH THAT BIKE LIKE LIGHTING. I HAVE GOOD MEMORIES.”
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“THE PEOPLE FROM ORBEA INSPIRED A LOT OF TRUST FROM ME AND I MADE REALLY GOOD FRIENDS. IT WAS BECAUSE OF THAT THE PEOPLE AT ORBEA. TO BE PART OF WHAT THEY MADE ME FEEL.”
job working there. Everything happened so quickly. Contact with Orbea. Being in the store with my brother-in-law during his last years in racing, we asked Orbea to sponsor him as a mountain bike and cyclo-cross competitor. And from then on, we developed a strong relationship with Orbea. Aside from the fact that all we sold were Orbea bikes at the store. Meanwhile, Jokin’s brother Jose Cruz, who currently runs the store Jokin Mujika de Beasain, was the mechanic for the Orbea professional teams; Caja Rural, Seat Orbea and all that. I used to work with them in the farmhouse. I wasn’t part of the staff but I helped them with mechanical work. Jose Cruz was my idol and my teacher; I believe I owe a lot to him… Talk to me about the farmhouse. The farmhouse was the storehouse. It was where we prepared all the bikes for the team. It was the farmhouse of Jose Cruz and Jokin, a sort of headquarters for the Orbea teams. And I was there everyday.
How do you remember the times when mountain bike emerges? Around ’92, mountain bike races began. By then, it was a strange thing that not many people knew about. We started racing with my brother-in-law. By then, the television also appeared covering the races in Euskadi. ETB began, today Eitb is the Basque radio and television group, they broadcasted the last minutes of the races live and had extensive interviews on TV and it went from there. We won some races, Orbea liked the idea and that’s how we started. How has the transition been from being on the MTB team to being with Orbea? It was something I remember with a lot of positivity. I started in the company because of the people I met through the team. The people from Orbea inspired a lot of trust from me and I made really good friends. It was because of that - the people at Orbea. To be part of what they made me feel.
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It seems like nowadays cycling in the 80’s and 90’s is somehow a blurry time… I remember it very well. There was a lot of passion for biking. Now, there is too of course, but back then it was more like love. Now, I see people going to the Tour not because they are fans of a certain cyclist. Many of them do it as a fad, but they don’t care about the riders. There used to be fans of riders, of Marino, Jokin, Gorospe… it was great. A crowd of crazy people, each one with a rider that they were fanatical about.. Before Julien Absolon joined the Orbea MTB team, it was a different team to the one he left. When we look back, it seemed obvious to sign him, but looking at the history of the MTB team up to that time, it was a pretty modest team. What were the factors that led to taking this decision? The team we had before getting Absalon was modest, a respectable team but modest. The arrival of Absalon gave it an incredible boost in professionalism and I believe with that, we took a major step to the top of Mountain Biking, specifically XC. It was a little strange. We had some times when we signed one rider or another, and some riders fooled us, or didn’t deliver what was understood. And at Orbea we said: “enough is enough; we know how to do things well, too. We have to aim higher.” So, this time we went after the best. And we weren’t afraid because that was the best rider at that time, he knew us. We didn’t sign him for economic superiority. He also came because he knew us and valued what we had done over many previous years; he was following us. That’s what he told us, and I believe that it was true.
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“BEFORE JULIEN ABSOLON JOINED THE ORBEA MTB TEAM, IT WAS A DIFFERENT TEAM TO THE ONE HE LEFT.”
