Bralirwa Brewing Company and Stevens Bikes are proud to announce their plans to enter the MGUCI circuit! The team administration has been notified that their application for a continental team license has been accepted and there are eager to get right to work.
“We are so excited to get things started,” says Dira Sportif, the team’s sporting director. “With the backing of our commited sponsors, we will now start assembling a team of ambitious riders both young and experienced, to be able to compete in the continental division right away. The scouting process has already begun.”
Primary Title Sponsor: Bralirwa
Bralirwa is the biggest beverage company in Rwanda, offering a wide variety of both regional and international beer brands, as well as soft drinks. Their head of sponsoring, Theodore Boss, expands on their involvement in the project: “African cycling has made great strides over the past years. Teams like EA Vesuvio, Xero and many others have done tremendous work to promote it, yet we have to recognize that there has not been a pro team riding under a primary African license in the peloton since 2017. We want to change that and we’re happy to be joined in this endeavor by the return of African cycling cornerstone Project: Africa.”
"Our ambition is to build upon, continue and expand the work those teams have been doing and strive to become the premier cycling team on the African continent. We know that it is going to be a long road, but we have a lot of faith in Mrs. Sportif and her team to pull it off.”
Secondary Title Sponsor: Steven Bikes
The decision to bring in Stevens Bikes, a comparatively small company from Germany, as a secondary title sponsor and bike manufacturer may have come as a surprise, but Mr. Boss explained: “We had been in talks with other, bigger manufacturers, but we didn’t feel like any of them were the right fit, or there were hesitations to invest a significant amount. When we were introduced to Stevens Bikes through a mutual contact, they immediately convinced us with their passion and their expertise. They are just as hungry and ambitious as we are.”
Steve Stevens of Stevens Bikes echoed that statement: “We have been active in the national cycling circuit in Germany for a while now and have been looking to get in on a higher level, while also expanding into new markets. A new but ambitious team like Bralirwa seemed like the perfect fit. It’s definetely breaking new gound for us, but we’re looking forward to both the challenges and the opportunities.”
Focus Regions
Riders from Rwanda as well as other Central and Eastern African countries like Kenya, Ethiopia and Eritrea could be primary targets in the upcoming weeks, Mrs. Sportif says. New tertiary sponsors might extend the focus regions and with Stevens Bikes on board, don’t be surprised to see a German or two signed as well. But that may not be the only European country of note.
“As you may know, Bralirwa’s parent company is Heineken”, Mr. Boss said, alluding to the possibility of tapping into the Dutch rider pool as well. “I also realize we’re not the only brewing company in this division now”, he adds with a nod to recently demoted Carlsberg – Danske Bank. “Maybe we’ll have a little rivalry on our hands there, although they have a wealth of experience and ressources that we can’t compete with … yet.”
The sight is set on the upcoming weeks, where crucial decisions await. Mr. Boss is already in talks with additional sponsors and has contacted world-reknowned jersey designer the_hoyle, while Mrs. Sportif and her team will continue to scout and start planning for 2020: Bralirwa – Stevens Bikes’ maiden season. Stay tuned!
thegoodone:
Yess! Really cool to see this happening! Very interested who they can sign, the first season is always the toughest, but I hope they get a real captain or two.
AreruyaFanNo1:
oh my god they have to get areruya they just have to how perfect would that be on a rwandan team they just have to!!
RationalRider42:
Oh please, as if there’s any chance at all that Xero is going to let him go. Better forget about that real quick.
AreruyaFanNo1:
noooo dont destroy my dreams like that!! plz bralirwa make it happennnnnn!!!
Cighclingfan420:
“introduced through a mutual contact”, that sounds sketchy. I would feel better about this with an established brand on board, but honestly seeing the name tags at the press conference the other day, Dir. Sportif and The. Boss, those names somehow inspire confidence, I don’t know. Let’s see how it goes …
Absolutely love it already, as to be expected from you entertaining text and lovely layout. Very happy to make your opening blurb despite my sometimes failing to be properly African And obviously as said earlier love the team idea, especially since you clearly know the situation when it comes to Areruya and we can put that aside already Sorry AreruyaFanNo1, but I'm sure you can split your loyalty between Xero and Bralirwa
Really going to be following closely both because I've been looking forward to your team and because of a new African project (since my contingent here been heading further north each year I guess we can't divide it ) on the block which I love to see, plus the return of P: A which will be awesome. Good luck and welcome
Love the enthusiasm for the beer rivalry from Carlsken Heineberg, perhaps when you promote Castle Lager can take the step up from minor sponsor on our end (though I already have a similar deal for Oceanic banks, so if you, me, Eden and Jakstar ever end up in PCT together I'll try to make Castle - Kiwibank happen )
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant." [ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
redordead wrote:
Not sure if I would go for that Schomber lad from Xero though
Not for sale anyway!
