BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Hailing from three separate Shimano Service Centres in the Netherlands, Jelmer Bijvang, Berend Bervoets and Kevin Smit (Team Netherlands) have been announced as the winners of the first-ever European Bike Mechanics Championship.
Demonstrating their technical prowess, clear communication and teamwork, their ability to quickly identify and fix complex mechanic issues impressed the judges over the course of the Championship this past weekend.
Shimano hosted the competitors, who travelled from across Europe (and Brazil), as part of the 2024 European Mechanics Championship, which took place earlier this month in Mechelen, Belgium.
This event shone a spotlight on the heroes who handle bicycles and celebrated their skills, which play a vital role in keeping cyclists moving.
A spokesperson for Shimano added: “With an ever-increasing number of bicycles on the market and the growing demand for professional maintenance, the need for well-trained, highly skilled mechanics has never been higher.
“Shimano is committed to advancing the quality of bike service by showcasing the expertise of mechanics from across Europe in this exciting competition.”
Team Italy and Team Netherlands faced off in the final task that tested their knowledge.
Following the judges’ decision, Kevin Smit, of Wielercentrum Bruggemann in Ede, NL and Jelmer Bijvang, who works in Zwolle at Scholten Fietsgoed, were elated after finding out they won:
Team Netherlands’ coach and Shimano Benelux’s retail store concept manager, Kenny van Hummel, commented: “I was truly impressed by our guys at the Bike Mechanics Championship this weekend.
“What stood out to me was their ability to balance speed with precision.
“They moved efficiently through the tasks, but never at the expense of accuracy, focusing on each step and detail of the challenges before them.”
The mechanics, who travelled from 14 countries to attend the Championship in Mechelen, competed in a series of technical challenges designed to assess their skills and knowledge in specific areas of bike servicing and maintenance.
The competitors faced seven demanding challenges, with multiple subtasks.
These tests covered the widest range possible of bike maintenance skills, listed below.
- Drivetrain Setup: Installing a Shimano Cues front crank, choosing and installing a cassette that is compatible for the Cues drivetrain; fine-tuning the front and rear derailleurs using E-Tube Project Cyclist to customise Shimano Ultegra Di2 shift buttons.
- Wheel Maintenance: Servicing a freehub, replacing the freehub body and performing a brake bleed.
- Shimano E-Bike Systems: Installing a Shimano EP5 Drive Unit, and mounting the correct chainrings and cranks, and using E-Tube Project Professional to diagnose battery errors.
- Hub Gear Maintenance: Disassembling, cleaning and reassembling Shimano Nexus internal hub gear.
First Place: The Netherlands (Jelmer Bijvang, Berend Bervoets and Kevin Smit)
Second Place: Italy (Tommaso Pastorino, Federico Sardu and Davide Bardelloni)
Third Place: Germany (Patrick Rittmann, Klaus Molitor and Erik Stratmann)