He had the vision for a serious team. He had seen us growing little by little and he saw us as a team with a good foundation. It wasn’t a team that was on top one year and on the bottom the next. He valued our history and our consistency. How was the relationship with Julien during those years? It was very good, very easy. It was normal, there was some pushing and pulling, but it was really easy. It was a very good relationship personally also. He’s been to visit me here! (meaning his house). Absalon was the team leader, but the whole team overall was a dream team. Yes. But that happens everywhere. When you talk about Real Madrid, everybody talks about Cristiano Ronaldo. And in this case, he was the leader. There was Jean Cristophe Peraud, Iñaki Lejarreta, Ruben Ruzafa who were very good riders. They were just in the shadow of a great leader who was Absalon. Jean Cristophe Peraud jumps into the race and climbs the podium in the last Tour de France. I have very fond memories of this. It reminded me of everything we had been through before, and it also reminded me of the Jean Cristophe that I knew. He is not a rider who has changed. For me, he is the same person I knew, the same guy. And I had this feeling in my heart when I saw him… he is so good-natured, from a humble family. No weird things or anything like that. Very normal, a warrior… and he left a good taste in my mouth. Iñaki. (Lejarreta) Well Iñaki… a young man I knew since childhood, since he was a young competitor. Very very normal, but with a lot of pressure. His first name was Iñaki, but he had a famous last name, and I think that created a lot of pressure. He was more professional than I was. For him, biking was life and he was thinking about biking all the time. We argued a lot: I would tell him “Iñaki, there are other things in life besides biking. There’s family and friends, but you never rest.” I would tell him that all the time. I gave him a hard time but it’s true. For him, biking was everything. What about when he was going to be a father… We had funny stories. We talked about that… and also, it was a time when Iñaki had already matured as an athlete and he was missing one little point that I believe he was going to achieve. For me, it was hard because I had a great relationship. Since I lived near Orbea… and nowadays I have a incredible relationship with his family. For me… I don’t know. He was not like a son, but he had something… I had affection for Iñaki.
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The best moment with the team, the one you remember most fondly. (He takes his time to think) Probably, it would be the World Cup that Absalon won in Scotland. He went on to win the Olympics, those were also great moments, but I thought it was so easy for him… but the one that gave me the greatest satisfaction was the World Cup in Scotland. It was difficult, complicated. When you have fear in your body… A huge gamble had been made that year, we had signed the best. But even still, it didn’t really make things that easy. I remember one story... In that World Cup, Joseba Arizaga, the late Rennie Stirling and I were at the hotel. We were so tense on the day of the race, that Julien, who was staying at another hotel with the French national team, came to hour hotel at eight in the morning with his bike to have coffee. And he told us, “Relax, I’m fine - we’re going to do great.” And wouldn’t you know it, he won… I think since he saw that we were nervous… and he said: “I’ll take a little ride, and have some coffee with you,” dressed in full uniform already… we had coffee, he went to ride, came back to his hotel... In the end, that’s what makes a great champion, isn’t it? That he knows when he is going to win. I remember we told him later: “You’re so macho…” and he would tell us, “No, no, I’m not like that any more.” It’s just funny... Joseba Arizaga. A friend. Yes he is! (Laughs). A friend we’ve done a lot of battle with, we’ve done some very good things, we’ve had our arguments, but still… Have you shared a room together? Yes, many times… many (laughs). But I don’t dream about him, okay? (laughs again). He has helped me a lot… We share some things, others, we don’t, but Joseba and me are united by competition, we have always been linked to competition and we have nurtured it. Because we both like it… our roots
have always been in competition and that brings us together. Current projects: Cofidis, Luna chix… How do you see them? Good, I see Cofidis as a team that fits well with Orbea’s philosophy. Modest, serious, but hard-working. I think it will give us a good push. I like it, I like it. Las Luna is a great team. Maybe female cycling is not as highly regarded as male cycling in the media yet, we have to close that gap, push harder. Unfortunately, Catherine Pendrell is not as well known as Julien Absalon. But she is improving and as a brand, we need to have that commitment. What about the future? I believe the brand will take a global leap. We are a recognizable brand but I think we can still do better. We will do great things. Don’t you believe?
“IT WAS DIFFICULT, COMPLICATED. WHEN YOU HAVE FEAR IN YOUR BODY… A HUGE GAMBLE HAD BEEN MADE THAT YEAR, WE HAD SIGNED THE BEST. BUT EVEN STILL, IT DIDN’T REALLY MAKE THINGS THAT EASY.”
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ORBEA LAB
BIG WHEELS CONCEPT A few years ago when 26-inch wheels were left behind, MTB – XC in particular – became more complex as a result of the variety of new wheel and frame options. With all the choices, contradictions and questions, we felt compelled to offer riders a solution best suited to their individual profiles and preferences. This is how we came up with Big Wheels Concept (BWC), our XC frame-size wheel philosophy, feeding on the knowledge gained in field work and lab tests.
