Bahrain Victorious

#RIDE AS ONE

Since MERIDA BIKES entered professional road cycling in 2013 as a co-sponsor of the LAMPRE-MERIDA team, the team’s name and sponsorship partners have changed several times. In 2017, the Kingdom of Bahrain joined to form a new team under the banner of the BAHRAIN MERIDA Pro Cycling Team. This name changed to BAHRAIN McLAREN in 2020 and then to Team BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS from 2021 onwards. What has not changed is MERIDA BIKES’ decision to become part of the professional cycling peloton. MERIDA is a proud technical partner and shares the dedication and passion to provide the team with the best possible bikes – working closely with athletes, performance coaches and other suppliers to take the team’s performance to the next level and forge our products in the heat of battle.

From 2017 to 2021, the BAHRAIN MERIDA Pro Cycling Team and BAHRAIN McLAREN won a total of 64 races and achieved a total of 286 podium results. However, 2021 was the year in which the team really fulfilled its potential with an impressive 30 victories. These included the already legendary triumph of Sonny Colbrelli in an unforgettable, epic edition of the classic Paris-Roubaix. In addition, victory was achieved in the team classification of the Tour de France and Damiano Caruso and Jack Haig won stages in the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España.

The professional riders will once again have three different MERIDA bikes at their disposal, allowing each rider to choose their personal favorite and perfectly adapt the bike to the different races, roads and conditions: from the Flemish classic to the grand tour. Riders will use the MERIDA SCULTURA and REACTO models for stage races and one-day events and the new, specially developed time trial bike TIME WARP-TT DISC for individual and team time trials.

The Team BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 2024 roster: Yukiya Arashiro (JPN), Phil Bauhaus (GER), Nikias Arndt (GER), Pello Bilbao (ESP), Santiago Buitrago (COL), Damiano Caruso (ITA), Alberto Bruttomesso (ITA), Kamil Gradek (POL), Jack Haig (AUS), Rainer Kepplinger (AUT), Ahmed Madan (BHR), Nicolo Buratti (ITA), Matevz Govekar (SVN), Antonio Tiberi (ITA),  Fran Miholjevic (CRO), Matej Mohoric (SVN), Andrea Pasqualon (ITA), Wout Poels (NED), Johan Price-Pejtersen (DEN), Dusan Rajovic (SER), Cameron Scott (AUS), Jasha Sütterlin (GER), Sergio Tu (DOR), Fred Wright (GBR), Torstein Traen (NOR), Finlay Pickering (GBR) and Edoardo Zambanini (ITA).

The new design of both the bikes and the clothing of Team Bahrain Victorious is inspired by the Team Pearl design, with which the riders also rode the Tour de France 2023 last season.
This design caused a lot of talk, especially because it took some time to switch: from the familiar red and black with blue accents, to pearl white with teal blue and gold accents.

These colors were not chosen at random: the pearl white is an ode to the pearl industry, which for centuries was the basis of a flourishing economy in the Kingdom of Bahrain and made the country a prosperous trading center in the Middle East. The gold details therefore also refer to the kingdom, while the teal blue accents refer to the two seas bordering the country.

In order to provide the riders with detailed and accurate information about their performance, the team is equipped with the latest generation of Shimano Dura-Ace R9200-P power meters. In addition, the team has opted for the 9250 Dura-Ace Di2 series groupset with electronic shifting and hydraulic disc brakes. The latest Di2 version works semi-wirelessly and the frame of the new SCULTURA has been optimized around this system. In terms of wheels, Team BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS relies on the latest generation of Vision’s excellent METRON SL Disc wheel series, which have been further improved in terms of rim shape and carbon structure. The METRON SL 40 Disc wheels are the first choice for days with a lot of climbing due to their weight of less than 1.25 kg per set. Sprinters and attackers will often opt for the METRON SL 60 Disc with a deeper rim profile, improved aerodynamic performance and slightly higher stiffness during full-speed sprints, with the trade-off being better handling in possible crosswinds. All wheels used by the team are hand-built in Italy and run on ceramic bearings for even lower drag.

The 2021 season saw Team Bahrain Victorious gradually transition to tubeless wheels, an experiment that proved to be a success, allowing the riders to benefit from increased grip and puncture protection without compromising on rolling resistance.

When it comes to tires, only the very best will do, hence the choice of Continental’s new GP5000S TR tires. Available in widths ranging from 25 to 32 mm, these tubeless-ready tires combine ultimate grip, excellent rolling speeds and high puncture resistance. FSA and Vision continue to supply the cockpits and seatposts. After an intensive period of testing, a significant number of the team’s riders decided to choose the Vision METRON cockpit (one-piece stem/bar combinations), which offers superior aerodynamic performance and improved stiffness during sprints. The team’s climbers predominantly choose the FSA K-Force cockpits for their light weight and stiffness. Vision is also the supplier of the METRON time trial cockpits and offers custom-made 3D-shaped time trial handlebars for the GC riders.

Finally, saddles for Team Bahrain Victorious are supplied by Prologo – all with carbon rails and carbon shells. Riders can choose between the PAS system with a central cutout or closed designs. An option on Prologo saddles is the unique CPC anti-friction coating on the seat. The brand new Scratch M5 saddle is also available to riders, with a compact option offering a higher level of comfort and an impressively low weight of just 140 grams.