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant." [ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
Nice intro to the HQ! Im really curious how your team will look after transfers because that setup with ties to Africa and multiple european countries could lead to quite different looks depending on which direction you take.
Nemolito wrote:
Nice intro and background story. Looking forward to race against you in CT
Right back at you
jandal7 wrote:
And obviously as said earlier love the team idea, especially since you clearly know the situation when it comes to Areruya and we can put that aside already Sorry AreruyaFanNo1, but I'm sure you can split your loyalty between Xero and Bralirwa
I might be a dreamer, but I'm not delusional Long term goal is to be able to afford making Areruya the rider with the highest transfer fee in history But I'm sure we'll have plenty of other opportunities to do some deals until then.
redordead wrote:
I guess African cycling is in for a boom with the addition of yourself and the Project: Africa team. Excited to see how it will unfold
Gonna be honest, I had hoped to have that niche a little bit less crowded but it's obviously nice to have Aidan in the mix as well. Also, someone has to explain to me what's going on with Schombers
knockout wrote:
Nice intro to the HQ! Im really curious how your team will look after transfers because that setup with ties to Africa and multiple european countries could lead to quite different looks depending on which direction you take.
I'm very curious as well I do expect to end up with a handful Germans, but the Dutch connection is not as strong, so maybe there's going to be four or five Dutchies, maybe not a single one in the team. But it's good to have a few options.
Great to see you running a team as well as writing great reports. Very happy to see two African focused teams coming in, much better from my point of view than two American focused teams.
Bralirwa head of sponsoring Theodore Boss announced additional sponsors for newly-formed continental team Bralirwa – Stevens Bikes today. “I’m very happy that we’ve been able to grow the Bralirwa cycling family over the past few weeks. With a blend of national companies and international expertise, we continue on our mission to play a strong role this year right off the bat”, he said.
Shimano
One of the biggest names in all of cycling joins Bralirwa: Japanese manufacturer Shimano will deliver wheels, brakes and more to get the team’s riders in the best position to succeed.
“With Shimano, we’re not only adding top tier components to our setup, but also years and years of lived pro cycling knowledge and expertise. We’re happy to get to work with them to provide our cyclists with the best possible equipment”, Steve Stevens of Stevens Bikes stated.
Impano
While the team looked abroad for more cycling know-how, its commitment to boost local companies remains strong. Consequently, Bralirwa – Stevens Bikes will be clothed by Rwandan up-and-coming sports apparel company Impano.
Its mission statement reads, in part: “Our goal is to empower Africans by encouraging creativity, innovation and independence”, and that is something Bralirwa wants to stand for as well. Sporting director Dira Sportif adds: "We've had a few riders wear the jerseys in tryout sessions and they all raved about them. We're very happy to have Impano on board!" The design will be revealed shortly.
Bourbon Coffee
Another Rwandan business joining the fold is Bourbon Coffee. Working directly with Rwandan farmers, they provide both top class coffee and economic support for their employees and partners. “Coffee from Bourbon and caffeinated soft drinks from Bralirwa - our riders shall never be tired again”, Mrs. Sportif laughed.
Operating numerous branches in the United States, Bourbon certainly wouldn’t mind having a US boy or two on the roster. Asked about it, Mr. Boss said with a wink: “We’ll see what we can do about that. But that’s a question for Mrs. Sportif.”
Tunisair
Finally, Mr. Boss revealed the logistics partner of the team. Tunisair is one of the biggest airlines on the African continent and will provide transport and planning, in addition to some financial funds.
“With this partnership, we also set foot in the Maghreb market”, Mrs. Sportif said. "Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and other countries in the region offer a lot of talented athletes that we're certainly going to monitor very closely."
Cighclingfan420:
Good to see Shimano on board, adds some experience. This is looking pretty decent now, I think!
RonSwanson:
Man, lots of regions to cover now with these new sponsors. The team could be all over the place with nationalities. Hope they find an identity.
thegoodone:
I don't know if it's that bad. Central / East Africa for Bralirwa, Germany for Stevens and now probably North Africa for Tunisair, but I don't think there's too much more of a focus. Shimano certainly doesn't require Japanese riders from all of the teams they work with, and Dutch for Heineken and the US for Bourbon seems much more like an option than a necessity.
RonSwanson:
I guess we'll see. Still skeptical, but you might be right.
Exciting to hear that the jersey will be coming soon! Just though I'd mention that I love the style that you use here, and have used it as inspiration for my own. Hopefully we won't be competing to much for Germans, and instead make some beneficial deals for any East/North Africans which may be on my team after renewals.
liefwarrior wrote:
Exciting to hear that the jersey will be coming soon! Just though I'd mention that I love the style that you use here, and have used it as inspiration for my own. Hopefully we won't be competing to much for Germans, and instead make some beneficial deals for any East/North Africans which may be on my team after renewals.
