POC and Team AMANI have released a limited-edition collection of Ventral Air helmets and Aspire eyewear today. The collection has been designed in collaboration between the team riders and POC and its profits will continue to support East African riders and give them the opportunities to race and show the world their talent on a level playing field.
POC and Team Amani say the release also commemorates the Team AMANI captain Sule Kangangi, who was an instrumental part of the design process and who was excited to share it with the world. Sule tragically died as a result of injuries sustained in a crash while racing the 59-mile Vermont Overland gravel event last month.
“Our AMANI team helmets and eyewear are very special and represent much more than performance or protection. Along with the team, Sule was at the heart of the design which was created to give the team a consistency and still offer each rider a uniqueness and ability to fly their national flag.
We have been racing in them for some time and take great pride in what they stand for. And now, on top of that, they are a connection to Sule that we want to share with everyone as we know he would be overjoyed seeing our team supported and our helmets and eyewear ridden all around the globe,” Mikel Delagrange, Team AMANI manager, said.
The colourful collection has been curated to convey the uniqueness, character and passion of the riders and the team. The team logos and orange tie the helmets together, but each of the Team AMANI riders got to their preferred main colour, which could then be personalised further with their national flag - to showcase the diversity of the team.
Each helmet is delivered with decals representing the national flags of Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. US and Australian flags are also included to highlight the positive contributions of AMANI team manager Mikel Delagrange and Lachlan Morton, who's a longtime supporter of the project.
“We are incredibly proud to support Team AMANI. They epitomise a spirit and approach to cycling that we should all embrace. We know that not all kilometres are equal, but the opportunity should be, and we can all play a part in trying to level the playing field. The recent tragic events have knocked us all backwards, and it is incredibly hard for everyone involved, but Sule would tell us that our work breaking down the barriers, supporting the team and raising awareness for the project is only just beginning and we should not stop. And we won’t,” Jonas Sjögren, CEO, POC added.
The Team AMANI edition is available on the POC website now.
Mountain bike Icons – the Barrie Clarke story
Suvi enjoys cycling in all of its forms, especially over long distances and on multiple days. What started as a hobby has now grown to be her lifestyle and a job, in which she can also utilise her MSc degree in investigative journalism. Although, most of her current investigations revolve around the mystery of sourdough bread baking and finding decent (amounts of) coffee on bike rides.
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