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Shimano and Dainese have combined their sales and distribution offices in Europe, making Shimano the exclusive distributor of Dainese’s protection gear for mountain biking.
The agreement comes into effect from Wednesday July 1st, covering Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, France, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.
Shimano said that it is looking to grow the mountain bike protection gear market through the deal: “Mountain biking developed itself from two disciplines, downhill and cross country, to a multiple discipline sport that requires specific products for each kind of rider,” explained president of Shimano Europe Marc van Rooij.
“Body protection is getting more and more important in that perspective and who else than Dainese can fill in that gap best,” van Rooij added.
Dainese founder and president Lino Dainese said: “Shimano has not only a great product line and brand but also the best distribution network in the bicycle industry in Europe. Working with them guarantees that the leading dealers will sell our products in the future. Both brands lead their markets when it comes to technology, I would say a perfect match.”
Last month Shimano reported a rise in profits in its Q1 financials, despite a dip in sales.
