TIME Sport International

TIME Sport International is a French cycling brand whose products have included clipless pedals, cycling shoes, and high-performance bicycles. The company was founded in 1987 by Roland Cattin and initially established its identity through the development of integrated cycling equipment rather than through bicycles alone. Its pedals and shoes became particularly visible in professional road racing during the late 1980s and early 1990s, when riders such as Pedro Delgado, Greg LeMond, and Miguel Indurain used TIME equipment or competed on TIME-supported bicycles. The brand's growth was closely connected to elite competition. Pedro Delgado used TIME clipless pedals and shoes during the 1988 Tour de France, while Greg LeMond wore TIME Equipe shoes during his 1989 Tour de France victory. These high-profile associations helped position TIME as a performance-oriented European brand at a time when clipless pedal systems and specialized cycling footwear were becoming increasingly important to road racing. TIME equipment was subsequently associated with victories and appearances across the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, Vuelta a España, Olympic road and mountain-bike events, world championships, and the spring classics. TIME later expanded its bicycle activity into carbon-fiber road and time-trial frames. Models such as the VXRS Ulteam and the VXS developed a reputation within the professional racing context for combining low weight, stiffness, and race-specific handling. The company also developed a special VXS bicycle for Tom Boonen for the 2006 spring classics. TIME's racing associations during this period included Quick Step-Innergetic, Cofidis, Bouygues Telecom, Saunier-Duval, and Ag2r, as well as individual riders including Paolo Bettini, Michael Rogers, Thomas Voeckler, and Julien Absalon. The brand's competitive profile was not limited to road cycling. TIME equipment was used in mountain biking and triathlon, and the company supported athletes and teams connected with Olympic and world-level competition. Its broader sponsorship history included mountain-bike champion Julien Absalon, biathlete Martin Fourcade, judoka Teddy Riner, and Poissy Triathlon, whose roster has included internationally successful triathletes. These relationships broadened TIME's visibility beyond traditional road racing while retaining an emphasis on elite performance. The business was later divided by product category. In 2021, Cardinal Cycling Group acquired the TIME bicycle business, while SRAM acquired the TIME pedal business. Following these transactions, the bicycle and pedal activities continued under separate ownership arrangements. The post-2021 sponsorship activity cited for the brand included Stade Rochelais Charente-Maritime women for frames, Team Absolut Absalon for mountain-bike pedals, and Rally UHC and SD Worx for road pedals. TIME therefore remains associated with two related but distinct product areas: performance bicycles and cycling pedals. Its current public brand presence is maintained through SRAM's TIME Sport pages, while the historical TIME identity continues to be defined by French manufacturing heritage, professional competition, and technically focused cycling equipment.

TIME was founded in France in 1987 by Roland Cattin. The company became known as Time Sport and later as TIME, building its reputation through cycling pedals, shoes, and bicycles. Its early commercial visibility came from professional road racing. Pedro Delgado used TIME clipless pedals and cycling shoes during the 1988 Tour de France, and Greg LeMond wore TIME Equipe shoes during his 1989 Tour de France victory. The brand's association with successful riders helped establish it as a specialist performance supplier during the expansion of clipless pedal technology and purpose-built road-racing equipment. During the following years, TIME products appeared across professional road cycling and other competitive disciplines. TIME bicycles and equipment were used by riders including Miguel Indurain, Thomas Voeckler, Tom Boonen, Paolo Bettini, and Michael Rogers. Bettini rode a TIME bicycle during his 2004 Olympic road-race victory and his 2006 world-championship road-race victory. Rogers used a TIME time-trial bicycle in three consecutive world championship time trials from 2003 through 2005. TIME's equipment was also associated with Julien Absalon's 2008 Olympic mountain-bike gold medal. The brand's products were used in events including the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, Vuelta a España, Paris-Roubaix, Olympic competitions, and world championships. TIME's bicycle program included carbon-fiber road and time-trial designs. The VXRS Ulteam became one of the company's recognized high-end road platforms, while the VXS was developed for Tom Boonen's 2006 spring-classics campaign. The VXS shared characteristics with the VXRS Ulteam but was described as having a longer wheelbase and a more compliant ride, with TIME-manufactured carbon structures incorporating Vectran fibers. This illustrates the company's approach of using professional racing as a testing and product-development environment. The company also maintained a substantial sponsorship presence. Professional teams associated with TIME included Quick Step-Innergetic, Cofidis, and Bouygues Telecom, while riders and teams connected with Saunier-Duval and Ag2r also used TIME shoes or pedals. Beyond road racing, the brand supported mountain-bike athletes, Olympic competitors, and triathlon organizations. Its cited athlete and team relationships included Martin Fourcade, Teddy Riner, Poissy Triathlon, and teams associated with Julien Absalon. A significant structural change occurred in 2021. Cardinal Cycling Group acquired the TIME bicycle business, while SRAM acquired the TIME pedal business. The transaction divided the brand's principal product activities between bicycle and pedal ownership. After the change, the cited first sponsored teams included Stade Rochelais Charente-Maritime women for frames, Team Absolut Absalon for mountain-bike pedals, and Rally UHC and SD Worx for road pedals. TIME's current identity consequently combines a long French racing heritage with separate contemporary bicycle and pedal operations. SRAM presents the pedal-related brand information through its TIME Sport web presence.

