Meet Alex Wassmann of SRAM

September 30, 2008

Alex Wassmann is a good man to know, as he manages the technical relationships with SRAM sponsored teams and athletes in the triathlon, road & cyclo cross disciplines. Slowtwitch.com had a few words with him.

ST: Alex, how long have you been with SRAM and what did you do before?

Alex: I started with SRAM as a dealer technical education representative covering the southeast US in 1994. Prior to that I worked for the original Schwinn Bicycle Company based in Chicago. I started as a part timer augmenting my work as a commercial illustrator and ended up in management of a very progressive and successful corporate retail concept store and working with some of the athletes and events our parent company sponsored. Eventually, SBC changed hands and my occasional interaction with the local SRAM guys bore fruit.

ST: Can you share with us the ratio of sponsorship requests to sponsorship fulfillments for SRAM?

Alex: We've been very measured and selective with our athlete relationships thus far. Unlike SRAM's very mature MTB segment, we started from almost no activity or awareness in road sports in 2006 and have been fortunate to see a dramatic rise in awareness and acceptance, despite offering such a new line. We partnered with our first tri-pro at the end of that year, reuniting with once upon a time Grip Shift superstar, Michellie Jones. Bringing SRAM back into triathlon is really a focus today from both a product development and branding perspective and we are engaging a lot of faces and names recently. For 2009, we'll be moving beyond a highest level, pro only focus, and opening regional and IBD based cooperative opportunities here in the US, Australia/NZ and in Europe.

ST: Who are some of the sponsored road teams and individual triathletes SRAM supports?

Alex: Well out of the gate, we started with two small but tight knit teams plus a broad based Neutral Road Race Support program: Kodak Gallery Sierra Nevada in the US, and the Orbea Conti U-23 team in Spain. Our roster has blossomed considerably since those modest beginnings, and 2 ½ years later Alberto Contador,Levi Leipheimer and Johan Bruyneel's Astana team have delivered SRAM to the top of road cycle sport. I referenced MJ before – who sets such a high bar for professionalism and tech savvy – Chris Lieto started with us last year as did Normann Stadler and his Dresdner Kleinwort Team. This year we also signed with all stars like Sam McGlone, Torbjorn Sindballe & Desiree Ficker. My counterparts in our Munich office discovered a friendly and pretty fast guy with a midas touch named Jan Frodeno, and recently we signed another young man from Texas who says he was once a helluva triathlete…

ST: What sports do you do and what is your athletic background?

Alex: I played a disproportionate amount of team sport as a kid, but my first real passion was motocross. I summarily ended that budding career with a bad crash when I was 16. My second wind came after college in road, then XC MTB racing. Nowadays I ride a bit of road and hit the trails whenever time permits.

ST: The SRAM Red group seems to be on fire in terms of demand now. Are you guys surprised by the numbers or is it a more a question of not getting it done fast enough?

Alex: Red for us represented a special group of ideas and opportunities that we couldn't implement in the first Force and Rival products. It was a bit of a surprise that the inherent up ticks in weight savings, efficiency and ergonomics we designed into Red seemed to strike such a loud note. To say the least, we are really pleased with the response.

ST: Of all the SRAM Red parts, which one do you like the most/are you the most proud of?

Alex: There are many important technologies in Red, and it's easy for me to say that "I like it all", and yes I am impartial to the shifters for their versatility/ability to fit so many different riders, but I've been most impressed with overall group set durability. When you agree to sponsor the world's best stage racing team, drive train, brake and index performance has to endure a European road season of rooftop transport weather, cleanliness-obsessed technicians, 7 hour Belgian or Grand Tour stage conditions that make most World Cup MTB races seem like a spin through a clean room. It's honest, and I'm proud to say that we build tough stuff.

ST: You were seen at a few triathlons. Does SRAM have plans to attend more triathlon events?

Alex: Well I hope many more in the future. We'll join the community at more events this year and next, here in the US and in Europe and have invested in the upcoming 2008 Demo at Kona, which seems like a right place at the right time opportunity for us.

ST: On a somewhat related note, will we see you racing in a triathlon anytime soon?

Alex: No I’m more the cheerleader/observer type at events in general. Triathlon is a terrific sport that treats it’s athletes very well and is teaching me/SRAM new tricks that we don’t see at other venues.

ST: Can you share with us what else we might expect from SRAM soon?

Alex: Well, SRAM and Zipp just finished the bigger dealer/trade shows kicking off our respective 09 product lines. On the SRAM side it’s really the "Red-ification" of Force and Rival, plus there are some new accessories / options like new chain rings, crank sets and of course our new SRAM wheel program.

ST: How many bikes might we find at your house if we came by and looked? And what are they in terms of brand and model?

Alex: After all these years, there are a few, but don't tell my wife: they're not all in the house. I've collected a surprising number of Merlin/Litespeed models over the years: I've always enjoyed artful, hand built utility. I'm also a very happy Cervelo rider, and lucky enough to trade that for a Scott Addict or a new Madone when the mood strikes. I have a couple of S-Works models, Lemonds and a Merckx. And then there are the mountain bikes…

ST: Is there anything else we should know about you?

Alex: Ask me when we meet next. I'll see you at the races, HK!