The best place to set up a coffee car is probably at the start of a cycle race. Not only for the public, but also for the riders and staff. You can please your mecanics and "soignees" with a coffee while they are busy with the final touch on the bikes or the food bags. That is when you can see the D.S. (director sportif) searching for a coffee car, coffee shop or just a coffee machine. Few espresso's, macchiato's or one shots can do wonders. After you brought them the brew;,you can ask em anything.
But when riders turn up you might have to go for a second run, a nice shot of caffeine is always welcome by the girls or boys just before the start.
It becomes really handy if a sponsor sets up his tent with 2 or 3 coffee machines, and make it free tasting for teams too! Important.
I remember races in France when Cafe de Colombia used to have a complete set up at the start of some tours.
Everybody remembers the famous Columbian team when they created a furore in the Tour de France 1985 with legends such as Luis Herrera and Fabio Parra.
Luis Herrera even won the Vuelta a Espana in 1987 in the Columbian coffee colours. After winning several stages in various tours the team stopped in 1990.
Around the same time an Italo - Australian, Giuseppe Chiesa, was private sponsored by a brand called Mio Coffee in Australia (1984/85). They still have a coffee roastery in Thornbury (Melbourne).
In India, also mid 80's some riders were making publicity for Tata, a coffee and Tea brand with as most famous rider, Ashok Captain. But I guess not many people ever heard of him.
A bigger player was Tim Horton, who was several years sponsor of the National Canadian Cycling Team. His name was seen on the outfit of men and women at the worlds. Tim Horton was a former hockey player who co-founded "The Horton's Cafe and Bake" shop chain.
Former Paris - Roubaix winner (2004), Magnus Backstedt set up a Continental team "MagnusMaximuscoffee.com (2009) and Team Sprocket (2010). The Swedish pro cyclist was at the end of his career when he moved to Wales and set up a semi professional cycling team with his coffee brand as main sponsor. I had the luck to be D.S. for this team in several races in France and to work with Magnus Backstedt, Niklas Gustavsson, Jack Anderson, Tobyn Horton etc...
But not only coffee beans been printed on cycling jersey. Also coffee machine brands been around for years. Who can forget the red and white jersey of Eddy Merckx.
The team was seen for the first time in 1955 with big names as Rik Van Looy and Wim Van Est. Until 1962 it was registered respectively as an Italian, a Belgian and a Spanish team.
In 1963 they were co-sponsor of the Flandria team. They had 55 riders on the payroll !! (16 Spaniards, 1 Dutch and 38 Belgians).
Noel Foré, Jef Planckaert and Julio Jimenez might be the most famous riders in the team.
But then came the third period with Faemino-Faema on the shirts. From 1968 till 1970 they had a man who won in 1968 the Giro and in 1969 the Tour for the first time. And in 1970 he won the double. In this period Eddy Merckx won also 4 classics. (The Ronde van Vlaanderen, Paris-Roubaix, Milano-Sanremo and Liège-Bastogne-Liége)
In 1994 the coffee machine builder Saeco came into the cycling sport as a small sponsor for Mercatone Uno, then based in San Marino. With riders such as Adriano Baffi and Mario Cipollini.
In 1996 they became main sponsor of the Italian formation till 2004. In those years the team saw Ivan Gotti, Cadel Evans and Mario Cipollini winning lots of races. Igor Astarloa won even the Worlds in 2003.
From 2002 untill 2011 the American team The Jittery Joe's coffeehouses from Athens, Georgia came on the cycling scene. The very first year co-sponsored by Andean Eco Coffee. The team mostly raced in America with only few times gigs in Europe. A couple of Australian mates rode for the orange-brown coloured team, Trent Wilson and Tommy Nankervis.
Well, who wil be the next sponsor? Nescafé, Starbucks, Folgers or Lavazza?
But when riders turn up you might have to go for a second run, a nice shot of caffeine is always welcome by the girls or boys just before the start.
It becomes really handy if a sponsor sets up his tent with 2 or 3 coffee machines, and make it free tasting for teams too! Important.
I remember races in France when Cafe de Colombia used to have a complete set up at the start of some tours. Everybody remembers the famous Columbian team when they created a furore in the Tour de France 1985 with legends such as Luis Herrera and Fabio Parra.
Luis Herrera even won the Vuelta a Espana in 1987 in the Columbian coffee colours. After winning several stages in various tours the team stopped in 1990.
Around the same time an Italo - Australian, Giuseppe Chiesa, was private sponsored by a brand called Mio Coffee in Australia (1984/85). They still have a coffee roastery in Thornbury (Melbourne).
In India, also mid 80's some riders were making publicity for Tata, a coffee and Tea brand with as most famous rider, Ashok Captain. But I guess not many people ever heard of him.
A bigger player was Tim Horton, who was several years sponsor of the National Canadian Cycling Team. His name was seen on the outfit of men and women at the worlds. Tim Horton was a former hockey player who co-founded "The Horton's Cafe and Bake" shop chain.But not only coffee beans been printed on cycling jersey. Also coffee machine brands been around for years. Who can forget the red and white jersey of Eddy Merckx.
In 1963 they were co-sponsor of the Flandria team. They had 55 riders on the payroll !! (16 Spaniards, 1 Dutch and 38 Belgians).
Noel Foré, Jef Planckaert and Julio Jimenez might be the most famous riders in the team.
But then came the third period with Faemino-Faema on the shirts. From 1968 till 1970 they had a man who won in 1968 the Giro and in 1969 the Tour for the first time. And in 1970 he won the double. In this period Eddy Merckx won also 4 classics. (The Ronde van Vlaanderen, Paris-Roubaix, Milano-Sanremo and Liège-Bastogne-Liége)
In 1996 they became main sponsor of the Italian formation till 2004. In those years the team saw Ivan Gotti, Cadel Evans and Mario Cipollini winning lots of races. Igor Astarloa won even the Worlds in 2003.
From 2002 untill 2011 the American team The Jittery Joe's coffeehouses from Athens, Georgia came on the cycling scene. The very first year co-sponsored by Andean Eco Coffee. The team mostly raced in America with only few times gigs in Europe. A couple of Australian mates rode for the orange-brown coloured team, Trent Wilson and Tommy Nankervis.
Well, who wil be the next sponsor? Nescafé, Starbucks, Folgers or Lavazza?
