Cinelli Joins German Professional Cycling Team BIKE AID’s Mission of Helping Develop African Cycling and Athletes
Milan, Italy — 12 February 2026
Italian performance cycling lifestyle brand Cinelli has today announced a new partnership with German continental pro cycling outfit BIKE AID, backing the team in its drive to support African athletes and cycling. Cinelli is providing BIKE AID with a fleet of custom team edition Pressure II performance road bikes for training and racing across the 2026 season.
BIKE AID’s racing history dates back to 2005 when first established as a cycling community that has since grown to over 1,200 members making it one of the largest cycling communities in Germany. In 2014, the organisation registered the BIKE AID Continental Team for its debut season, creating a platform and pathway for riders from Africa to compete internationally alongside German teammates, and aiding the fulfilment of their sportive dreams.
For 2026, the team’s custom bikes will see a coming together of the two brands through design, with Cinelli’s lively aesthetic combining with BIKE AID’s identity and African culture and through artistic iconography and visuals dotted throughout the frame.
“Our partnership with BIKE AID represents much more than just the support for a pro cycling team,” explained Victor Luis, Chairman & CEO of Cinelli. “With this collaboration we’re looking to create new, meaningful and deep connections with German and African cycling and to help a number of riders make the next step in their cycling careers.
“BIKE AID’s work is one that resonated with us from the moment we started to speak with the team and hear about its mission, one that goes beyond sporting results and performance. They are unique in their purpose and passion so we’re proud to be working together to help tell their stories and spotlight riders who without the help of BIKE AID’s unique member-based structure and support wouldn’t necessarily otherwise be able to pursue their goals on two wheels.”
For 2026, BIKE AID features a roster of 13 riders, with three from Eritrea - last year’s Junior Eritrean Road Race Champion Nahom Efriem, Yoel Habteab and Even Yemane. All BIKE AID riders will have Cinelli race and training bikes at their disposal, with team edition performance road Cinelli Pressure II frames.
Matthias Schnapka, Team Founder commented: “Since 2014, we have been searching for a bike partner who shares our values and wants to change and enrich cycling together with us. Our visit to Cinelli in Milan felt like coming home. We met incredible, warm-hearted people working with true passion. We were able to experience the remarkable history of Cinelli and Columbus, while at the same time feeling the vibrant colors and energy of an exceptionally dynamic brand. We are incredibly proud to have our athletes racing on Cinelli bikes.”
Since the BIKE AID community was originally founded, over €1,063,000 in donations have been raised and distributed to support social projects. Find out more about BIKE AID at https://www.bikeaid.de/en/start.
A selection of partnership imagery can be downloaded here. For any further information or quotes from the team, please contact:
Tom Copeland
About Cinelli
Founded in Milan in 1948, Cinelli is the world’s leading performance cycling lifestyle brand. Over 75 years of rich history has seen Cinelli develop a unique mix of manufacturing know-how, creative collaboration and cultural significance, allowing Cinelli to operate outside the rigid categories and constraints of the mainstream cycling market and instead work to continuously redesign the cultural limits of performance cycling. Made in Milano, ridden everywhere.
About BIKE AID Continental Team
The BIKE AID Continental Team is a professional German cycling team that represents honest, modern cycling built on a strong and socially sustainable foundation. Competing in around 100 races each year across all continents, BIKE AID has established itself as one of the most successful and, above all, one of the most visible Continental teams worldwide.
At the heart of the team’s identity is its commitment to supporting African athletes. BIKE AID empowers riders to pursue their sporting dreams at the highest international level while also creating long-term perspectives through education, internships, and meaningful intercultural exchange.
More than just a cycling team, BIKE AID is a platform for opportunity, inspiration, and global connection. Its mission is to make the fascination and values of cycling tangible and accessible to a broad public, independent of social or cultural background.
https://www.bikeaid.de/en/racing
