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GERAINT THOMAS AND INEOS GRENADIERS MAKE A TRANSITION FROM OAKLEY TO SUNGOD FOR 2023
By Bhawna
Geraint Thomas and Ineos Grenadiers have changed from Oakley to SunGod for 2023. Geraint Thomas has said that it will take him time to get used to wearing SunGod sunglasses. He has spent years wearing his loving Oakley Racing jackets. Welshman and his Ineos Grenadiers teammates have said that SunGod is the new look for the 2023 season.
Geraint Thomas’ commitment to Oakley and SunGod
Image source: cyclingtips.com
Thomas was loyal to Oakley. Oakley had introduced other models over the years. Thomas also made pleas on social media about finding his sunglasses after injuries at races. However, he has come up with a video showing Ineos Grenadiers in SunGod sunglasses. Ineos Grenadiers had a 12-year relationship with Oakley. But now in 2023, all the riders will wear sunglasses from SunGod. This is like a commitment. The rivals of Thomas for the Tour de France are Jumbo-Visma. Jumbo-Visma will wear Oakley sunglasses in 2023. Oakley has replaced Agu in the case of Jumbo-Visma. This has happened due to some technical sponsor changes. The Ineos Grenadiers riders came up with their new orange and red racing kit and bikes for 2023. They also showed their kit and SunGod sunglasses in a video. Some pictures were also shot at their racing camp in Mallorca. Thomas can make his racing debut at the Town Down Under in Australia on January 14.
About SunGod
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SunGod has been founded through a Kickstarter round of funding in 2013. They have been there in the cycling field from snowsports. There were many launches in it. There was a full customization process built into the purchase. The company was with British Continental teams like Wiv-SunGod, Ribble-Weldtite, and Bianchi-Dama. They offered each of the teams’ riders the opportunity to come up with their own customized style. SunGod sponsors many high-profile sports organizations like McLaren F1 and the Ineos Britannia America’s Cup sailing team. But their sponsorship with Ineos Grenadiers is the brand’s first sponsorship with a World Tour cycling team.
SunGod is the iconic UCI World Tour Team, the Ineos Grenadiers eyewear partner now. The motto of SunGod is See Better. SunGod has joined Ineos Grenadier, Belstaff, Ineos Hygienics, Pinarello, Bioracer, Kask, Garmin, Shimano, SiS, Zwift, Continental, Elite, and Castor, and many more brands.
About Ineos Grenadiers
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Ineos Grenadiers are the winners of 7 of the 11 editions of Tour de France. It is one of the most successful sports teams in history. It was founded in 2010. That time the name of the team was Team Sky. The Ineos Grenadiers have played a foremost role in sports. There are many Grand Tours that they have undertaken. They have secured many victories in the journey. In the process, they have had many national, world, and Olympic titles made to their name. This has been across many disciplines. Ineos Grenadiers are one of the most successful teams in the history of the sport. They have captured 7 Tour de France titles, 3 Giro d’Italia victories, and 2 Vuelta a Espana. They have also featured routinely in all of the cycling’s major one-week stage races. The vision and mission of Grenadiers are built on a strong team ethos and a performance-led approach to success. These factors have led them to the best stance in the sport. This approach has enabled Grenadiers to come up with multi-disciplinary success like road cycling, cyclocross, and cross-country mountain biking.
Oakley had been with Ineos Grenadiers through its success.
The Ineos Grenadiers had black glasses at their training camp. This was done to match their blue, red, and orange colors. SunGod’s Velans full- frame model was worn by Thomas, Ethan Hayter, and Michal Kwiatkowski. Filippo Ganna wore full-frame Airas model. Danny Martinez wore top-frame Vulcans. All the models had SunGod’s ‘8KO’ polarized finish. So, Ineos Grenadiers’ official eyewear partner for 2023 is SunGod.
Ineos Grenadiers had 12 illustrious years with Oakley. But now they have parted ways. Teams change equipment and suppliers many times and many times, it is not worth noting. But Ineos Grenadiers parting ways with Oakley and now joining SunGod is noteworthy. Thomas has worn Oakley’s bulbous form to a yellow jersey for years. He has been saddened many times when he lost any pair of sunglasses or crashed them. There are many times when he lost them. Like in 2015, when he crashed on stage 16 of the Tour de France, and in 2019, he lost it at the Tour de Suisse. And also, at the 2021 tour. After each crash, the stockpile of the Racing jackets slowly decreased but Geraint Thomas was loyal to them.
The News
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In a press release, deputy team principal Rod Ellingworth officially announced the end of an era. He said that SunGod is the best performance-driven eyewear. But it has been reported that there is no Geraint Thomas clause to it. Ineos Grenadiers are happy about the quality that SunGod has delivered. They are happy about their commitment.
Geraint Thomas has admitted that it will take him time to get used to wearing a pair of SunGod sunglasses. Thomas has been loyal to the Racing Jacket model despite the fact that Oakley introduced other models over the years. The partnership between SunGod and Ineos Grenadiers is going to be long-term. There is no specific contract length although.
About Oakley
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Oakley is considered one of the best sunglasses brands for cycling. Oakley shades are made from the best quality composites. These are very durable. Oakley also has high-quality wrap-around styles that provide amazing protection from the sun. Oakley sunglasses can be used for biking as well. Oakley is a brand primarily for road and cycling sunglasses, jerseys, and clothing. The average life of Oakley glasses is one to three years. Although, this can vary depending on how you take care of the eyewear.
Conclusion
So, the news is that Geraint Thomas and Ineos Grenadiers have switched to SunGod for eyewear. The previous eyewear for them was Oakley. They were with Oakley for 12 years.