LAS VEGAS (BRAIN) — At least one team will ride a single-chainring, disc brake road bike in some of the world's biggest races next season.
The Aqua Blue Sport team, an Irish-based Pro Continental squad, will race the 3T Strada bike in 2018. The team, which is gunning for a Tour de France wild card invite and WorldTour status in the coming seasons, includes American pro road champion Larry Warbasse.
The Strada frame won an Interbike Innovation award. The company is now offering a special cassette designed specifically for single chainring road use.
Aqua Blue Sport team owner Rick Delaney said, "We at Aqua Blue Sport are very much attracted to innovation and people who are moving cycling forward. What Gerard Vroomen and 3T have designed is truly a step forward bicycle design. We are delighted to bring this bike to the professional ranks and ride it in the world's biggest events."
Aqua Blue Sport will also become an official 3T online partner. They will be selling the team bikes, the standard STRADA, the EXPLORO and all other 3T products on www.aquabluesport.com, the online bicycle marketplace for retailers and brands that directly funds the team.
Gerard Vroomen, 3T's co-owner and head of design, said, "Aqua Blue Sport is doing something different and that is exciting. We watched Aqua Blue Sport's successes on the roads with victories at the U.S. national championships, the Tour of Austria and La Vuelta."
"Even more importantly, they recognize that the pro cycling business model has to change and their innovative new funding model is a great idea. Taking all of this together, we felt that this was something we really wanted to get involved in. We are very excited to supply 3T frames and parts and help Rick and his whole team to continue to make their project grow into an even bigger success."
3T will create an Aqua Blue Sport Edition Strada for the team that will debut at the start of the season in January 2018. Aqua Blue Sport will announce additional component partnerships in the coming weeks.
