The biggest sports clothing brand in the world, Nike, hasn't been a major player in professional cycling in well over a decade, but could the American company be making a comeback?
Nike was formerly the sponsor of the US Postal and RadioShack teams as well as the personal sponsor of former rider Lance Armstrong. The famous Nike swoosh also adorned leaders' jerseys at the Tour de France from 1996 to 2011.
Since then, Nike hasn't been involved at the top level to a major extent, though in recent years it has reappeared with a spate of minor deals.
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Last year, Demi Vollering signed a personal partnership deal with Nike. The brand has also partnered with her team FDJ United-SUEZ, as well as Dutch squad Visma-Lease a Bike, supplying both squads with off-bike lifestyle apparel. Riders from Uno-X Mobility and Unibet Rose Rockets also sport Nike casualwear off the bike, and Mark Cavendish wore Nike-branded cycling shoes during his last Tour appearance.
Are more deals, and perhaps a re-entry into on-bike clothing and sponsorship, on the way?
"It has indeed been a while since we were 'in the game' in cycling," Nike project manager Kieran Ronan told WielerFlits earlier this month.
"Over the years, we have left various sports for diverse reasons, only to sometimes return to them later. We saw the collaboration with Nimbl as the perfect new opportunity," he added, referring to Nike's crossover with the company which produces Visma-Lease a Bike's racing clothing.
"Nimbl brings absolute high-end products to the market. For instance, more than 190 riders in the WorldTour peloton are now riding in their cycling shoes," Ronan said.
"Their products are spectacular and align seamlessly with Nike’s core values: innovation, putting the athlete first, and daring to shake up the industry with something new. I see great potential in this partnership. If we combine our innovative forces, we should be able to present something very new and exciting in the future."
At present, Visma-Lease a Bike are on the search for a new title sponsor for 2027 and beyond after Norwegian business software company Visma announced it would take a step back rather than increase their financial commitment to the team.
There's been no news on that yet during the ongoing Tour de France, and it appears that Nike won't be ramping up their commitment to racing quite to that extent so quickly.
"Everything is open for discussion at the moment," Ronan said, when asked about the brand's chances of a comeback as a main clothing sponsor.
"The primary focus right now is on our return to this sport. We are closely monitoring professional cycling, but we are not losing sight of the needs of the recreational cyclist," he said.
"We want to passionately provide them with the very best products. It is absolutely our ambition to play a major role in cycling again.
"Personally, I have been an active touring cyclist for a very long time. The fact that I can now wear a Nike swoosh myself again during my rides gives me great satisfaction. It is a privilege to be closely involved in this return."
We'll have to wait and see if the swoosh makes a return at the top level anytime soon. For now, though, there will be more collaborations with Nimbl, at the very least.
"We are proceeding cautiously and thoroughly so that we get the right products to the right consumers," Ronan said.
"Nike will also continue to collaborate with Nimbl over the next one to two years to introduce more products."
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