VOTEC ENDEAVOR PROJECT team launch – The beginning of the end of bike racing conventions?
VOTEC have a history of supporting extraordinary bike adventures, venturing off the beaten track again last summer with the launch of their VRC all-road bike. The VOTEC ENDEAVOR PROJECT is a continuation of this trend. Read on for all the details about the official team launch.
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FTP, watt/kg, VO2max… That’s not all there is to cycling and there are some teams that look for challenges beyond this. That’s exactly what team VOTEC ENDEAVOR PROJECT is all about: to make a name for itself outside the conventions of licensed bike racing. The biggest challenge is always the next ride, it doesn’t matter whether it’s an unsupported ultra-gravel race or a weekend coffee ride with friends. Ultimately, it all comes down to a passion for cycling and the will to push your limits to experience new things. These are the two characteristics that unite the riders of the VOTEC ENDEAVOR PROJECT, though they’ve little else they have in common. Read on to find out who they are, which bike they’re riding and which challenges lay ahead.
Team VOTEC ENDEAVOR PROJECT
Cycling is for everyone: this is the message of the two female and three male riders in the team of the VOTEC ENDEAVOR PROJECT. Five characters with five different perspectives on life and cycling. Together, they want to live out their passion for long, fast and crazy adventures on the bike and off the beaten track. Hold on to your hats, here comes team VOTEC ENDEAVOR PROJECT!
40 years | Content Creator
“I enjoy connecting with people I would otherwise never have met if we didn’t share the same passion. Cycling unites people regardless of origin, age, gender or any other limits.”
32 years | Founder of the Orbit360 gravel series
“I don’t ask if I can, I just do.”
26 years | Presenter of the Probike Academy
“If I plan a gravel ride and say ‘it could get adventurous’, then get prepared to push along certain sections.”
34 years | Co-founder of Fahrrad Freund:Innen Berlin
“For me, cycling is more than just cycling. It’s an attitude towards life, a constant companion and permeates all areas of my life.”
35 years | Math PhD
“No matter whether long, short, road, off-road, racing or adventure – I just love any kind of challenge on a bike.”
VOTEC VRC all-road bike
The riders of the VOTEC ENDEAVOR PROJECT will be tackling their adventures and challenges aboard the VOTEC VRC all-road bike. We included the PRO version of the bike – at that time still in the pre-production stage – in last year’s road bike group test (find it here). It also won an award at the Design & Innovation Awards 2021 (available here) for the way it combines classic design with refined, innovative features. The area around the seat stays and seat post is particularly striking. The unusual design increases comfort at the rear and allows you to remove and replace the seat post without having to readjust the saddle height. With tire clearances of up to 35 mm, there’s plenty of room to accommodate voluminous all-road tires. This makes the bike a reliable companion even when venturing beyond perfect asphalt roads. In our group test, the VOTEC VRC impressed us with its composed and predictable handling.
The team bikes of the VOTEC ENDEAVOR PROJECT rely on the SRAM Force eTap AXS groupset, rolling on Fulcrum wheels and Continental tires. The team chooses components from Deda for the handlebar and stem.
The events of the VOTEC ENDEAVOR PROJECT
“Get lost” – the slogan of the VOTEC ENDEAVOR PROJECT makes no secret of the challenges ahead. They’ve clearly placed their focus on gravel based events. To drop a few names to whet your appetite, the team’s program includes the Race around Poland, the Orbit360 Gravel Series, Badlands and the Atlas Mountain Race.
Anyone who has followed the VOTEC story knows that the bike brand aren’t one to shy away from crazy ideas. For example, there was the non-stop ride from Stuttgart on the top of the legendary Stelvio (read the report here) or the wacky parking lot Everesting challenge (read about it here). In any case, we wouldn’t be surprised to see another, similarly crazy campaign on this season’s events calendar for the VOTEC ENDEAVOR PROJECT. Whatever they’ve got planned, we’ll keep you posted on the team’s antics over the next few months. Get excited!
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Words: Photos: Carlos Meyer