I'm always interested in beneficial deals Glad you like the layout, obviously use it as you please!
AbhishekLFC wrote:
Great to see you onboard and loving the well though out plan for the team so far. Looking forward to riding against you this season
I hope it still looks well thought out after the off season Looking forward to competing against you as well, in general it's kinda cool to be riding alongside so many of the teams that I followed throughout the previous season in my reporting!
Jakstar22 wrote:
Ron Swanson being interested in cycling doesn't shock me. How much gold has he invested
Great start!! Look forward to seeing how your season goes!
Shonak wrote:
Swanson probably has done some side business in Rwanda when Kagame and RPF rebelled in Rwanda in the 90ies
Great HQ, lovely presentation. Will be fun to be in the same class.
All the best!
RonSwanson has asked me to relay to you that he can neither confirm nor deny any of these allegations and has no comment going forward Thank you both, I'm really excited to get started with all the planning and signing and everything!
A team's jersey is one of its major distinctive features, possibly the single visual most associated with it and its name. Considering this, Theodore Boss turned to veteran designer the_hoyle to create a unique and appealing kit. To the surprise of no one, they delivered. It is our pleasure to present the first ever Bralirwa - Stevens Bikes jersey:
Spoiler
Uniting both the green of head sponsor Bralirwa as well as the blue and yellow of the Rwandan flag, the_hoyle crafted a distinct yet timeless look. "We're very happy with how the jersey came together", sporting director Dira Sportif said. "Now it's up to the riders to do it justice with matching results."
As to who those riders are going to be, journalists at the presentation were not able to elicit any hints from Mrs. Sportif. "We're continuing to build a portfolio of potential signings and we're looking forward to being able to actually start negotiations, but for now, we all have to stay patient."
Transfers loom large over Bralirwa press conference
With only a few days until the transfer window opens, Bralirwa joined the long list of teams to talk publicly about their plans for the upcoming weeks at today's press conference. As a brand new team, this was obviously not an opportunity for any sales pitches of current riders like it had been for many others, but journalists still had many questions for team chef Theodore Boss and sporting director Dira Sportif.
"Our main goal in forming our inaugural roster is to build a strong base of Rwandan cyclists", Ms. Sportif said. "There are a number of quality riders we're looking at, both currently under contract with other teams and among free agents."
Mr. Boss elaborated: "We are determined to bring a leader from our home country on board who can actually challenge for great results on his own, and we're prepared to spend accordingly - although given that we have an entire roster to fill from scratch, we can’t be completely unreasonable." Asked about further riders with potential roles as domestiques or free elements, he said: "There are of course quite a few Rwandans we have our eyes set on, but we feel like there is enough depth that we don't have to break the bank for any one of them."
Both Mr. Boss and Ms. Sportif also emphasized their commitment to developing talents, both from Rwanda and other African countries.
The focus on promoting the local cycling scene does not end with the rider selection, though. "It is very important to us to do well in our only home race, the GP Kigali", Ms. Sportif said. The circuit in the nation's capital is famous for its grueling stretch of cobblestones, the so-called Mur de Kigali. "We're obviously monitoring the free agent market very carefully for specialists on this kind of terrain", she said, and Mr. Boss added with a wink: "But if any team is looking to sell a rider fitting the bill, they should feel free to reach out!"
Exciting days are ahead as the landscape of the MGUCI cycling world is about to be shuffled around once again. If the relaxed and optimistic atmosphere at the press conference is any indication, Bralirwa management is certainly looking forward to it, closing the session by adressing all other managers, and especially their fellow newcomers of the class of 2020, with a hearty "good luck have fun".
Klaus:
Was Steve Stevens of Stevens Bikes not there? I hoped to hear something if they plan German riders. Is this a bad sign?
Cighclingfan420:
This is only a brief summary of what was talked about, I wouldn't worry too much. Maybe you can find the full conference on Youtube?
Klaus:
Your right, it's actually posted there. They go not in much detail, but at least they say that have some plans to have Germans on the team. I'm relived!
AreruyaFanNo1:
if they cant get areruya, i'm glad they at least look for another rwandan leader. cant waitttt!!!
thegoodone:
Really looking forward to seeing what they come up with! Definetely good to know that they want to develop talent. They might need to, I think free agency is going to be very crowded with all these new teams and all the cash floating around.
RationalRider42:
Agreed. Not sure if they can afford a true leader, at least not on more than one terrain. We'll have to see if they think of themselves in win now mode from the start, I hope not! I'm also curious if they want to dip their toe in the sprinter sweepstakes. So much quality on the market for CT teams, looks pretty unpredictable.
Introducing: Bralirwa – Stevens Bikes 
And obviously as said earlier love the team idea, especially since you clearly know the situation when it comes to Areruya and we can put that aside already 
Shimano
Tunisair
