Kingspan boss Gene Murtagh greases wheels for bike maker
Duff, a former international rider, set up the Dublin-based manufacturer to produce bespoke high-performance, carbon-fibre road bikes and gravel bikes. He'd realised that the real top end of the market was fairly 'samey' and decided to provide highly customised bikes for customers, including the former UFC fighter Conor McGregor and Nicolas Roche, the former Tour de France and Dancing with the Stars competitor, using composite materials.
FiftyOne Bikes caters for the more expensive part of the market with gravel and road bikes costing about €5,000 each and customised, hand-built versions even more. I'm told that the fitness-minded Murtagh, who heads up the €13 billion-valued building materials and insulation group, invested along with his wife and family through their Innotrio vehicle. Supplying the construction market, Murtagh should know all about cycles.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Villarreal president defiantly responds to backlash over Thomas Partey signing - and urges fans not to 'judge prematurely' as former Arsenal star faces multiple rape charges
Villarreal's president has responded to the heavy criticism his club has faced since signing former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey amid his ongoing rape charges. Partey, 32, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court last week to face multiple rape charges, including five counts of rape and one of sexual assault, before being granted bail. The midfielder is accused of two counts of rape against one woman and three counts against another. The sexual assault allegation relates to a third woman, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said last week. The charges came just four days after Partey's contract at the Emirates expired on June 31. After being granted bail, the Ghanaian was able to complete his free transfer to Villarreal, who have since been the subject of significant controversy as a result of the move. Partey was booed and whistled during the Yellow Submarines' preseason friendly against Aston Villa over the weekend, which marked his first appearance in a Villarreal jersey. President Fernando Roig has issued a defiant response in answer to criticism of the signing Club president Fernando Roig has issued a defiant response in answer to the criticism, insisting that the club 'upholds the presumption of innocence'. 'The player is currently undergoing legal proceedings. He maintains his innocence and denies the charges against him,' Roig said after the 2-0 defeat by Villa. 'The club upholds the presumption of innocence, and it will be the responsibility of the English courts to clarify the facts. We have spent years demonstrating our values with all kinds of activities. 'We respect the presumption of innocence and, of course, condemn any type of violence, whether inside or outside of football. 'At this moment, Partey is as innocent as the rest of us here. A fundamental right like this must be respected.' When asked about the boos directed towards his new player, Roig added: 'The English [Aston Villa fans] whistled Partey. Not the Villarreal fans. 'I wouldn't like our own fans to whistle at players on our team. We must stand with the team and respect the presumption of innocence. He is not a convicted player. 'We must be cautious and wait for justice. Let's not judge prematurely. Thomas has the right to do his job until there is a conviction.' Partey, who will defend himself in court in London next month, is prohibited from contact any of the three women involved in the case, as per the bail conditions. Meanwhile, Arsenal have also come under fire in the wake of Partey's rape charges. Protesters who turned up to last week's hearing held up a sign criticising Arsenal's alleged handling of the case, which read: 'Arsenal said: "We do the right thing". Then did nothing.'
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Rachel Reeves making ‘even bigger mistakes' than Liz Truss, says Kemi Badenoch
Kemi Badenoch has said Rachel Reeves is making 'even bigger mistakes' than Liz Truss. The Tory leader hit out at the Chancellor and the Prime Minister for their economic decisions as she drew a critical comparison to her predecessor at the top of the Conservative Party. 'For all their mocking of Liz Truss, Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have not learnt the lessons of the mini-budget and are making even bigger mistakes,' Mrs Badenoch wrote in The Telegraph. 'They continue to borrow more and more, unable and unwilling to make the spending cuts needed to balance the books.' Short-lived Conservative prime minister Ms Truss's mini-budget spooked the financial markets in 2022 and led to a spike in mortgage rates. 'As we all saw in 2022, the Chancellor and the Prime Minister are reliant on the bond markets,' Mrs Badenoch added. 'Yet those bond markets are increasingly jittery about the levels of borrowing today with no balancing spending decreases. 'Rachel Reeves's unfunded series of U-turns have only added to the pressure. She is boxed in by her party on one side, and her fiscal rules on the other.' The Chancellor earlier admitted Labour had 'disappointed' people while in Government, but said that the Government had got the balance right between tax, spending and borrowing. She told an audience at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival that balancing the books meant making tough decisions, even if the are unpopular. Appearing on the Iain Dale All Talk Fringe show, she said: 'The reason people voted Labour at the last election is they want to change and they were unhappy with the way that the country was being governed. 'They know that we inherited a mess. They know it's not easy to put it right, but people are impatient for change. 'I'm impatient for change as well, but I've also got the job of making sure the sums always add up – and it doesn't always make you popular because you can't do anything you might want to do. You certainly can't do everything straight away, all at once.' Ms Reeves pointed to Labour's £200 million investment in carbon capture in the north-east of Scotland, which she said was welcomed by the industry. At the same time, Labour's windfall tax, she said, was not liked by the sector. 'I can understand that that's extra tax that the oil and gas sector are paying, but you can't really have one without the other,' she said. Defending Labour's record, she said her party had the 'balance about right'. 'But of course you're going to disappoint people,' she added. 'No-one wants to pay more taxes. 'Everyone wants more money than public spending – and borrowing is not a free option, because you've got to pay for it. 'I think people know those sort of constraints, but no-one really likes them and I'm the one, I guess, that has to sort the sums up.' Ms Reeves said Labour had to deliver on its general election campaign of change, adding that her party did not 'deserve' to win the next election if it does not deliver the change it promised.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Mikel Arteta lands surprise new role alongside Arsenal position
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has vowed to help 'disrupt the game at the top level' after landing a surprise new role with a sportswear company. Arteta has been appointed global ambassador and direct of performance at Under Armour, with the Spaniard to work in the position alongside his role at the Gunners. The company said Arteta, 43, would provide guidance on product development, talent identification and leadership. He will also 'bring elite leadership, tactical insight and a relentless drive for performance to the brand's global vision', they said. 'The collaboration with Under Armour is the perfect opportunity for me to work with a partner committed to making young athletes better,' Arteta said. 'I'm passionate about providing a platform for the next generation of players coming through in football and the top level of talent already signed with the brand show that they are too. 'We share the same mentality in always striving for more by finding new ways to innovate and disrupt the game at the top level. Our values in pursuing greatness are closely aligned and together, I'm confident we're going to achieve great things in football.' The announcement comes just days ahead of the new Premier League season. Arteta's side will aim to go one better than their second place in the previous three campaigns. They begin the 2025-26 season with a visit to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United on Sunday. Arsenal have splurged £208million on revamping Arteta's squad, including the £64m signing of highly-rated striker Viktor Gyokeres.
