1825 days of #OrangeBlue team, with race days in 4 continents and 26 countries.
47 victories and a success per stage at the Giro d’Italia. A Fair Play reward and 0 case of doping thanks to a strong Code of Ethics.
From the most important Italian race to the far away Japan, 835 racing days lived professionally with a concrete opening to the fans, the TV camera and the whole world to tell the story of the most beautiful sport of the world.
Here we are to re-experience 5 sportive seasons, full of important results and endless emotions.
Sunday, the 20th of October the Japan Cup represented the last race day of the team. The last day of a massive sprint lasted 5 years: 1825 days with 835 racing days, on the roads of 4 continents and 26 nations, launching in the Professional world many Italian and Japanese young talents to prepare them to Tokyo Olympics 2020, an event that is already just around the corner, thus marking the end of the original project. The Italian-Japanese NIPPO Vini Fantini Faizanè team has been standing out in an original way and is now ending its activity.
THE SPORT BEYOND THE COMPETITION.
By its very nature, sport means competitions. Sport results are, therefore, the first thing we have to remind: 47 victories, 118 podiums, 371 top10 have been reached by the team during 274 different competitions in 835 racing days.
Victory is a pure emotion, the successful completion of a massive team-work involving everybody, from riders to staff, up to the Sports Directors. And yet all the victories are important some of them are more relevant than others since they represent significant moments. Among them we are willing to remember JJ Lobato’s victory in Coppa Sabatini 2018, that has marked his relaunch, the Marco Canola’s victory in Japan Cup 2017 that has represented an important pillar of the project and, last but not least, the crowning element of a 5-years-long dream: Damiano Cima’s stage victory in the Giro d’Italia 2019. A real reward for all those who have been working hard to make it possible, from athletes to staff members, up to directors and sponsors.
Nevertheless, the message of the NIPPO Vini Fantini Faizanè aimed at launching during these 5 years is that sport goes well beyond competition. The idea of sport that the #OrangeBlue has been representing over these years is depicted in the Code of Ethic, still available in our website and signed by all riders, staff, management and sponsors: an engagement that has granted the team the Fair Play prize during their first participation at the Giro d’Italia. An idea of sport that led to a complete open to the public through two TV series seasons – divided in 14 episodes and broadcasted for a total of 120 hours of televisions – showing the “behind the scenes” of the first Italian Japanese team and to the online publication of the Biological Passport of each rider: the first and only one team in the world to take this decision. An idea that is embodied in the great respect for the fans and competitors, taught since the first moment to the 16 Italian and Japanese new professionals launched by the team. The results of this massive work on Ethics is represented by a simple figure: 0 case of doping.
THE WORDS OF THE GENERAL MANAGER.
Francesco Pelosi, Marketing and Communication entrepreneur with Sun-TIMES (www.sun-times.it) has been owner and general manager of the NIPPO Vini Fantini Faizanè for 5 years together with his business partner Nicholas Figoli: “Our team has been in his way unique, thanks to its ability to put Italian and Japanese cultures into contact with a real cultural and commercial bridge created between the two countries.” – explains the GM – “we have had a total amount of 41 riders under contract, with the 40% of them being young new professionals supported by experienced riders. We have been supported by many fans scattered from Asia to Europe and tried to reach new targets for cycling and new sponsors with a modern and structured managerial approach based on the innovative startup format. We have been “unique” in our approach. I would like to thank a lot every single sponsor, partner and person that over these years made the realization of this project possibile. At a personal level, after riding in all the young categories up to the Under23 category and then working in the cycling communication for 9 years with my agency Sun-TIMES, I crowned my personal growth creating and managing one of the 4 Italian Professional teams active in these last years.” On the end of the project the GM also stated “In my opinion cycling has many big problems, starting from an old and not well structured business model. Teams could have only sponsor and any tv royalties (The Tour de France alone receive 90millions per year as royalties) nor profit from the riders’ market, with the UCI planning to create an a close circuit of big spending teams where there is no space for projects like ours. It is a pity because today our sport has a significant and strong base, in which teams like the NIPPO Vini Fantini Faizanè are important environments where young talents not yet fully expressed can grow up. The new UCI 2020 reform will make the team construction and structure more expensive, but won’t give other income from TV royalties or riders’ growth. I’m not happy to close the team but it was necessary. Also, we are happy of the way we closed the team, since from June on we have been working to help our sponsors to entry in new project. All our riders found a good placement in other teams, just like all the staff: a real satisfaction for us. For these reasons, I can say that for me this is only a pause from cycling, waiting for better conditions. Because my love for this sport will going on, day after day.”
THE NUMBERS RECAP.
Zero doping case in 1825 days.
Biological Passport published on-line site from the first day (unique team in the world)
835 race days and 274 competitions in 4 continents and 26 nations.
47 victory, 118 podiums, 371 top10.
3 participations to the Giro d’Italia, with 13 days in blue jersey and a stage victory by Damiano Cima.
The Italian Professional team with more World Tour invitations during these last 5 years.
The first TV Series about cycling, made of 14 episodes divided into 2 seasons for a total of 120hours of TV.
50 Millions of people reached on social media (Global Post Reach in 5 years)
70.000 fans&follower among Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
200.000 unique visitors to the official website.
700.000 unique page views the official website.
800.000 video views on social media.