| Panasonic–Isostar team car | ||
| Team information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Registered | Netherlands | |
| Founded | 1984 | |
| Disbanded | 1992 | |
| Discipline(s) | Road | |
| Key personnel | ||
| General manager | Peter Post [1] [2] | |
| Team name history | ||
1984–May 1987 May 1987–1989 1990–1992 | Panasonic Panasonic–Isostar Panasonic–Sportlife | |
Panasonic was a Dutch professional cycling team, sponsored by the Matusishita Corporation, formed in 1984 by team manager Peter Post, when the TI–Raleigh main sponsors, withdrew sponsorship. [3] Some of the riders, followed Jan Raas to his newly formed team, Kwantum Hallen–Decosol. Peter Post retained some riders, and rebuilt his team, with riders, who became one of the most dominant teams, for both classics, and stage races.
The Panasonic team, had a reputation for always having the best equipment, vehicles from Mercedes-Benz, team clothing by Descente 1984-87 / AGU 1988-89 & Biemme 1990–92, team bicycles from Raleigh 1984–85 / Eddy Merckx 1986–87 [4] & Colnago 1988–89, were always fitted with Italian Campagnolo groupsets.
Between 1990 and 1992 the team used Panasonic branded bicycles, fitted with Japanese Shimano equipment, reflecting its corporate branding.
Roger De Vlaeminck is a Belgian former professional racing cyclist. He was described by Rik Van Looy as "The most talented and the only real classics rider of his generation". Nicknamed "The Gypsy" because he was born into a family of traveling clothiers, he is known for exploits in the cobbled classic Paris–Roubaix race, but his performances in other "Monument" races gave him a record that few can match. His record in Paris–Roubaix earned him another nickname, "Monsieur Paris–Roubaix".

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Olaf Ludwig is a former German racing cyclist. His career began at the SG Dynamo Gera / Sportvereinigung (SV) Dynamo. As an East German, he raced as an amateur until reunification of Germany allowed him to become professional with Panasonic team. As a sprinter, the highlight of his career was winning the points classification in the 1990 Tour de France. Other highlights include the Olympic road race in Seoul in 1988, a record 38 stage victories in the Peace Race, winning the Amstel Gold Race in 1992, and podium placings in the Paris–Roubaix. He also won the 1992 UCI Road World Cup. In 1992 he won the Champs-Élysées stage in the Tour de France and won the third Tour stage of his career the following year.
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