“I liked to have a coffee and smoke a cigarette, even at the Tour de France: it calmed my nerves”. (Eddy Merckx)
Ah the seventies! Drug, sex, rock’n roll, flare pants: what else?
The golden age, who started with Fausto Coppi, was just ended with Jacques Anquetil and the Saint Rapahel team. Now companies from outside the industry want their names on jerseys. Before it was only bicycle or parts makers. Faema was among the first. They started their first cycling team in the late fifties in Spain but it wasn’t until 1969 before they got global popularity thanks to, well, a certain Mr. Eddy Merckx and an unusual (for the time being) jersey design. The “Fabbrica Apparecchiature Elettro Meccaniche e Affini” opened its business in Milan, 1945. They made, among other things (“Apparecchiature Elettro Meccaniche”, electromechanical equipments), coffe machines! And the time couldn’t be more right because the culture of espresso that started in Italy a couple of decades before was about to make the big jump from cafes into homes. And this is the moment when the magical bond between coffee and cycling was created.
Riders used to sip an espresso (until it was banned from antidoping regulations) before starting a race. Normal people were doing the same at home while watching them. Those same people would then repeat the rite in cafes (funnily “bar” in Italian) while talking about cycling with friends. A new pop sub culture was born. Today Café Racers is a thing among motorcyclists but the same principle applies to cyclists as well. A friendly group ride usually starts or ends with a coffee together. Cyclists gathers, gravitates around cafes to the point that sometimes bicycle stores revolves around the coffee machine. Some of them sell more coffee than bicycles. The bond is so deep that there are cycling companies that offer discounts for coffee to their loyal customers and even develop their own roast. It’s one of those things that we will probably will never get rid of. Which after all isn’t so bad…
De Marchi collaborated with the Faema Cycling Teams in multiple occasions between 1956 and 1971 and is today the sole authorized licensee for the reproduction of what probably the most popular of their jerseys: the 1969-1970 as worn by Eddy Merckx in winning almost 50 races including the Tour de France, Vuelta, Milan-Sanremo and Flanders. The 1969-1970 Faema Authorized Jersey replica, made in Italy from Merino Wool like back in the day is currently available for sale at demarchi.com .
On April 14, 2024, in Conegliano, come and enjoy The Trevisos Flandres, the cycling event in the birthplaces of Ottavio Bottecchia, precisely on the occasion of the Centenary of his…
Read now
There are days carved in the history of cycling, true milestones. One of these is represented by the 43rd edition of the Milan-Sanremo. The Milan-Sanremo is one of the most prestigious Monument Classics in cycling, renowned for its breathtaking route embracing the scenic beauty of Northwestern Italy. On March 19, 1951, a day of fog and cold unfolds: its not yet 7 in the morning, but there is already a large crowd in the streets of Piazza della Repubblica. It will be 282 kilometers of pure passion, for a race that would see some of the greatest cyclists in the world compete: prominent names include Hugo Koblet, Fiorenzo Magni, Gino Bartali, and Pierre Barbotin.
Read now
Redefine the concept of comfort for your hands with Revo Winter cycling gloves. Crafted in collaboration with Elastic Interface, a leader in ergonomic solutions for cycling, these winter gloves represent the pinnacle of innovation and design excellence, ensuring cyclists unparalleled comfort, superior performance, and an elegant look
Read now
When it comes to high-performance cycling apparel, finding the perfect balance between comfort, thermal regulation, and material durability is crucial for athletes. Sportwool, a fabric used in sports apparel, is…
Read now
