Clean slate

After a few hiccups, Campagnolo is banking that its new Super Record 13 will get it back on track

- Words Sam Challis Photography Tapestry

Campagnolo Super Record celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023, and the Italian company marked the occasion in style by releasing the first wireless electronic version of its flagship groupset. With all the excitement of that launch, it might have looked as if the brand's fortunes were as bright as ever, but under the surface the situation was far less rosy.

Campagnolo's strategy had been incoherent for several years. At times it appeared to be trying to compete directly with Shimano and Sram on price, with mid-tier offerings such as Potenza. At other times it swung back towards the 'sports luxury' niche, designing products dripping with carbon and titanium, and with pricetags to match. It had the occasional win, such as in 2020 with its Ekar gravel groupset, but failed to capitalise on that success by not following up with an electronic version. Instead Campagnolo released a so-so cheaper option that still didn't make a dent in Shimano's or Sram's equivalents.

Making matters worse, 2023's Super Record WRL was more miss than hit. It dropped the brand's iconic thumb shifters in favour of hard-to-distinguish buttons; its derailleurs were bulky; the gearing was limited; its price was astronomical. 2024 saw Campagnolo drop out of the WorldTour and introduce an overdue and overpriced power meter. Then it released yet another groupset.

Ostensibly this was an update of Super Record WRL, because it offered comprehensive gearing options, but Campagnolo positioned it below WRL because it was slightly heavier and cost less. So it was Record, then? No, that legendary name has been retired. This was another Super Record, called Super Record S. A second tier of the brand's top tier. Come on, Campagnolo, time to call it a night.

At least by this point key individuals in the company recognised it was drifting off course and set about implementing changes to steer the ship.