Dennis Weijers on Shimano, cycling, and the Tour de France

On the 100th anniversary of the Japanese biking institution’s creation, its European marketing director takes over a key part of the biggest cycling race in the world, writes Sean Russell

Shimano’s goal is to get any rider back onto the saddle in 30 seconds (Joris Knapen)

The Tour de France is the most beautiful cycling race in the world. Just mentioning the name of it conjures up images of mountains, and rolling fields, medieval castles, and the Champs-Élysées. It’s the yellow jersey, it’s heartbreak and glory and pain. And there is one brand that is just as synonymous with cycling as the Tour de France is: Shimano.

Dennis Weijers, the marketing director for Shimano Europe, started riding his BMX in his home country, the Netherlands, at the age of four. He travelled all over the world racing until he was 17 but by that time the mountain bike boom had begun and he wanted to be a part of it. When he got drawn into a team under the Accell Group, what he calls the “active part” of his cycling career ended and a new journey had just begun.

“A big part of my life was on my bike,” says Weijers. “I wanted to start an active career in mountain biking but then in this new team [with the Accell Group] I had the opportunity to be on the commercial side and that was it.”