Tadej Pogačar helps Colnago open flagship store in Abu Dhabi

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Among Italian luxury brands, flagship stores are a must. From Ferrari to Gucci and beyond, every iconic brand has a space (or spaces) dedicated to showcasing its products and history.

Now Cornago, the famous Italian bicycle brand, also has one. To see it, you don’t have to go to Milan or Rome, but to Abu Dhabi.

With floor-to-ceiling windows and 10,000 square feet over two floors, this airy store serves much more than a bike shop.

“Colnago is more than just a bicycle brand, the store has been carefully planned and designed to showcase the best of Colnago and our proud rich heritage, while offering a unique hospitality experience,” said Nicola Rosin, CEO of Colnago Say.

Also read: Romain Bardet: Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel are “bicycle geniuses”

Rosin personally came to open the store, Taj Pogacha, has won the Tour de France twice with the brand’s bikes. The entire roster and staff of his UAE team UAE and the UAE team ADQ, also sponsored by Colnago, were in attendance and the building will serve a variety of purposes.

Of course, there are also bikes for sale. Colnago produces a wide range of high-end road, time trial and gravel models, including Prototype models being developed by Pogačar and the UAE team this seasonThere’s also a bike fitting system to help customers choose the right size, and a 3D configurator on the big screen lets customers design one of the brand’s current models.

The shop also showcases Colnago’s seventy years of history through important bicycle exhibits over the years. The sliding screen unit shows a more complete history of the brand’s model.

Spanish interior designer Pablo Paniagua has provided a collection of contemporary art for the store, whose sofas and lounge areas look more like a hip place than your average local bike shop.

Colnago wants the space to be a cornerstone of cycling culture, with a café serving Italian food and drinks and big screens showing cycling races. Located on Hudayriyat Island, which has 40 kilometers of cycle paths, close to bike-friendly infrastructure, Colnago hopes the space will become a focal point for cycling in Abu Dhabi.

Why choose Abu Dhabi?

For an Italian bike brand whose history is intertwined with European racing, the United Arab Emirates may not seem like an obvious location. However, the brand was acquired in 2020 by Abu Dhabi-based private investment fund Chimera Investments LLC from founder Ernesto Colnago.

The fund is part of Royal Group, an investment firm based in Abu Dhabi and chaired by Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is also the United Arab Emirates’ national security adviser and the country’s president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Brother of Zayed Al Nahyan.

The UAE government supports the UAE Team UAE and the UAE Team ADQ Professional Cycling Team, both sponsored by Colnago Cycling.