Orbea and the Euskadi Foundation end their relationship after 30 years

If there is an iconic bicycle brand in the Basque Country, it is Orbea, which made it inevitable that, 30 years ago, when the Euskadi Foundation was born, which eventually led to the creation of that Euskaltel-Euskadi team of the orange tide that made us thrill in the Tour de France or the current team of the same name that seeks to revive those laurels, the bike that accompanied them on that journey would be from the Mallabia brand. Now, after all this history hand in hand, Orbea has just announced in a brief statement that this relationship has come to an end.

Orbea will terminate its contract with the Euskadi Foundation at the end of 2024

Cold and concise statement issued by Orbea in a completely unexpected way and that serves to announce the end of a seemingly inseparable relationship: "At the end of 2024, Orbea and the Euskadi Foundation will terminate a collaboration period of more than 30 years, which began in 1993 with the birth of the institution. It is a decision that has not been easy to reach but, at the same time, has been very thoughtful and we think it is the best for all parties," literally read the note issued by the Mallabia firm.

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30 years in which it has been inevitable to associate Orbea with the teams of the Euskadi Foundation, especially with that Euskaltel-Euskadi of the first decade of the 2000s that flew high on the roads of the Tour de France with impressive victories like Roberto Laiseka's in Luz Ardiden, with an Iban Mayo challenging an untouchable Lance Armstrong or with a Haimar Zubeldia who became a regular in the top positions of the French race while the Basque fans dyed the Pyrenean ports orange every year. And let's not forget the successes of Samuel Sánchez who led the brand to Olympic gold in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Orbea leaves the door open in its statement to continue supporting the development of the Euskadi Foundation by stating that, starting in 2025, they will propose new formulas to continue supporting the grassroots cycling of the Foundation.

Below is the full text of the statement issued by Orbea:

Mallabia, Bizkaia September 12, 2024

At the end of 2024, Orbea and the Euskadi Foundation will terminate a collaboration period of more than 30 years, which began in 1993 with the birth of the institution. It is a decision that has not been easy to reach but, at the same time, has been very thoughtful and we think it is the best for all parties. We have lived more than three decades of great excitement and unforgettable moments where a large number of cyclists born and trained in our territory, and who learned to be cyclists on an Orbea bike, have become reference and relevant figures in the international peloton.

We live in a cycling territory and, as always, we will continue to bet on its development. Starting in 2025, we will propose to society formulas that allow us to continue promoting the culture of grassroots cycling in its different disciplines.

Our contractual relationship with the Euskadi Foundation will remain until the end of the current year 2024. From Orbea, we wish the Euskadi Foundation all the best.