December 13, 2006 (Montreal, QC) – The new, Quebec-based Specialized-Menikini women’s team is hoping to get its UCI license by 2009. Specialized Canada is sponsoring the team with women-specific Ruby bikes and supplying women-specific, apparel, helmets, shoes, gloves and optics. Pedal reached Dave Pecuch, Marketing Services Manager at Specialized Canada to find out more about the company’s strategy in sponsoring this new women’s team.

“More than 50% of our population is female but only a small fraction of bikes are sold to women. By encouraging women’s cycling through sponsorship, we hope more women will get involved in the sport,” said Pecuch.

If more women become involved in cycling, presumably more women will buy bicycles. “Specialized is well-positioned here,” added Pecuch, pointing out the company has “close to 30 models of women-specific bikes, each with women’s -specific geometry, tubesets and components to properly fit women’s bodies and suit the way that women ride. We also offer a complete line of women-specific equipment that’s designed to make women’s riding experience the best it can be!”

The company is very committed to promoting women’s gear and has women product managers in that line. Specialized’s D4W designation stands for “designed for women.” Pecuch emphasizes that the differences between men’s gear and women’s gear goes well beyond colour coordination, pointing out gender differences in cyclists’ leg-to-torso dimensions, body weight, hand size, etc, which translate into different specifications needed for women. “And we are the foremost cycling brand for women,” asserts Pecuch.

Apart from its Specialized-Menikini sponsorship, the company also sponsors of the Gerolsteiner pro cycling team. And starting in 2007, Specialized will be the official bicycle sponsor of the Quick.Step professional cycling team, featuring world road champions Paolo “The Cricket” Bettini (2006) and “Tornado” Tom Boonen (2005). Specialized’s pro mountain bike squad includes world class top riders Christoph Sauser and Liam Killeen, who took first and second place at the 2006 World Cup XC race in Mont-Ste-Anne, Quebec.

Pecuch added, “Some of the (Canadian) teams we will be sponsoring this year include Team R.A.C.E. (Mountain and Road), Team C3 Olympic (Triathlon), D’Ornellas Racing (Road & Triathlon), Team Total Restoration (Road), and Team Specialized Quebec (Mountain). We also sponsor many individual athletes directly through in-store grassroots sponsorships.”

The company has many new product offerings, including the redesigned Enduro family of mountain bikes with 6 inches of travel including new FutureShock fork and AFR shock all under 27 lbs. The Epic and Stumpjumper FSR families also use the new AFR shocks. Specialized’s redesigned S-Works Roubaix SL road bikes have a frame, fork and crankset that weigh just 1,915 grams. Also new for 2007 is the S-Works Ruby, the company’s top-end women’s -specific road bike.

Specialized’s optic line has been expanded with a couple of new road and mountain models. The Adaptalite lens formulation has changed, resulting in a broader range of photochromic shift in a shorter amount of time (meaning that these sunglasses quickly become darker as the sun gets brighter). Specialized has also expanded its line of Roval wheels and its line of cycling apparel.

Specialized Canada recently move to a new 30,000 sq. foot office/warehouse in the Montreal area. The local telephone number has changed to (514) 457-1222 while the toll free number stays the same at 1-800-465-8887.

Specialized Canada Inc.
20975 Daoust
Ste-Anne-De-Bellevue, Quebec
H9X 0A3

www.specialized.com