Lampre-Merida Team and 17 athletes will take part at Mont-Saint-Michel’s “Grand Départ”. 2013 World Champion Alberto Rui Costa is the superstar. Plaza and Navardauskas also looking for stage glory
Rui Costa
The 103th edition of the Tour de France – the greatest event in cycling – is about to start in Mont-Saint-Michel, on Saturday July 2nd. Northwave will count on Lampre-Merida Team and an overall 17-rider group, led by 2013 World Champion Alberto Rui Costa. The Northwave riders at the Tour will display Extreme, the 2016 collection top-range road shoe – through 21 stages up to the iconic finish in Paris-Champs Elysees on Sunday July 24th.
LAMPRE-MERIDA LED BY RUI COSTA AND RISING STAR MEINTJES
In addition to Rui Costa will be talented South-African Louis Meintjes – already in the spotlight at the Criterium du Dauphine. The only Italian World Tour team will count on the sprinter’s skills of Davide Cimolai, while rounding out the line-up will be Japanese Yukiya Arashiro, Croatian Kristijan Durasek, Slovenia’s Luka Pibernik and Jan Polanc, Italian Matteo Bono and Tsgabu Grmay, the first ever Ethiopian rider at the start of the “Grande Boucle”.
STAGE-WIN GOAL FOR PLAZA AND NAVARDAUSKAS
In 2015, Rubén Plaza fulfilled the dream of a Tour de France stage-win with a solo success in Gap with the Lampre-Merida jersey. Plaza’s goal has not changed with the transfer to Orica-GreenEDGE: the Spaniard is ready to pursue a partial win, as will the new Lithuanian Road Champion Ramunas Navardauskas (Cannondale). More Northwave riders taking part at the Tour de France will be the key setup man of Marcel Kittel, Fabio Sabatini (Etixx-QuickStep), Armindo Fonseca (Fortuneo-Vital Concept), Leigh Howard (Orica-GreenEDGE), Reto Hollenstein (IAM Cycling), Bartosz Huzarski (Bora-Argon18) and Matti Breschel (Cannondale).
TACKLING ALPS AND PYRENEES WITH EXTREME
Extreme are the new top-range road shoes designed by Northwave. Characterized by a reflective silver look, Extreme adds to an unmistakable appearance an unprecedented visibility even in low-light situations. The evolution of the Extreme Tech Plus shoes, Extreme ensures the best power transmission with its unidirectional carbon sole, compatible with the special NW-Speedplay adaptor, leading to the lowest stack height between foot and pedal.
The upper, designed with Northwave Biomap technology to make it compatible to every foot’s shape, is realized with a special light microfiber. The integrated heel with interior directional fiber material provides perfect stability while pushing on pedals, keeping the foot in position with no slippings, while Northwave added a further power strap to the double SLW2 rotor, in order to guarantee a more adherent and precise fit even for those with slimmer feet.