BWC solution is simple: Instead of trying to squeeze everybody on a single wheel size, we offer big wheels that are scaled to fit riders of any height.
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27” 15.5/S
17.5/M 29” 17.5/M
19/L
21/XL
(for more information visit our blog: http://www.orbea.com/gb-en/blog/big-wheels-concept/)
Orbea Lab 32
WHEEL AND FRAME SIZE 29ers have a lot going for them. So far, so good. The difficult part comes when you have to match your wheel size to your frame size. Larger frames designed for 29-inch wheels offer the correct position for taller riders. But what about those users who want to get the speed of big wheels but find it difficult to handle 29-inch frames because of handlebar height, a feature that is particularly difficult in smaller sizes? Designing small frames for 29ers challenges the geometry required for XC racing (Stack & Reach). It is difficult to accomplish this without compromising on performance. With the shortest headtubes hovering right around the 95-100mm mark, the only way to lower the front end of a 29er is to make compromises with fork travel or hunt down road stems with an extreme negative rise. These options affect the performance of the bike and the position of the rider.
In an interview with Solobici Magazine in August 2013, Czech biker Katerina Nash (1.65m) of Luna Pro Team remarked, ‘In winter I tried a few 29er prototypes, and I definitely feel better on 27.5-inch wheels. On a 29er, the position I have to adopt makes me feel less comfortable and efficient.’ The same would happen if we had an XL frame and 27.5-inch wheels. Bottom line: S frames should match only 27.5-inch wheels, while XL frames should go with 29ers. This way, we keep the rider-bike relationship in proportion.
Orbea Lab 33
“THE EVOLUTION OF XC RACING HAS SHOWN THAT BIG WHEELS ARE BETTER FOR THE HUGE MAJORITY OF RIDERS. �
BIG WHEELS, BETTER PERFORMANCE The evolution of XC racing has shown that big wheels are better for the huge majority of riders. 29-inch and 27.5-inch wheels are the overwhelming choice for the comfort, stability and speed they impart on the trail. Their advantages are associated with three main factors: 1. Greater inertia: Bigger wheels take longer to accelerate but they make it easier to keep the pace once up to speed. The larger wheels maintain momentum through rough terrain. For frequent changes in speed, 27.5-inch wheels have the edge over 29ers but when speeds are fairly constant, 29-inch wheels are ideal. 2. Shallower angle of attack: Bigger wheels roll over obstacles with greater ease, due to their shallower angle of attack. Bottom line: you will clear obstacles with less effort and the 29er gets over them more easily. This applies to objects like ledges as well as potholes.
3. Increased traction: Bigger wheels have a longer contact patch with the ground. This means greater traction and, as a result, improved performance in both turning and braking.
Orbea Lab 34
SIX COMBINATIONS BASED IN FOUR BICYCLE SIZES AND TWO WHEEL SIZES Our solution to the wheel size conundrum is to offer six frame sizes with two wheel sizes: S, M and L with 27.5-inch wheels, and M, L and XL with 29-inch wheels. All three frames with 27.5-inch wheels have a lower stack height than our M 29er with a short 100mm headtube. This means there is a linear stack height increase across all six frames. Most of our competitors have gaps or unusual curves, where some sizes have exactly the same stack height or there are sudden jumps in the larger frames.
ORBEA BWC GEOMETRY - ALMA & OIZ
AS PROVEN IN COMPETITION Before launching our current XC bike models, Alma and Oiz, we were certain that BWC was the best approach to the wheel size-frame size problem, racing has proven us right: Catharine Pendrel (1.67m) became world champion on the 27.5” wheels of her size SM Oiz.
CATHARINE PENDREL (1.67M) BECAME WORLD CHAMPION ON THE 27.5” WHEELS OF HER SIZE SM OIZ.
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FRIENDS
It all starts in the trunk of a car back in the 90s ... Scott, a promising New Zealander triathlete, suffered a back injury causing his promising career to stagnate. He then sets out fulfill a need for triathletes, specific swimming wetsuits. To do this, he visits a local tailor and attends all triathlons and open water events in New Zealand. By doing the same he births the first point of sale for Orca Triathlon. Gone are those adventures to make way for others of greater impact. Orca has been able to conquer different exploits such as multiple Ironman Hawaii championships or being the main sponsor of the New Zealand selection of Triathlon at the Sidney Olympics... always remembering to accompany the triathletes who form the Orca community to meet its challenges.
