The former sprinter, winner of 2005 Milan-Sanremo, will help the Italian brand in the projecting and development of Northwave’s road shoes
Days after announcing the new partnership with MTB World’s #1 Jolanda Neff, Northwave adds another major piece for its product strategy for the near and long future, this time on the road side. Former World-Class sprinter Alessandro Petacchi has agreed to a deal with Northwave in a double role as a brand and product ambassador, and key consultant for road shoe product development.
2003 Tour de France, Stage 3 ©Beth Schneider Photo
Petacchi, winner of 2005 Milan-Sanremo as well as of 22 stages at Giro d’Italia, 5 at the Tour de France and 20 at the Vuelta a Espana, has been arguably the World’s top sprinter for several years in the first decade of 2000s. A technically-aware and dedicated athlete in his pro years, Petacchi has served as special Italian National Team advisor for sprinters at the last Road World Championships in Doha, Qatar.
For the 2017 season, Northwave introduced the new Extreme RR road shoes, employing the innovative patented XFrame® technology that eliminates every pressure point on the upper while providing an extremely snug and effective fit. With his experience, Petacchi is expected to give a major contribution to the development of Northwave’s forthcoming road models, and the future applications of the new technology in the road branch.
PETACCHI: “IMPRESSED BY NORTHWAVE’S TECHNOLOGY”
“A couple of months ago, I was at the Hotel Canova in Cavaso del Tomba with the Italian National Team. On the final day of the camp, the Piva family came to the camp with a new pair of Extreme RR for Fabio Sabatini,” told Petacchi. “I was impressed by the look and unique solutions, and asked Fabio to fit them: the feeling was incredible. On that day, I was introduced to the Piva family, and the idea came up that I could contribute to the development of this concept and the Northwave road shoes.”
“As a rider,” Petacchi continued, “I have always liked putting my hands on, and being vocal about my thoughts and my necessities. That’s why I expect to spend quite some time at the factory, in order to work concretely and bring my contribution to Northwave to keep developing the best road shoes in the World. This is a brand I would have eagerly liked to work, and win many races with. Now I hope to play a big role in helping others win with Extreme RR and their evolutions.”
GIANNI PIVA: “AN IMMEDIATE FEELING”
Northwave’s Founder and Owner Gianni Piva underlined the huge contribution he expects from Petacchi’s technical wisdom: “At Northwave, working with athletes is part of our DNA, and I have always thought that developing our shoes through their indications is key to our success. Now, we have an athlete working on our side with dedication to make the best shoes in the World. I was not that familiar with Alessandro, but in ten minutes I found myself discussing with him like we had known each other forever. He has impressive knowledge of the shoes from a technical point of view, and I can’t wait to see what this new cooperation will bring.”
Onigo di Pederobba (Italy), December 14th, 2016
