Pirelli P Zero Race TLR RS Is the First Bicycle Tyre in the World with FSC®-Certified Natural Rubber

Starting from today, the P Zero Race TLR RS tyre is the first tyre in the cycling industry to use FSC®-certified natural rubber* (FSC® stands for Forest Stewardship Council® – a globally recognised NGO devoted to responsible forest management). This tyre, made in Pirelli’s Milan-Bollate plant, is the first in a future range featuring this certification. It indicates that the natural rubber used comes from plantations managed to preserve biodiversity and benefit the lives of the local communities and workers. FSC® is the most recognized global authority that certifies materials of forest origin. The certification process provides that the material with the FSC® logo is managed separately from the non-certified material throughout the entire supply chain. This is why a dedicated monitoring system had to be introduced in the entry and exit points of all materials used in FSC®-certified products in the Bollate plant. This plant has been completely renovated and converted for the production of bicycle tyres: it is a cutting-edge factory thanks to its highly automated production systems.

FROM PROFESSIONAL RACES TO BICYCLE SHOPS

The World Tour team Lidl-Trek is bringing the P Zero Race TLR RS to the major professional races and grand tours all over the world and the FSC®-certified tyre is now available for sale from global retailers. The certification of its forest origin components will be highlighted by a logo engraved on the side of the tyre.

“Choosing to increasingly use FSC® certified natural rubber in our products is in line with Pirelli’s attention towards nature and biodiversity – said Piero Misani, Pirelli’s Chief Technical Officer – as well as with the will to help the populations and workers in the areas where natural rubber comes from. Environmental and social commitment combined with the pursuit of high performance that does not compromise on safety to meet the expectations of professional cyclists and the most demanding amateurs. Our Formula 1 experience, where starting from this year all tyres contain FSC®-certified natural rubber, is proof of this: environmental awareness can and must be complemented with safety and top performance levels”.

P Zero Race TLR RS is a tubeless-ready tyre and is the latest evolution of Pirelli’s road bicycle tyres. Specifically developed for competitions, its focus is perfect grip in any weather condition, excellent road handling when braking, accelerating and turning, and very low rolling resistance.

The thickness of the tread and the structure’s fabric layers have been modified to reduce the weight (-8%*) and contribute, together with the compound, to significantly reducing rolling resistance (-16%*).

(*) average values measured on the test bench of all four measures available and compared with the all-rounder PIRELLI P ZERO RACE TLR tyre

A NEW STAGE IN CHOOSING AND CERTIFYING MATERIALS

For many years now, Pireli has been devoted to responsibly managing the natural rubber supply chain, by training and sharing best practices in the material’s countries of origin, in line with the principles and values contained in the Sustainable Natural Rubber Policy, launched by the company in 2017. This document is the result of discussions with the key stakeholders of the natural rubber value chain, including international NGOs, Pirelli’s main natural rubber suppliers, intermediaries and growers of the supply chain, automotive clients and multilateral international organisations. Moreover, Pirelli is one of the founding members of the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber – GPSNR, a multi-stakeholder platform established in 2018 to support the sustainable development of the natural rubber business globally, to benefit the entire value chain.

The first tyre in the world that contains FSC®-certified natural rubber dates back to 2021, the Pirelli P Zero for the BMW X5 Plug-in Hybrid. Then in 2023, the company presented the range of tyres containing FSC®-certified natural rubber for the Formula 1 single-seat racing cars. Today the P Zero Race TLR RS inaugurates the first range of FSC®-certified bicycle tyres.

(*the percentage of natural rubber out of the total weight of the tyre is equal to about 23% and is the predominant component– license code: FSC® N003618).