Distributor in the spotlight – meet Raffael Oppold

Carrying on with our ‘Distributor in the spotlight’ series, where we learn more about the people who make up our International MERIDA family, our third stop was in Germany at MERIDA & CENTURION Germany GmbH. They are based in Magstadt, near the technology hotspot of Stuttgart. We have already spoken to Wolfgang Renner, the Founder, Managing Director and industry legend (find the story here), now we will get to know Raffael Oppold a little better. He and his brother Simon (Head of Marketing) have worked with Wolfgang for over a quarter of a century. Raffael loves to spend time in the outdoors, be it on two wheels on his bike, four wheels in his classic Japanese sports car or in his vintage campervan. As you can see from his photos, if he ever gets bored with the cycling industry, he can always switch careers to being a male model…at least, that is what we think.

Who are you?
I am Raffael Oppold, I'm 53 years old, and I am the Sales Manager here at MERIDA & CENTURION Germany (MCG) in Magstadt, Germany.

We have heard from several people you have worked here a long time. So how long has it been?
I have worked here for 30 years; I started in 1994, so it is my anniversary year this year!

How did you start your career here?
As a keen amateur triathlete, I took the opportunity to turn my hobby into a career. During my school and training years, I worked in a bike shop after school to finance my hobby. I decided to do a degree in technical business administration and was actually looking for a commercial job, but the internal sales job came up at the Centurion Renner KG, and I got it. So, I started here as a salesperson in 1994 in the call centre and I was allowed to look after one or two product groups on the side as a product manager. On my way to becoming the sales manager, I also worked out on the roads for 14 years and shared the Württemberg area with Andi Rottler, who is also still with MERIDA. I think you will hear more from him later in this interview series. For a while, I was in charge of our field sales force, and then eventually, I took over the entire sales management at MCG.

What is your job title, and what does a normal day in your working life look like?
So, of course, no two days are the same. I generally come into the office between 7.30 and 8.00 in the morning, and the first thing that awaits me is a full email inbox. Then there are internal meetings with colleagues from different departments. I get together with the Sales and Product Management guys as well as with Marketing and Product Development, keeping a close eye on our MCG product portfolio. One of my tasks is to prepare customised quotations, calculate prices and draw up forecasts and orders. I am also involved in preparing for and attending national and international trade fairs.

I also prioritise regular customer visits so I can maintain existing relationships and make new ones, this is my favourite part of the job. I like to visit both the large and small retailers to get a sense of the general mood, of course, some of them I have known for many years. It is important to keep up to date with current developments in the industry, especially in challenging times like these. Customised solutions for our customers are very important to us.

What is your favourite MERIDA bike – past and present?
As a big fan of the Multivan Merida Biking Team, the team bikes were always my favourites back then. Especially the NINETY-SIX TEAM 2008, which also won a BIKE Milestone Award. Currently, I am torn between two favourites: for road riding, I love my REACTO TEAM, and for trail riding, you can’t beat my NINETY-SIX 9000, I just love riding that on the tracks and trails on my doorstep in the northern Black Forest.

What sort of riding do you do?
I ride a road bike and a cross-country MTB. For the coming season, my son Lukas is trying to get me to visit a few bike parks with him. So, there's a good chance that a ONE-SIXTY will soon be added to the fleet! I also regularly ride our e-bike models so I can keep up to date with the latest technology and can test their performance on my local trails, but I haven’t committed to getting one just yet….

What is your favourite MERIDA bike you are using, and have you made any alterations to make it ‘yours’?
At the moment, it's definitely my REACTO TEAM. It is based on one of Fred Wright’s frames from the Bahrain Victorious Team. I have fitted lots of team spec parts and have added my own special ‘golden’ decals. It is not just super-fast and loaded with features and technology, I think it is a proper looker as well.

