VN news ticker: Stella McCartney collaborates with Cannondale, Niki Terpstra extends with TotalEnergies

Stella McCartney collaborates with Cannondale

British fashion designer Stella McCartney, daughter of famed Beatles member Paul McCartney, collaborated with Cannondale on 18 hand-painted bikes.

The designs also include contributions from Ed Cutis, Myfawnwy (Maisie Broome), and Tom Tosseyn, all of whom are emerging artists and part of Stella McCartney’s latest A/W ’21 collection.

“As a lifelong cyclist and someone who rides their bicycle every day to work, I could not be more excited for my new shared journey with Cannondale. The bikes we have created embody our common values and vision – blending beauty and desirability with a sense of responsibility to the next generation,” said McCartney.

The limited-edition SystemSix, SuperSix EVO, and EVO CX bikes are not available for purchase, nor will they go into production.

The bikes will be on display at Stella McCartney flagship stores in London, New York, Shanghai, and Tokyo.

Cannondale has a record of producing bikes with interesting paint schemes, like the ones used by EF Education-Nippo at the 2020 Giro d’Italia.

Niki Terpstra extends with TotalEnergies

Niki Terpstra has extended his contract with TotalEnergies through the 2022 season.

The 37-year-old Dutch rider, who has been with the French squad since 2019, crashed while motorpace training last June, and saw his season — and possible career — put in doubt.

“That fall had a huge impact. Full-on, such a boulder. I was not allowed to move because something could have broken. I was eventually [sedated] and taken away by air ambulance,” Terpstra told the Dutch news outlet AD. “I woke up in the intensive care unit. Then someone comes and scratches your feet to see if they react. It was really intense. I never really wanted to tell it because I wanted to continue cycling, because I wanted to forget it myself because I don’t want to look too much into the past.”

While the veteran racer sees himself as contributing to the team which has recently signed Peter Sagan, Terpstra does not presume to be a protected rider.

“I will never again be so good that I can win the Tour of Flanders. But I still think I can be an above-average rider if I can just race and train again for a while. A lot of training and a lot of races, then I start to pay,” Terpstra said.

Terpstra has a palmares that includes victories at Paris-Roubaix (2014) and the Tour of Flanders (2018). However, the classics specialist has not had a win since 2018, nor any notable finishes since 2019.

Team BikeExchange signs Campbell Stewart

Team BikeExchange signed Kiwi track cyclist Campbell Stewart on contract through the 2023 season.

“I have been following GreenEdge Cycling for years and I am excited to be joining,” Campbell said. “It’s an incredible opportunity for me and I will do everything possible to make it a success. Of course, I will need some time to adapt to the new environment, but I’m sure I will fit well with Team BikeExchange and the team spirit.”

Stewart is the fifth rider from New Zealand to join the Australian-based squad.

The 23-year-old won a silver medal in the Omnium at the Tokyo Olympics, and was a world champion in the omnium in 2019 while riding for the British development squad Team Wiggins.

“Campbell is undoubtedly one of the world’s most extraordinary track cycling talents. His palmares speaks for itself with multiple world championship medals, plus a silver medal in the omnium at the Tokyo Olympics,” said team general manager Brent Copeland “Campbell has also shown what he is capable of on the road as well, with two wins in France and a stage win in New Zealand this year.

Lawson Craddock, the current U.S. national time trial champion, also recently signed with Team BikeExchange. The U.S. Olympian was recently spotted on Team BikeExchange equipment while still under contract with his current team, EF Education-Nippo.