CUORE as a leading brand

We recently spoke to Yann Kai, who covers Asia for CUORE of Switzerland, to learn a bit more about the craft of cycling apparel and what the future will look like post Covid-19.

MetaSport (MS): How does CUORE differentiate itself from the many brands on the market of cycling apparel?

Yann Kai (YK): It’s an interesting question. Our differentiation goes back to our roots. CUORE was founded in 1989 by Hugo Gibel, who once raced professionally for the Swiss national team, and turned his dream of high-end fully customisable sportswear into a reality. “CUORE” means heart in Italian and the company was set up to combine Hugo’s passion for cycling with the precision that Switzerland is renowned for. Not many other cycling brands come from a culture where racing and excellence in design is at its core and people who wear CUORE kit recognise that immediately.

Over the years, sportswear has evolved and become more sophisticated, and customers have quite rightly become more discerning about what they wear and how it should perform in different conditions. We at CUORE have always differentiated ourselves by being fully customizable, not only in design but also in offering the ability to custom tailor the kit, ensuring that athletes who wear our kit know that it was made for them.

(MS): We understand that CUORE develops racing kits for professional teams. Do you have any products that are suitable for individuals who just want to cycle for a social and health purposes?

(YK): Yes certainly. We offer a collection of product categories to ensure that we cover the needs of the most demanding, professional competitor to that of a more casual enthusiast. While we have a product range that covers the full spectrum, we apply the same effort and attention to detail at every level. Each of our products are researched extensively and developed to set the standard in their category, from material selection, to finding the perfect fit for each product, to analysing performance. In this way, every individual receives the same CUORE love and attention!

At the top of the sport, yes, you are right: we work with UCI World Tour Teams, country junior development teams, professional MTB teams, as well as professional triathletes and runners all over the world. However, we want the casual enthusiast to also get the best possible kit too.

(MS): CUORE has been a partner of the Tour de Bintan since 2018. What made you decide to join forces with the Tour de Bintan? How does it fit in CUORE’s mission?

(YK): We really enjoy our partnership with Tour de Bintan because like CUORE, it caters for both the experienced cyclist, who is looking for a platform to race and test themselves, and an opportunity to qualify for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships while at the same time provides the more casual riders an opportunity to experience a well-organised cycling event.

CUORE also caters for all types of cyclist and at the event we offer kit that will suit anyone.

(MS): You also raced competitively in the Tour de Bintan. What was your experience of the event as a cyclist?

(YK): It was great fun! As I said, it is such a well-organised professional event that you know that everything will run smoothly. We appreciate that precision at CUORE too. I love the fact that it is so inclusive and that anyone, no matter what their level is, can participate.

(MS): The cycling world has been hugely impacted by the COVID-19 situation. What big changes in the sport do you think we will see in the next 12 months?

(YK): It’s been really great to see so many people adopting healthier pursuits and cycling has seen a huge uptick in interest across the world. I believe and also hope that a lasting legacy for cycling from COVID-19 will be that people will be more careful about adopting a lifestyle that is healthier, more sustainable and environmentally conscious.

I think the interest in cycling and in all outdoor sports will only increase from here and that will be positive for high performance brands like CUORE and for events like Tour de Bintan.

(MS): Do you take part in virtual cycling races? And why (or why not?)

(YK): I have not taken part in any virtual races myself, however it is great to see that they are gaining popularity, especially for those who are still under movement restrictions. To a certain extent, I have always enjoyed training more than racing and while there are no races at present, I am very happy to keep training as part of my lifestyle and enjoy the process as well as cycling as a sport.