Arkéa-Samsic to ride Canyon bikes in 2020
French squad switch from BH for a two-year deal with German manufacturer
Arkéa-Samsic has announced that the team will be riding Canyon bikes for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The French team makes the switch from Spanish brand BH, whose bikes they raced on in 2019.
The Pro Continental squad had previously raced on Look bikes between 2015 and 2018, at which point they and the French manufacturer surprisingly terminated their partnership ahead of the Tour de France.
Arkéa will use the full range of the German company's bikes, including the Ultimate climbing bike, the Aeroad aero bike and the Speedmax time trial bike. In their announcement, the team showed off an Ultimate CF SLX decked out in French colour scheme for national champion Warren Barguil.
Canyon already supplies two other men's professional teams, as well as top women's WorldTour team Canyon-SRAM.
Mathieu van der Poel's Corendon-Circus squad uses the brand across three disciplines, while Movistar – the former team of Arkéa's new star signing Nairo Quintana – also rides Canyon bikes. The folding Katusha-Alpecin team also used the brand for the past several years.
"We've signed a two-year deal with Canyon – a premium and an innovative, proven brand with years of experience on the professional circuit," said Arkéa-Samsic general manager Emmanuel Hubert in the team press release.
"The partnership will allow our riders to benefit from Canyon's world-class, curring-edge bikes and tech from the start of 2002. We're really proud and excited to be able to work so closely with an industry leader like Canyon and to represent them in the pro racing ranks.
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"Canyon have racing in their DNA and are constantly striving to hone and perfect their bikes and technology. Working together with them only strengthens our status as a strong team with big ambitions for the future, and the desire to secure big results at the world's biggest races."
As well as a new bike partner, Arkéa-Samsic has a cadre of new riders for 2020. Quintana is the biggest name to join the squad, while Winner Anacona also joins from Movistar, and Nairo's brother Dayer makes the move from Neri Sottoli-Selle Italia. Sprinter Nacer Bouhanni has also signed for the team after five years at Cofidis.
Dan McLay (EF Education First), Diego Rosa (Team Ineos), Thomas Boudat (Total Direct Énergie), Łukasz Owsian (CCC Team), Christophe Noppe and Benjamin Declercq (both Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise) also move to the squad as sprinter André Greipel moves on and five more riders are retiring.
"With Warren Barguil, Nairo Quintana and Nacer Bouhanni, we've got a talented line-up for the coming season who will be bringing a depth of talent, experience and leadership to the road," said Roman Arnold, founder and CEO of Canyon.
"I can't wait to start collaborating with Arkéa-Samsic, because they are a team who share our own singular focus – dedicating everything to achieving great things."
Along with the move from BH to Canyon, there are also a few other changes to Arkéa's 2020 bike, with Canyon's own integrated handlebar and stem replacing the Vision cockpit of 2019. The team also looks to moving on from Vittoria tyres, Prologo saddles and FFWD wheels to Continental, Selle Italia and Shimano respectively.
Dani Ostanek is Senior News Writer at Cyclingnews, having joined in 2017 as a freelance contributor and later being hired full-time. Before joining the team, she had written for numerous major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly and Rouleur. She writes and edits at Cyclingnews as well as running newsletter, social media, and how to watch campaigns.