• 2021

  The bicycle and pedal businesses change ownership

  [1]Time (bicycle company)en.wikipedia.org

  Cardinal Cycling Group acquires the bicycle business and SRAM acquires the pedal business.

• 2008

  Julien Absalon wins Olympic mountain-bike gold using TIME equipment

  [1]Time (bicycle company)en.wikipedia.org

  Julien Absalon wins the Olympic mountain-bike gold medal in Beijing while using TIME shoes and pedals.

• 2006

  TIME develops the VXS for the spring classics

  [1]Time (bicycle company)en.wikipedia.org

  TIME develops a special VXS bicycle for Tom Boonen's 2006 spring-classics campaign.

• 2005

  Tom Boonen's successful season brings TIME major racing exposure

  [1]Time (bicycle company)en.wikipedia.org

  Boonen uses TIME bicycles during a season that includes victories in the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, the Tour of Belgium, and the world road-race championship.

• 2004

  TIME equipment is used in Olympic road racing

  [1]Time (bicycle company)en.wikipedia.org

  Paolo Bettini rides a TIME bicycle to the men's Olympic road-race gold medal in Athens, while Michael Rogers wins another world time-trial title on a TIME bicycle.

• 2003

  Michael Rogers wins the world time-trial championship

  [1]Time (bicycle company)en.wikipedia.org

  Michael Rogers rides a TIME time-trial bicycle to the first of three cited consecutive world time-trial titles.

• 1989

  Greg LeMond wins the Tour de France wearing TIME shoes

  [1]Time (bicycle company)en.wikipedia.org

  Greg LeMond wears TIME Equipe cycling shoes during his Tour de France victory, increasing the brand's international racing profile.

• 1988

  TIME gains Tour de France visibility

  [1]Time (bicycle company)en.wikipedia.org

  Pedro Delgado uses TIME clipless pedals and cycling shoes during the Tour de France.

• 1987

  TIME is founded in France

  [1]Time (bicycle company)en.wikipedia.org

  Roland Cattin establishes the company that becomes known as TIME Sport International.

A French performance-cycling brand positioned around competition-derived engineering, carbon-fiber bicycles, clipless pedal systems, and high-level athlete and team use.

• Cycling pedals

  TIME clipless pedals

  TIME's clipless pedal systems are among the brand's foundational products. They became prominent in professional road racing from the late 1980s onward and have also been used in mountain biking. The pedal business is associated with SRAM following the 2021 acquisition.

• Cycling footwear

  TIME cycling shoes

  TIME cycling shoes formed part of the brand's integrated performance system alongside its pedals. The Equipe model gained visibility when Greg LeMond wore it during his 1989 Tour de France victory. TIME shoes have also been associated with professional road and mountain-bike athletes.

• Road bicycle

  TIME VXRS Ulteam

  The VXRS Ulteam was a high-end TIME road-bicycle platform. It served as a reference for later racing designs, including the VXS developed for Tom Boonen. The platform is described in the available historical material as a performance-oriented carbon-fiber road bicycle.

• Road bicycle · 2006

  TIME VXS

  The VXS was a special racing bicycle developed for Tom Boonen's 2006 spring-classics campaign. It was related to the VXRS Ulteam but used a longer wheelbase and a more compliant configuration, with Vectran fibers cited as part of its TIME-manufactured carbon-fiber construction.

• 2021Post-ownership-change team sponsorships

  Europe · International cycling

  After the bicycle and pedal businesses changed ownership, cited sponsorship relationships included Stade Rochelais Charente-Maritime women for frames, Team Absolut Absalon for mountain-bike pedals, and Rally UHC and SD Worx for road pedals.

  Outcome. The sponsorships maintained TIME's connection with professional road and mountain-bike competition.

  Source
• 2005Tom Boonen professional racing program

  Europe · International cycling

  TIME bicycles were used by Tom Boonen during his successful 2005 season with Quick Step-Innergetic.

  Outcome. Boonen's wins in major classics, the Tour of Belgium, and the world road-race championship provided substantial product visibility.

  Source
• 1989Greg LeMond Tour de France sponsorship

  France · International cycling

  Greg LeMond wore TIME Equipe cycling shoes during his 1989 Tour de France victory.

  Outcome. The victory strengthened TIME's association with elite road-racing performance.

  Source
• 1988Pedro Delgado Tour de France sponsorship

  France · International cycling

  Pedro Delgado used TIME clipless pedals and cycling shoes during the 1988 Tour de France, giving the young brand prominent exposure in professional road racing.

  Outcome. The association contributed to TIME's visibility before its stronger international profile in the following season.

  Source

• 2021

  Separate acquisitions of TIME bicycles and pedalsM&A

  Background

  TIME's principal activities covered both bicycles and pedals, but the two product businesses changed ownership in 2021.

  Action taken

  Cardinal Cycling Group acquired the bicycle business, while SRAM acquired the pedal business.

  Aftermath

  The brand's product activities continued under separate ownership, with SRAM maintaining a TIME Sport web presence for the pedal-related business.

  Source

1. 1Time (bicycle company)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2TIME Sport International on SRAMsram.com