USA Cycling partners with Look Cycle and Corima wheels
‘Look and Corima would be my first choice every single time’ says USAC national sprint director Erin Hartwell.
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USA Cycling announced Tuesday a multi-year partnership with Look Cycle and Corima wheels for the national federation’s sprint program.
“Investing in our track sprint program is one of our leading priorities at USA Cycling”, said USAC CEO Brendan Quirk.
“We have a history of international success in the discipline and we’re excited to bring it back in full force over the coming years. Our first step in our heightened commitment to sprint was bringing Erin Hartwell on board to coach our athletes and manage the program. The next critical step was finding an equipment sponsor who could give our riders every advantage possible.”
Team USA athletes should have access to the bikes and wheels for the next two Olympic cycles, as well as to Look pedals, and a range of Look bikes for road and track disciplines.
Look, a French brand, has had a presence in the United States since 2019. While its bikes are not currently ridden at the WorldTour level on the road, the brand has experienced much success on the track, with its T20 Speed and T20 TT used at the premier level.
The French wheel manufacturer Corima — whose products are used by WorldTour team Astana-Qazaqstan on the road — has also seen success at the top levels of track racing, with its Disc C+ wheel, Monobloc four- and five-spoke front wheel.
Look bicycles and Corima wheels have been raced to 49 Olympic medals — including 18 Olympic gold — from the 1996 Atlanta games through the recent Tokyo Games.
“Partnering with USA Cycling is an important milestone for Look and Corima,” says Federico Musi, CEO of the Look Cycle Group. “We are excited to support the USA Cycling Development program to nurture future young talent and bring the passion of cycling to a larger audience. Our technical experience in carbon manufacturing and aerodynamics will help the U.S. team chase medals at our home Olympic Games in Paris [in 2024] and on to their home Olympics in Los Angeles [in 2028].”
A USAC statement released earlier this week said, “the program intends to cover a full slate of international and domestic racing, including the UCI Nations Cups and the UCI World Championships, as a foundation for their Olympic objectives.”
“With Look and Corima, we know we have cutting edge bikes, wheels, and pedals that give our riders the decisive advantage they need when putting out the incredible watts you see in sprint. We’re elated about this partnership and look forward to the journey ahead,” added Quirk.
Hartwell, too, is excited about the new partnership, and options for bikes and equipment.
“For years, I’ve looked on with genuine adoration at the national teams and international athletes that have had the privilege to ride Look bikes and Corima wheels at the highest level of competition,” said Hartwell, the USAC national sprint director. “If ever allowed to handpick a bike to outfit a national program to compete against the world’s best, Look and Corima would be my first choice every single time.”
The USA Cycling elite sprint program previously had partnered with Felt Bicycles, which had developed the technology specifically for the athletes’ needs, including left-side-drive bikes and other highly specialized equipment used at the Rio and Tokyo Olympic games, as well as for UCI world championships, and other premier events.
At the Tokyo Olympics, sprinter Jennifer Valente earned a gold medal in the women’s omnium. Just weeks later, she powered to a bronze medal in the Scratch race at the 2021 UCI world track cycling championships, riding the same Felt TK FRD.