Lars Boom shows of the Roompot-Charles 2019 Factor O2 Disc(Image credit: Factor Bikes)
Parkhotel Valkeburg riders stand with the Factor ONE aero frameset(Image credit: Factor Bikes)
British bike brand Factor Bikes have announced partnerships with the Pro Continental Roompot-Charles men's team and the Parkhotel Valkenburg UCI women's team for the 2019 season.
Factor's two-year contract with AG2R La Mondiale came to a close at the end of the 2018 season – after an initial foray into professional cycling with the now-defunct ONE Pro Cycling team – and the Factor Bikes partnerships for 2019 also extend to two professional triathletes and the Panaracer/Factor p/b Bicycle X-Change Professional Gravel Racing Team, alongside Roompot-Charles and Parkhotel Valkenburg.
In a press release from Factor Bikes, the brand announced the Dutch Pro Continental team will be another professional squad to exclusively use disc brakes this season with the Factor O2 Disc, as well as wheels and finishing kit from Factor's component company Black Inc.
Both Roompot-Charles and Parkhotel Valkenburg look to be running Shimano drivetrains, with Roompot-Charles' marquee rider Lars Boom running a CeramicSpeed OSPW rear derailleur upgrade and an SRM Origin power meter-equipped crankset.
Roompot-Charles merged with the Veranda's Willems-Crelan during the off-season and hoped to have three-time cyclo-cross world champion and promising Classics rider Wout van Aert as their headline name for the 2019 road season. However, contract disputes following the merger led Van Aert to leave the team for Jumbo-Visma, and Boom will now be their main Classics contender.
The press release from Factor also says Roompot-Charles will likely ride a Grand Tour in 2019.
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