Carrera bicycles have only been seen in the pro peloton for a short period of time, but that was enough to put the Italian bicycle brand on the world map. This thanks to clappers such as Claudio Chiapucci, Guido Bontempi, Stephen Roche, Rolf Sørensen and Michele Bartoli, but especially thanks to il pirata Marco Pantani in the Tour de France of 1994 and 1995 in which he proved that he was an exceptional climbing talent.
Cycling shorts or jeans shorts?
The white Carrera bicycles, as well as the cycling shorts that looked like jeans, will forever be etched in the memory of the generation that followed cycling in the early 1990s.
I doubted for a long time whether the bikes were really from the Carrera brand or whether they only had Carrera decals and pantos because the jeans manufacturer Carrera sponsored the cycling team, but afterwards it became clear to me that Carrera was indeed a bicycle brand and still is, although their bicycles can no longer be found in professional cycling, only at a lower level.
The racing bicycle that the team Carrera Tassoni used in 1993
Carrera racing bicycle from the early 90's
The start of Carrera Podium
The Carrera brand was founded in 1989 in Calcinato (Brescia) by Davide Boifava, former cyclist and since 1984 sporting director of the cycling team that was then called Carrera – Inoxpran. The bikes were produced in collaboration with the riders, adjusted to their requirements, tested by them and adjusted if necessary.
The company was given the name Carrera Podium and Boifava immediately strived to use the most modern techniques and materials. One of the most famous designers and frame builders at Carrera was Contini.
Most famous cycling teams that rode a Carrera bicycle
The best-known cycling teams in the UCI 1 category that Carrera sponsored and who consequently rode a Carrera racing bike were
- Carrera Vagabond: 1989 and 1990 with Claudio Chiapucci, Guido Bontempi and Urs Zimmermann
- Carrera Tassoni: 1993 – 1995 with Claudio Chiapucci, Stephen Roche, Guido Bontempi and Marco Pantani
- Asics CGA: 1997 and 1998 with Michele Bartoli and Paolo Bettini
- Risso Scotti: 1999 with the most important rider Ivan Basso
- Vini Caldirola – Saunier Duval: 2003 with Romans Vainsteins and Stefano Garzelli
It is strange that the Carrera Vagabond team did not race on Carrera bicycles between 1991 and 1992, but on Battaglin.
Carrera Podium nowadays
Carrera Podium still exists and is now headed by Davide's son Simone. The company is located in Brescia and only about 3000 bicycles are made per year, with quality and details being paramount. So no mass production.
Cycling teams are also still sponsored, but the UCI 1 category has not been included for a while.
The logo has also changed over the years from the number 1 with laurels on the side to an eagle.
The old Carrera logo
The new Carrera logo