Since 2006 Orca is a brand managed and distributed by Orbea. Jon, Raul, Aran, Paul and Oscar form the core structure of Orca, share daily life and work space with Orbea. They constantly remind us that Orca is not born of chlorine in a pool, but the currents and waves of the sea. That is why we seek to translate that spirit of freedom and escape to other sports beyond swimming through different projects such as customizing sportswear launched this year. The challenge of exploring new paths and discovering the limits of their spirit intrigues us to follow them closely ...;)
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“ORCA HAS BEEN ABLE TO CONQUER DIFFERENT EXPLOITS SUCH AS MULTIPLE IRONMAN HAWAII CHAMPIONSHIPS.”
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INTERESTING
BORN TO WIN OIZ
“Thought to equal the performance of the rigid ones and to improve it.” “A great job of Advanced Dynamics that may change the mind of those who think that a full suspension is not an advantage for the furious pace of Rally.” Héctor Ruiz, Bike (Spain) http://www.orbea.com/clipping/2014/oiz/docs/ BIKE-Oiz-es.pdf
CONQUER MOUNTAINS, CLIMB PODIUMS.
ORCA
Fully restructured, the Orbea Orca offers attractive qualities. Versatile, solid and comfortable, it knows how to satisfy those who are interested in performance. Velo 101 http://www.velo101.com/magazine/article/testde-lorbea-orca--11401
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“The Oiz impressed me with its stiffness, efficient suspension and ability to handle being used... Between the two wheel sizes, the 29er would be my choice, as it is more suited to the longer races I prefer, but if I was younger and more sprinty, the 27.5 would be pretty appealing. Both bikes showed impressive stiffness, something that a serious XC racer demands. I was very impressed at how hard both bikes could be ridden, right out of the box, on unfamiliar trails, and can see these bikes being an excellent choice for the serious XC racer on demanding courses, while still be light enough to compete with the hardtails on less demanding tracks”. Eric Mc Keegen, Dirt Rag (USA)
“We tried it out and were entirely satisfied. The BWC (Big Wheels Concept) shows everything: in practice according to Orbea, each person should look for a bike, according to its height, with wheels as large as possible for a better driving experience.” Filippo Lorenzon, MTB Magazine (Italy) http://www.orbea.com/clipping/2014/oiz/docs/ MTB_Mag_oiz.pdf
“More exclusive and less forgiving for small errors on paths, it is a real bomb just waiting to be set off at each turn. Its stability is electrifying and its performance is worthy of the best cross country racers”. Christophe Meurice, O2 bikers (Belgium) http://www.orbea.com/clipping/2014/oiz/docs/ O2BIKERS-Oiz-199.pdf
http://dirtragmag.com/inside-line-new-orbea-oiz27-5-and-29-race-bikes/
With a complete overhaul, the Basque brand has fully hit the target improving in the three prongs supporting a good bicycle: stiffness, weight and comfort. Kudos to Orca. Ciclismo a Fondo http://www.orbea.com/clipping/2014/november/docs/CICLISMOAFONDO_ Noviembre_14.pdf
A true all-terrain vehicle! The 2015 model, the future template for the Cofidis team, is no exception to the rule, combining high performance and maximum versatility. The ideal product for nearly everything! Le Cycle http://www.orbea.com/clipping/2014/november/docs/LE-CYCLE-Orbea-Orca.pdf
Orbea has worked to slim it down in order to make it more aerodynamic and efficient. The new frames also have a more minimal, understated design and finish. Bikeradar http://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/article/orbea-2015-road-range-firstlook-41425/
“Our first impressions gave us a glimpse of a bike that is less elitist, more versatile, all while retaining its high level of performance: it may be the ideal weapon in cross country (though...), but certainly impressive for long distance racing” Julien Nayener, Vélo Vert (France) http://www.orbea.com/clipping/2014/oiz/docs/ Velo-Vert-Oiz.pdf
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