Profits from the limited edition bike will go to the War Child organisation
(Image credit: Eddy Merckx)
Capri-Sun and Eddy Merckx bikes have teamed up to create a limited edition Eddy Merckx Pévèle C bike that's painted in custom Capri-Sun colours to raise money for War Child, an organisation that supports children affected by war.
No, Capri-Sun and Eddy Merckx were not a pairing I was expecting to see pop up in my email inbox this morning, but the brands have a history in cycling together that goes back a long way.
Capri-Sun soft drinks can be purchased in over 100 countries worldwide, and more than six billion of the pouch-based drinks are sold every year. I, like many others, I suspect, walk past the popular drinks in my local store several times a week.
The drinks brand has worked with two of sport's greatest icons in the past, Muhammad Ali and a familiar name to cycling fans worldwide, Eddy Merckx - generally regarded as the greatest cyclist of all time, although Tadej Pogačar may lay claim to that title in years to come.
Capri-Sun has a history of cycling team sponsorship. The brand sponsored the
Capri Sonne - Campagnolo - Merckx pro cycling team in 1982. Peter Winnen won stage 17 of the Tour de France for the team that year. Capri-Sun also sponsored a women's pro team in the early 2000s.
The bike uses a classic Eddy Merckx font (Image credit: Eddy Merckx)
The two brands have resurrected their partnership to create a custom-painted bike that will go on sale on the 16th of May, which is the International Day of Living Together in Peace.
Available until September, the bike will cost €5,575 and all profits will go to War Child, an organisation that provides support to children affected by war, including education, protection and psychological care.
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The carbon fibre bike will have a Shimano 105 Di2 groupset and carbon wheels, plus a 38mm tyre clearance. Customers will also be able to custom-spec the frames on the Eddy Merckx website configurator.
Here is Peter Winnen in the original Capri-Sonne jersey in 1982 (Image credit: BCF Media)
A team Capri-Sonne 1980s replica cycling jersey will also be available to match the bike.
The Eddy Merckx brand was bought by Ridley in 2017, and the parent company, Belgian Cycling Factory, relaunched the Merckx brand early last year.
”At Belgian Cycling Factory, we want to improve people's lives through cycling. This partnership does exactly that," explained its CEO, Jochim Aerts. "Especially in these times, such a collaboration is very rewarding. It brings together Eddy Merckx heritage, a big splash of cycling fun and a shared commitment to War Child."
Tom joined the Cyclingnews team in late 2022 as a tech writer. Despite having a degree in English Literature he has spent his entire working life in the cycling industry in one form or another. He has over 10 years of experience as a qualified mechanic, with the last five years before joining Cyclingnews being spent running an independent workshop. This means he is just as happy tinkering away in the garage as he is out on the road bike, and he isn’t afraid to pull a bike apart or get hands-on with it when testing to really see what it’s made of.
He has ridden and raced bikes from an early age up to a national level on the road and track, and has ridden and competed in most disciplines. He has a keen eye for pro-team tech and enjoys spotting new or interesting components in the wild. During his time at Cyclingnews, Tom has already interviewed some of the sport's biggest names including Mathieu van der Poel, Tadej Pogačar and Alberto Contador. He's also covered various launches from brands such as Pinarello, Ridley, Specialized and more, tackled the Roubaix Challenge sportive aboard his own rim-brake Cannondale SuperSix Evo, tested over 20 aero helmets in the wind tunnel, and has created helpful in-depth buying advice relating to countless categories from torque wrenches to winter clothing.
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