FACTOR OSTRO VAM: ISN’S PERFECT RACING MACHINE FOR 2021

After a successful first season on the WorldTour; Team Israel Start-Up Nation is happy to announce the team will continue its collaborations with Factor Bikes, Black Inc and CeramicSpeed in 2021. 

ISN was already performing on the Factor ONE and the Factor O2 VAM when the new Factor OSTRO VAM was released just before the 2020 Tour de France. The magical racing machine was deemed outstanding by the riders, who embraced the perfectly produced bike immediately after its release.

Winning on the OSTRO VAM

Dan Martin got to know the Ostro Vam during the Tour de France and went on to win a stage on the new bike at the Vuelta a España. “From the very first moment, I realized Factor had taken a great step forward, basically combining the aerodynamics of the ONE with the lightness and comfort of the O2 VAM,” ISN’s climber says.

“Factor clearly listened to the riders’ needs during the development of the OSTRO and I am looking forward to working closely together with them in 2021 as well.”

The highlight of the great partnership between Team Israel Start-Up Nation and Factor Bikes is underlined by ISN’s team manager Kjell Carlström. “This is a fantastic bike for a large variety of different race profiles, as Davide Cimolai and Dan Martin proved in the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España, respectively,” Carlström says.

Factor Bikes X Black Inc X CeramicSpeed X Team ISN: An incredible combination

Rob Gitelis, CEO of Factor Bikes and Black Inc, is proud when he hears positive comments about the new crown jewel of the collection. “Using our experience in developing bikes at the highest level of the sport, we have a pretty good handle on the requirements of the riders, something which is illustrated quite clearly with the OSTRO. A fast, lightweight bike that is comfortable to ride. The sort of bike that, as cyclists and racers ourselves, we’d like to ride.”

Gitelis continues: “With the OSTRO VAM we were able to listen to the initial feedback from the riders and then make some minor stiffness changes to accommodate their wishes.”

“Feedback from riders is always valuable and well-received by our engineering team,” Gitelis says. “Our unique position of owning our dedicated manufacturing facility means that we can react quickly to implement these kinds of changes.”

“The end result was a race bike that was considered perfect for both Andre Greipel and Dan Martin. It was very special to see Martin win stage 3 of the Vuelta a España in an uphill sprint finish on the OSTRO VAM.”

Continuing to develop

Gitelis is looking forward to the 2021 season, both for ISN’s race results as well as the feedback about their racing monsters. He says, “We have a very effective partnership in place and it will only get stronger as we work together with Team Israel Start-Up Nation to help guide future developments.”

Martin S. Banke, Executive Vice President of CeramicSpeed, agrees with the owner of Factor Bikes and Black Inc: “As we already have a close partnership with Factor Bikes and Black Inc, we hope to strengthen the relationship with Team Israel Start-Up Nation even further and follow their season closely.”

Banke: “We are proud to be part of the team’s achievements in reaching new goals and we hope to see them at races all over the world throughout 2021.”

Carlström echoed the sentiments above saying, “Having had a great first season on the WorldTour with Factor Bikes, Black Inc and CeramicSpeed only makes me more excited for 2021.”

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Team Israel Start-Up Nation is currently gathered in Girona, Spain, at the team’s first training camp of the year, testing out new equipment and planning the season ahead. For more information, photos and videos from the training camp be sure to follow the team on its social media channels.