BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
As you’ll no doubt have spotted, the big news from the Gruppo stable of late has been the launch of a November road cycling show.
Set for Vinopolis in London, the Rouleur Classic will be put on in collaboration with Telegraph Events and will be targeted squarely at the high-end of the market. This won’t be an exhibition with flat test track loops, rather an opportunity for Rouleur’s generally affluent and educated readers to interact solely with the sport’s key protagonists and product makers.
Visitors to the show will pay £50 per ticket, but it’ll be worth every penny, explains Gruppo managing director Bruce Sandell.
“On entry to the show visitors will be given a digital card that allows brands to make a connection with that customer, directing them to their nearest independent stockist, should they decide to buy. There will be just 25 exhibitors and those slots are filled by invite only so that we can guarantee that premium brands meet premium customers. A quality lunch, entertainment and some pro tour displays will make that ticket price feel like very good value.“
Despite the event launch, Rouleur is sticking to its roots when it comes to publishing a high-quality magazine. With Ian Cleverly now steering the title, there’s now a very clear publishing schedule, with the next 12 months largely already planned out.
“The interview we scored with Lance Armstrong I think shows you how well regarded the magazine is within aspirational and professional cycling circles. He wouldn’t have allowed just anyone to spend three days shadowing him at such a pivotal time in his life. He knew what Rouleur was about before allowing us to publish such an insight into his life,” says Sandell. “Research alongside numerous cycling clubs confirms that our typical reader is the 35 to 55 year old affluent male and we’re shifting on average 13,500 magazines every issue with an almost direct split been subscriptions and the newstand sales.”
Digital hasn’t traditionally been Gruppo’s focus, but that too could be a new avenue of exploration for Rouleur, with Timothy John, formerly of RCUK, now populating the content side of Rouleur’s website ahead of an April relaunch.
“We’re taking the Sunday paper approach,” explains Sandell. “The site will host unique content, but it’ll be deeper, more analytical pieces. There will be analysis and more time spent checking out the kit used at a professional level.”
Previously the online portal has been a shop front for Rouleur’s many collaborations and books published and that’s set to continue. Heading into summer, a link up with the minds behind Velominati will see a limited range of t-shirts and race caps sporting ‘the rules’ printed and sold exclusively online.
For those unfamiliar with the Velominati’s cycling rule book, 25,000 copies of this light-hearted take on in the saddle motivation have been sold to date.
Tickets for the Rouleur Classic are now on sale, as are numerous sponsorship opportunities.
To enquire about attending the November 19th to 21st Rouleur Classic, contact frazer.clifford@telegraphevents.co.uk.
