By Jack Lynch
We caught up with Australia’s greatest road cyclist to see why his race’s naming sponsor means so much to him.
In a world of fast media and everyone selling you something, it’s easy to look at a sponsorship announcement with a degree of cynicism. When I first read that Mapei had acquired the naming rights of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (CEGORR) until 2028 and it meant so much to Cadel to continue his great relationship with the Italian tiling giant, it raised a few PR red flags for me.
Most know that Cadel was involved in the Mapei team in 2002 (hell, he wore the maglia rosa with them) and he credits the team with giving him the pro road foundation needed for future success. We’re also aware that Mapei has been the bedrock of the CEGORR and is the race’s only sponsor which has paid up since its 2015 inception.
From the headlines, you’d think that’s the extent of the partnership between Cadel and Mapei: the start of a racing career and some cash towards his legacy. But speaking with the 2011 Tour de France winner, it’s instantly clear that he has had a consistent, sustained relationship with Mapei, which goes beyond the jersey he wore on race day and the financial stability it provides his event.
On the road with Mapei
“People don’t really know about Mape because we don’t look at the back of our tiles,” Evans says when describing what the brand actually does. “If you talk to anyone who works as a tiler or in the industry they always say the same thing: ‘Mapei: they’re the best. They might cost a bit more but they save you time because they always work.’”
Obviously, Evans is not a tiler, but his loyalty and admiration for the brand is genuine, dating back to when his road cycling career began in 2002 following a career as professional mountain biker. This was in the days when few people crossed over between the disciplines and almost no one did both. Riders like MvDP and Wout were in early primary school – Pidcock was just out of nappies!
“There were two other riders [on the Mapei team] who had switched from mountain bike, Dario Cioni and Miguel Martinez. Martinez was kind of like my nemesis,” Evans recalls, “At our first training camp, they put him and me in a room together. I remember sitting with him and chatting for about 20 minutes before I went out and asked if I could be put in a different room, please.” This was an early sign of Evans’ competitive drive at Mapei – he couldn’t look past years of going head-to-head on the mountain bike with a person even for a brief training camp…as team mates! Such an outlook was favourably looked upon at Mapei which was renowned as a ruthless, professional outfit with one goal: win.
“I was ready to sign a five-year contract with Mapei, and then the team stopped,” lamented Evans, who was forced to move on from a crew which included names like Rogers, Cancellara, Bettini, Freire (13 individual World Championship titles between them throughout their careers) to German powerhouse Team Telekom/T-Mobile with the likes of Ullrich, Kloeden, Vinokourov and Zabel – not a bad second prize for an aspiring GC rider!
“Mapei did everything to the nth degree at a time when all the other teams weren’t nearly as organised as they were,” he emphasised. “What Mapei was doing in 2002 is what all the teams were scrambling to do in 2012 or 2015 until today.”
Staying connected
Unfortunately, Evans’ first season on Mapei was the team’s last, with the squad dissolving ahead of the 2003 season. Despite this, Evans remained connected with the brand as an ambassador for the Mapei Sports Research Centre near Milan as one their athletes throughout his storied career.
His connection with Dr Aldo Sassi and Dr Andrea Morelli is well documented and even though he’s no longer a professional rider, still regularly visits the Mapei Centre for health checks and bike fit when in Europe. (Although, I hasten to add, his bike fit has not changed since his days as a pro.)
“[Former Mapei Director (CEO)] Dr Giorgio Squinzi used to always say you need to do research to be the best,” recalls Evans. “His applied this industry approach to the sport.” This quest for excellence was ingrained in Evans, a known perfectionist, who had no trouble getting the appropriate care, attention and detail required for someone to excel at his level.
10 years and going strong
Evans is proud of what the CEGORR and its surrounding festival is doing for cycling in Victoria’s Surf Coast and Bellarine Peninsula, and the sport as a whole. He approaches each event with equal enthusiasm, be it a WorldTour event, the TAC People’s Ride or the GeelongPort Family Ride.
Be it the professional women and men looking to kickstart their seasons with a strong showing, or kids who are getting involved in their first mass participation event, Cadel’s Road Race has cemented its place on the calendar as a great time on two wheels for so many people.
As for Mapei, its Australian GM, Marco de Santis told Cyclist how proud he is to be part of the race. “Aligning ourselves with this prestigious event allows us to celebrate cycling in Australia as both a lifestyle and a source of inspiration,” he said.
“The partnership allows us to contribute resources in our network and exemplify how international businesses like Mapei can contribute to local culture and events and make a positive difference within the community, promoting healthy lifestyles and inspiring future generations to chase their dreams.”
Cadel’s respect for Mapei is mutual, with de Santis singing the praises of the Aussie champ:
“For us, Cadel is a reminder of what can be achieved when passion meets persistence. His journey continues to inspire everyone at Mapei Sport and the next generation of cyclists to keep learning, growing, and chasing their goals.”
With an attitude like this, we can expect Cadel’s race and Mapei to continue their association long into the future.
