Bianchi

Bianchi is the world's longest-running bike manufacturer, covering everything from everyday commuting to WorldTour racing. Bianchi bikes are also some of the most recognisable around thanks to their trademark 'celeste' - or turquoise - shade.

History

Edoardo Bianchi opened his first workshop at the age of just 20 in 1885. To begin with, Bianchi fixed anything from bikes to medical instruments. However, the company soon put all its efforts into two-wheeled transport, and not just bicycles.

In the first few years of the 20th century, Bianchi’s brand grew exponentially and not even an economic crisis could dampen its resolve, with 400 workers employed by the company in 1907. Whilst developing a bicycle fit for soldiers during the First World War, Bianchi invented the first full-suspension bike. It was also around this time that Bianchi’s iconic celeste colour would arrive on the scene. Although tweaked over time, it is still just as recognisable today.

Edoardo passed away in 1946, with his son Giuseppe taking charge. A year later, Fausto Coppi would claim the Giro d’Italia in Bianchi’s white and celeste team colours. The first of two Tour de Frances followed two years later.

Coppi’s success helped Bianchi and Italy become cycling powerhouses. At a similar time to the company selling off its motorcycle division, it also opened a larger factory in Treviglio near Bergamo. Bianchi changed hands twice between 1972 and 1991, with Piaggio acquiring all the company’s shares.

Bianchi entered the mountain bike market in 1991, with Bruno Zanchi’s Downhill junior world title helping to massively boost the company’s off-road reputation.  If Zanchi caught the cycling world’s eyes with his win, a ‘pirate’ called Pantani was slapping them all around the face when he took the Giro-Tour double in 1998. Marco Pantani’s iconic bandana, crazy personality, and Bianchi bike became globally recognisable.

During the 2000s, Bianchi continued working with the sport’s top riders, from Jan Ullrich to Julien Absalon, helping the company to innovate its products time after time. In 2010, the first Oltre, a lightweight and aerodynamic road racing bike, was released.

Since then, Bianchi has launched e-bikes and collaborated with Ferrari to design the SF01, a high-performance carbon fibre road racing bike. In 2022, Bianchi launched the RC Oltre which featured an aerodynamic F1-inspired air deflectors on the head tube. However, this addition was deemed to not be UCI legal.

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Pro cycling

Current sponsorships: Team Arkéa Samsic

Highlights:

• Fausto Coppi won countless major titles whilst riding a Bianchi bike between the late 1940s and 1950s. The Italian achieved Tour de France success twice, in 1949 and 1952, alongside five Giro d’Italia maglia rosas during his career. He became the first rider to achieve the Giro-Tour double in 1949, and then again in 1952.
• Il Campionissimo also scored multiple wins at Il Lombardia and Milan-Sanremo as well as sole triumphs at Paris-Roubaix and the 1950 World Championships road race.
• Marco Pantani remains the last Tour de France winner to ride down the Champs-Élysées on a Bianchi bike, doing so in the infamous 1998 Tour.
• Pantani had just months earlier won the Giro d’Italia - adding him to the same list as Coppi and just the seventh rider to achieve the feat at the time.
• Jumbo-Visma achieved over 200 victories on Bianchi bikes between 2014 and 2021, including two Vuelta a España overall victories with Primož Roglič, as well as wins at Monuments such as Milan-Sanremo and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.