Originally Posted by
Marcus_Ti
They claim it is because they only making "racing parts". Which is why the pro peloton only has...2 or 3? teams running Campagnolo and everyone else on Shimano/SRAM....
That's just about money, nothing else.
There were 3 / 18 World Tour teams on Campag in 2019, plus some additional support to teams with Fulcrum..
Alongside that there are 3 / 24 Pro-Continental, 16 Continental, 18 U-23.
That's acommitment of around 9,500 groups and around 7.600 pairs of wheels.
Not bad for a small company of around 900 employees.
If you look at market share of equipment on bikes costing over €1200 (since there is little below that price point that they equip at OE), their proportional input into World Tour is actually disproportionately high.
You also have to factor in that pro team support doesn't stop with just providing the kit - there is the specific R and D for the teams that goes in, embedded mechanics and of course, these days, in many cases, a cash contribution in the case of World Tour.
Shimano (which like Campagnolo is still a family-owned and administered business) have income from other divisions that is used in sponsorship - also true of Campagnolo but not on anything like the same scale - while SRAM have very significant capital resources outside of the Company.
So, it's legitimate for Campagnolo to point out that racing equipment is what they make ... touring has never been a big focus for them and whilst they do constantly look to the crossover areas where it's viable to extend the product range away from the pure, core business, such is the pace of development in racing equipment now, that they maintain their focus there.