Published October 12, 2022 06:59PM
CyclingTips understands Team UAE Emirates will switch from long-term groupset supplier Campagnolo to Shimano for the 2023 season.
Both team UAE-Emirates and Campagnolo initially denied any possibility of a change in component supplier when first asked on the matter as far back as July, specifically during stages three and four of this year’s Tour de France, when rumours of a swap first surfaced. However, several reports Wednesday once again suggest a move is imminent, reinforcing CyclingTips’ reporting on the subject.
CyclingTips understands that a swap was in the works during the 2022 Tour de France and that team-issue Colnagos with Shimano componentry are currently built and ready.
The team softened its stance slightly when approached by CyclingTips on the matter Wednesday morning. A representative said only that, “a lot was still to be finalised for next season.”
Team UAE-Emirates has raced with Super Record EPS groupsets and Bora wheels from Campagnolo since its inception in its current guise in 2017. A switch to Shimano would be a huge blow to Campagnolo and see the once dominant groupset manufacturer slip to just two WorldTour squads. Of course, whether Campagnolo considers such slim WorldTour representation as an issue is another question, one we might only get a better understanding of if and when a long-awaited new wireless groupset from Campagnolo materialises.
The rumours around Campagnolo’s association with Tadej Pogačar’s Team UAE-Emirates have surfaced on the same day reports suggest Jumbo-Visma and reigning Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard will switch from Shimano to SRAM groupsets for 2023. It’s seemingly a big winter ahead for the component manufacturers and their World Tour squads, no doubt there will be more to follow.