Riding High: Factor Bikes' Trailblazing Month

What a month it's been for Factor Bikes! As we reflect on our recent achievements, it's clear that our hard work and dedication are paying off. This month has set a fantastic precedent for 2024, and there's so much to celebrate.

National Championships Triumphs

We kicked off with stunning victories at the National Championships. Our junior men and women dominated the Individual Time Trials, showcasing the strength and talent of our young riders. Simon Clarke clinched an impressive 7th place for the road race in the elite men's category. His performance turned heads for another reason too, since he was riding something very special. But more on that later.

As for the women's elite results, they were equally inspiring and an indicator of the strength of our youngest riders. ARA | Skip Capital’s young riders, Ella Simpson and Sophie Marr both rode impressively. Ella won the U23 Individual Time Trial with Sophie taking 4th. And they also made their mark in the elite road race, taking strong top-20 places.

Tour Down Under Dominance

The Tour Down Under was a landmark event for us. Our long-time support of the Israel - Premier Tech cycling team netted us our first ever WorldTour stage race victory. The team showed its strength in sprinting prowess early on with several top-10s in the sprint stages. But when the race really hit the hills, Israel - Premier Tech’s Stevie Williams proved what a crafty climbing talent he is by taking 2nd place and the lead of the race on the penultimate stage to Willunga Hill and then ably defending his lead by winning the final stage at Mount Lofty.

As a way to celebrate the launching of Factor Bikes eight years ago at the Santos Tour Down Under, Factor Bikes and Black Inc founder Rob Gitelis attended the event. It was a fortuitous decision since it meant he could celebrate the huge success in person.

Factor prominent in women's peloton

Factor Bikes has long been a committed supporter of women’s racing, a fact that was abundantly clear with the fact that there were more women racing on Factor Bikes at the Santos Women’s Tour Down Under than any other brand. And our teams weren’t just filling the numbers; they were animating and shaping the race.

On stage 1 alone, we had two riders from two different teams racing Factor OSTRO VAMs. India Grangier from Team Coop - Repsol bossed the break and finished the stage sitting in 6th overall. And Human Powered Health’s Katia Ragus took control of the Queen of the Mountains Jersey and never let go. It was an amazing success for our first race as sponsors for the dynamic American team; we are excited to see what more we can achieve together.

Exciting Customer Interactions

Our presence at the Santos Tour Down Under Expo was also a great success. We showcased new bikes and designs, and hosted rider signings with Human Powered Health’ and Israel - Premier Tech. The “Factor Frenzy” event was a blast, and our announcement surrounding our support of AusCycling in Paris 2024 added to the excitement.

Highlights for the week included the unveiling of Richie Porte's custom painted O2 VAM bike and the GCN video around that. The best way to test his new steed certainly had to be the special Willunga Time Trial where Richie took first place while 16-year-old Max Goold, from the ARA | Skip Capital junior squad, impressively finished second.

Cadel Road Race Achievements

Sitting in the days between the Santos Tour Down Under and the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, the Surf Coast Classic saw Corbin Strong step on the podium in 3rd place and he was able to follow that up with a 4th place in the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.

For Human Powered Health, Ruth Edwards scored a 4th place in the Deakin University Elite Women's Road Race. ARA | Skip Capital and Team Coop - Repsol riders were active in breakaways, proving how strong the various Factor-supported teams are.

Our sponsored teams have been racing aggressively, leading to outstanding results. We're now proudly 3rd on the Men's UCI Team Rankings with IPT. Our presence throughout the Australian summer has been undeniable, and we're excited for what's next.

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