The water bottles, caps, musettes and gloves - 15
ITEM N° 751
"Ijsboerke – Colnago" water bottle from the 1970s
1976–1977s
This yellow water bottle bears the names of IJsboerke, a Belgian ice-cream brand, and Colnago, the famous Italian bicycle manufacturer. This partnership corresponds to the name adopted in 1976 and 1977 by a Belgian professional cycling team that was particularly active in European races.
Its design features the distinctive colours of the team’s jersey: a bright yellow background combined with large dark blue lettering. Made from flexible plastic, the water bottle has a wide, ribbed grip area as well as a screw-top cap fitted with a spout and a safety clip. Its robust construction met the demands of race feed zones and training sessions of the time.
The IJsboerke–Colnago team included several renowned Belgian riders, amongst them Walter Godefroot, Frans Verbeeck, Herman Van Springel, Ludo Peeters, Rudy Pevenage and Franky De Gendt. Its riders used Colnago bicycles, boosting the Italian manufacturer’s visibility within the professional peloton.
The patina, signs of wear and the preservation of the markings lend this object genuine documentary value. It bears witness to the growing importance of commercial sponsors and bicycle manufacturers in the visual identity of professional teams in the 1970s.
Featured in the Virtual Cycling Museum – Noël GREGOIRE Collections, this water bottle is a valuable artefact from the IJsboerke–Colnago team and the golden age of Belgian professional cycling.
ITEM N° 752
"Cinelli" promotional water bottle
1980s
This promotional water bottle features one of the most recognisable graphic identities in the Italian cycling industry. Its large ‘winged C’, available in orange-red, green and yellow, is accompanied by the black Cinelli logo. This logo was created in 1979 by the Milanese graphic designer and architect Italo Lupi, at the request of Antonio Colombo, who had taken over ownership of the firm in the late 1970s.
Made from translucent white flexible plastic, the water bottle has a stocky shape, a double embossed grip area and a sliding-top cap. Its robust design is typical of the models used during training sessions, competitions and cycle touring trips in the 1980s. Its patina and signs of wear and tear bear witness to it being a genuinely used object rather than a mere decorative item.
Founded in Milan by former cyclist Cino Cinelli, the brand made its name manufacturing bicycles, frames and components for both road and track cycling. Cinelli handlebars, stems, saddles and frame fittings have been used by numerous champions and have contributed to the international renown of Italian cycling expertise.
The design of this water bottle dates from a period when Cinelli closely combined technical innovation with artistic creation. Its bold colours and postmodern graphics broke with the traditional emblems of cycling, transforming sports equipment into a true design object.
Featured in the Virtual Cycling Museum – Noël GREGOIRE Collections, this water bottle stands as a remarkable testament to the convergence of sporting performance, Italian industry and graphic culture during the 1980s.
ITEM N° 753
Promotional water bottle from ‘Eddy Merckx’ Cycles
1980s
This promotional water bottle features one of the earliest logos of Cycles Eddy Merckx, a Belgian brand founded in 1980 following the ‘Cannibal’s’ racing career. Its design combines the stylised initials ‘EM’ with five coloured stripes reminiscent of the rainbow jersey worn by the world champion.
Made from flexible white plastic, the water bottle has a generous shape, a long neck and a cap fitted with a safety clip. The horizontal moulded rings on its upper section make it easy to grip. Its patina, scratches and signs of wear indicate that this was an item actually used on a bicycle rather than merely a promotional item.
After retiring from the peloton, Eddy Merckx wanted to put his experience as a rider to good use in the manufacture of competition bicycles. The company’s early catalogues emphasised precise geometry, bespoke construction and the pursuit of a balance perfectly suited to each cyclist. At the time, the brand offered frames designed for road, track, cyclo-cross and time trial riding.
The multicoloured monogram visible on this water bottle is part of the early generations of the company’s graphic identity. The blue, red, black, yellow and green stripes are a nod to the three world titles won by Eddy Merckx as a professional and establish a direct link between his exceptional record of achievements and the bicycles bearing his name.
Featured in the Virtual Cycling Museum – Noël GREGOIRE Collections, this water bottle is a valuable testament to Eddy Merckx’s transition to bicycle manufacturer and to the early years of a brand that has become emblematic of Belgium’s cycling heritage.
