Vardaros on her Stevens. © Jonas Bruffaerts
HAMBURG, GERMANY — STEVENS Bikes has added Cyclocross Magazine columnist Christine “Peanut” Vardaros to their roster. As her former team of Baboco recently downgraded to a club level, Vardaros continues on solo with the team’s bike sponsor STEVENS as new title sponsor. “From the first ride, I was hooked. It’s lightweight, comfy, and has well-balanced geometry, which really helps my technical skills to reach that next level. This especially comes in handy in the Belgian courses with their tricky technical bits where people break ankles trying to walk them.”
STEVENS is equally pleased with the new arrangement. “I have known Christine over the last few years and have been very impressed with her charm, friendliness and overall professionalism. Her easygoing, approachable personality makes her a great ambassador for our brand,” exclaims STEVENS Marketing Manager Volker Dohrmann.
Founded in 1991, STEVENS Bikes has just won, for the third time, the most prestigious Germany awards for best bikes. Regarding their entry into ’cross, it happened in 2002 due to a lost bet. Dohrmann explains, “When retired rider Jens Schwedler came to me and said he wanted to take part in the German Cyclocross Championships, I made him a bet. If he places top three, we’ll start producing cyclocross bikes. Well, he won the race and the following year, then-current World Champion Daphny van den Brand signed on with us. She went on to win World Cups and other big events with her STEVENS. We still continue to put much time and effort into creating the perfect cross machines every year…and it shows if you look at our continued success.”
STEVENS has since been the bike of choice for numerous powerhouse cyclists such as Niels Albert (though now on a Colnago) and Marianne Vos, both of whom have won cyclocross World Championship titles atop these machines. Four-time World Champion Hanka Kupfernagel has also enjoyed much success including podium placings in World Cups and World Championships with the STEVENS.
For the upcoming ’cross season, Vardaros is currently putting together her custom one-person team that will include her current sponsors that she’s handpicked including STEVENS, 3T Cycling, Challenge Tires, HempAge, Tifosi Optics, Rivo Sports, and Mt. Tam Bikes.
She is still in search of a few more sponsors but will wrap it up by July so that the clothing (manufacturer not yet known) will be ready to go for her first big event of GP Neerpelt on September 29th. Her heavy schedule of European racing will again include World Cup, BPost Bank Trofee, and a few Superprestige events and will keep her busy from September through end of February.
