CyclistElite from day one: The story behind the Italian cycling iconIn itself, the name Elite doesnt give much away other than a suggestion of excellence, but for the past half century the company behind it has worked hard to become one of the worlds foremost manufacturers of cycling equipment with a mission statement concise enough to fit on a bidon: make riders feel good. All this from its deep and enduring geographical roots just outside Padua, Veneto, in northeastern Italy.Elite was founded in a garage in 1979 by Amerigo Sartore, who was working in the industry at the time and was deeply passionate about cycling. At first it was rollers and bike carriers, but fast forward a few decades and Elites product range today covers bidons, cages and every type of trainer for cyclists the world over, including one particularly notable rider, a certain Tadej Pogaar.Elites distinctive headquarters in Fontaniva in northeast Italy are located in a restored industrial site that dates back to the late 19th century.Since the turn of the century, home has been the Fornaci Serciari on a meander of the Brenta river in Fontaniva, where Elite has been working to make high-performance cycling products amidst the almost incongruous setting of 19th century brick kilns. Making things to last is in the very ground here, and its a suitable fit. A ten-year restoration project, completed in 2000, turned these rustic buildings with chimneys and bricks intact into a future-proof headquarters steeped in heritage.Elites first bottle cage collections were designed inside the fornaci and named after the people of Fontaniva, further cementing the companys link with the area. Now there are more than 120 products in the Elite catalogue, which are used by riders across the globe.Grand Tour connectionsThe area of northeast Italy that Elite calls home, with its sometimes changeable mountain weather, is dripping with Grand Tour pedigree. Theres Giro stalwart Monte Grappa in the north, with its punishing 25km of ascent looming over the town of Bassano; the Pasubio, Colli Berici and Monte Berico in the west; and the volcanic Colli Euganei in the south, bursting with Classics-style 10% ramps.In other words, Elites headquarters are surrounded by elite riding opportunities this region can claim to be the most cycling-obsessed part of Italy, and with over 400 clubs and close to 10,000 licenced racers in the region youd be brave to disagree. Grand Tours dont route stages through Veneto just for the scenery, they come because the terrain is testing and deep crowds of passionate fans are always in attendance.Elite through the yearsElites story began with a set of very simple bike rollers that formed an indoor training machine. Then came the first frame-clamped trainer in 1982, adjustable magnetic resistance in 1992 and the leap forward into digital with the first PC-connected trainer in 2000. Elite was able to put DVD race footage in front of riders in 2009 with RealAxiom while direct drive training arrived soon after in 2013. The arrival at what we recognise today as modern indoor training came in 2016 with automatic resistance control. Quite the journey.Continuing the work of founder Amerigo Sartore is his daughter Nicoletta, who worked in almost every area of the business before taking the reins. Continuity is a key part of the ethos: a family-run, family-owned business that reinvests profits into new projects, answering to riders rather than shareholders.Elite has been working in the WorldTour peloton since the 1990s and currently partners with more than half the worlds pro teams for technical support. That relationship is not just about brand exposure it provides crucial feedback for Elites product managers and designers.The Fly bottle weighs just 51g and is one of the most widely used bottles among cyclists around the world. Its shown here with Elites Leggero Carbon cage.When a rider takes a bottle at 55kmh in a crosswind on the Roubaix cobbles, the products design must stand up: light enough to go unnoticed, soft enough to empty in a few squeezes and secure enough not to bounce out of the bottle cage. Elites flagship 550ml Fly Team bottle weighs 51g. Thats after years of removing material without compromising flow or resistance. Similarly, the Leggero Carbon cage has been holding bidons for generations, and the new version sheds more grams again, making it even lighter.Both the Fly Team and the Leggero Carbon cage are used in every WorldTour race, while Elites Fly Tex bottle is one of the most used bidons by cyclists worldwide. Elite is also looking to the future, with its Jet bottle made from biodegradable plastic.Elites trainers are used by many of the worlds top pros, including World Champion and five-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogaar.Taking it indoorsElites trainers are also put through their paces by the worlds best. UAE Team Emirates XRG, Groupama-FDJ United and Picnic PostNL routinely warm up and down and train using Elites flagship Justo 2 trainer, with several other teams using the companys other trainers in their regimes. These riders need consistent, reliable data whether theyre in a hotel car park in August or their garage in February. Rather than fitting a third party optical torque sensor, Elite builds its own, meaning the heat generated during a workout doesnt affect the trainers accuracy.Elites Square smart frame lets you recreate your bike precisely, from fit position to drivetrain, ensuring your setup is consistent whether indoors or outdoors. To go alongside, Elite also produces a smart indoor fan, the Aria, to maintain optimal rider temperature.Rolling into the futureAs well as aspiring to the highest performance standards, Elite has voluntarily become a Benefit Corporation and is committed to creating value for local communities and protecting the environment. In practice, that means embedding sustainability into Elites products and creating designs that are built to be updatable and repairable rather than replaced; products that use less material and create less waste; packaging thats recycled or plant-based; and manufacturing standards that are environmentally conscious.Elite has 70 employees, some of whom have worked in Fontaniva for more than 20 years longevity that speaks for itself. The brick kilns they work in, peering up at Monte Grappa framed by the window, have stood tall in Fontaniva for over a century. Elite is well on its way to doing exactly the same. To find out more about Elites range of products, go to elite-it.comThe post Elite from day one: The story behind the Italian cycling icon appeared first on Cyclist.