In an announcement on the corporate web site, accompanied by an Instagram publish, historic bike and part model, Ritchey has introduced that it’ll now not be permitted to make use of the UCI rainbow stripe flashes on its WCS (World Championship Collection) line of parts. The part vary which incorporates bars, stems, and seatposts, will retain the identical design, however the multi-coloured stripes will now get replaced by 5 darkish gray stripes. References to WCS on the Ritchey web site and packaging will now all get replaced by 5 blue stripes.
The rainbow flashes, in accordance with the publish on Instagram, have been part of the Ritchey branding for 30 years. Lengthy earlier than the UCI trademarked the brand again in 2010, however definitely after it first started utilizing it within the late 1920’s. This implies using the rainbow stripes by Ritchey existed in a type of goodwill gray zone, the settlement with the UCI to make use of the stripes has now expired and seemingly cannot be renewed. Regardless of the storied historical past of the model inside UCI competitions, the game’s governing physique has tightened the web round using its now-trademarked logos, beforehand permitting Ritchey to make use of the logos as a part of a goodwill settlement in accordance with an announcement given to Escape Collective by a Ritchey consultant.
The documentation on the UCI web site relating to using the rainbows is now fairly unequivocal: ‘The rule is easy: if you’re not expressly licensed to make use of any of the aforementioned property, do not use them! The UCI and the UCI-appointed Organizing Committee will systematically take the required steps to guarantee that their rights are being revered and that unauthorized use, if any, might be stopped.’
Spot the distinction (Picture credit score: Ritchey)
Using the property – these being the rainbow bands, in addition to the UCI emblem itself – is now reserved for official companions. Clothes model Santini for instance can promote reproduction rainbow jerseys, whereas the package sponsors of present world champions are permitted to do the identical, on this case, Pissei for UAE Group Emirates-XRG and Tadej Pogacar. And Specialised for SD Worx-Protime and Lotte Kopecky, although the American model seems to not be making the SD Worx package out there for buy on the time of writing.
Not solely is using the rainbow bands now closely restricted, however even these allowed to make use of them are topic to very prescriptive pointers, which fits some strategy to explaining why so many world champion’s bikes are so comparable in recent times. The whole lot from bikes to gloves, sun shades, and even facemasks has a ‘rainbow stripes zone’, with a clearly outlined border into which producer logos should not stray.
A ultimate assertion on the Ritchey web site relating to the change states: ‘WCS will stay the spine of the Ritchey product vary. Its fame as the usual of high quality that cyclists have come to demand is not going to be diminished, regardless of the absence of the rainbow stripes.’
Ritchey definitely has loads of historical past, with its riders profitable World Championships previously. (Picture credit score: Ritchey)
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