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Successful Slovak cyclists dress other cyclists all over the world


Updated 18.05.2023
Published 18.05.2023

Before Peter Sagan came up and captivated many, Slovakia had another ace in the world of road cycling. To be more precise, two aces – the twin brothers Peter and Martin Velits.

In 2007, Peter Velits became the UCI Road World Champion. Three years later he was the first Slovak cyclist to attain a podium position in a Grand Tour, finishing second in the Vuelta a España road bicycle race. Between 2008 and 2014 he participated six times in the famous Tour de France race. During his premiere run, he earned a Combativity award, which was given to the rider who made the greatest effort and who demonstrated the best qualities of sportsmanship.

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Martin Velits belonged among the best in the junior category. He won several Slovak National Road Championships, in both the Under 23 and Elite categories. He is also a seven-time participant of the Vuelta a España road bicycle race and one-time participant in the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia races.

Peter and Martin ended their professional careers in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
 
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However, that does not mean they are no longer an important part of the sport world, far from it. Their zeal for road cycling was just replaced by a zeal for responsible and sustainable business. In 2013, during the free time between training sessions and races, the brothers created Isadore Apparel, a Slovak clothing and equipment brand intended for road cycling afficionados both local and foreign. After retiring from their professional career, they really sank their teeth into the business.

Although born in Bratislava, the twin brothers later moved to Púchov, western Slovakia. It is here where they started to manufacture their clothing. 
 
The brand is intended as a premium one for people who want specialised clothes that give them comfort and great performance; cyclists who know a thing or two about the sport and want to take their hobby to the next level. 

The brothers' experience plays a great role in their design. "We used to race in synthetic jerseys with a very tight cut, and we didn’t even like them, visually speaking. We wanted to make jerseys we would like to wear ourselves," says Peter. 

Moreover, the company also wants to be as eco-friendly and sustainable as possible. This is where the brothers' experience is reflected as well. At the beginning of a season they would often receive various items wrapped in a lot of plastic and they didn’t like that. They use compostable packaging, recycled materials, and leftovers in special "patchwork" editions of clothes.
In addition to Slovakia, the clothes are exported to Germany, which is their biggest market, along with Belgium, Spain, Great Britain, and others.

The company of the Velits brothers now has a big goal ahead. Within the next few years they would like to achieve an annual sales turnover of €10 million, which would make the company interesting in the eyes of a potential strategic investor. Currently, the turnover is approximately €4 million. 

The dream is achievable – the interest of people in road cycling is growing and the twins are there to make it fun for fans. 

Photos: Isadore