We have seen a rise in e-bikes all over the world. What is the e-bike usage like in Germany (leisure and sport)?
Germany has now become an e-bike stronghold in Europe. Despite the high price of an e-bike compared to a non-motorised bike, the numbers have multiplied in recent years. The majority of e-bikes in Germany are now leased through company leasing schemes, which obviously makes them more accessible. E-bike numbers are likely to continue to rise rapidly due to trends such as sporty e-bikes and cargo bikes. The range of applications for e-bikes is constantly expanding; as well as the pure ‘pleasure and leisure cyclist’ users, they are increasingly used for commuting to work (often replacing a second car in urban areas), and as cargo bikes for shopping and dropping the kids to school. A lot of cities in Germany are being proactive in creating cycle paths for cyclists and e-bikes, which will encourage this trend even more and can only be a good thing. With more lightweight e-bike options like our new eONE-SIXTY SL light support e-enduro bike or the eSILEX e-gravel machine, e-bikes are now also becoming increasingly interesting for the more sport-oriented riders in Germany as well.

What other key bikes are there which are significant for the German market?
The road bike and gravel sector, I would say, are still really interesting for us in the non-motorised sector, and both markets are growing at the moment. Aero models in particular, such as the REACTO, are enjoying great popularity. Gravel bikes like our super versatile SILEX are also in great demand. Whether as a ‘balancing act’ between road bike and MTB, or as a ‘bikepacking platform’, the gravel bike is now an integral part of our portfolio and far more than just a short-term fad.

You look after a rather large sales team. Do you have fun activities such as ‘Pizza Friday’, team rides or bowling evenings?
Not surprisingly, the thing we do most often outside work is go cycling together! This is quite informal, usually a gravel or a road ride. It’s a good way to get to know people better. Some guys run together at lunchtimes too, we have occasionally been bowling and go-karting, which is great as it means colleagues who aren’t necessarily into cycling or running can join in.

Does your interest in cycling help you in your day-to-day role?
It certainly does. Cycling and my interest in bikes brought me to my job and still allow me to understand the industry better today. I'm enthusiastic about technology and enjoy testing and ‘experiencing’ it myself. It is important to me to know and understand the products that we have in our portfolio, as I am explaining and promoting them to our customers.

What other interests and hobbies, away from two wheels, do you have?
My wife, Swantje, and I have been passionate campers for several years. Together with our dog Archie, we love travelling. Even short breaks help us to escape from everyday life, organise our thoughts and clear our heads for new ideas. We were travelling in France last year, we like to be in the mountains, so we spend a lot of time in Austria, and we definitely want to do a longer tour to Norway next year. I also have shared a passion for motorsport and a fondness for Asian classic cars with my son Lukas. I have a 30-year-old Mazda MX-5, he has a Subaru. We enjoy spending time together behind the wheel at road track days and in our workshop, tinkering under the bonnet, getting our hands dirty.

Do you have any sporting idols?
Yes, I have two: Eddy Merckx, whom I greatly admire as an athlete and a person. I was able to meet him personally in the mid-1990s as part of my work as product manager for Eddy Merckx bikes and frames, which we distributed through Centurion Renner KG, the predecessor to MERIDA & CENTURION Germany. Back then, the frames were made from steel, and each frame was unique. Customers could order from me, customise it with painted and chrome sections, and we had two or three different geometries. I ordered the frames in Belgium, and they arrived here a few months later and were then practically delivered to the customer. Eddy was a down-to-earth person and very, very pleasant. I think that's why he achieved everything he did.

The second is the best car and racing driver in the world for me: Walter Röhrl. A perfectionist in everything he does. A genius on wheels and a living legend at the age of 77. Grounded, calm and someone who doesn't allow himself to be compromised, always says what he thinks and stands by it. It was always my dream to passenger in a car with him. Wolfgang Renner made this dream come true when he arranged for me to meet Walter at the Nürburgring. I can tell you, a lap with Walter at the wheel in a Porsche GT3 RS is a once in a lifetime experience!

You have been with MCG for a rather long time, so it can’t be a bad place to work (or is there something in the coffee here?). What do you like most about working at MCG and with the MERIDA brand?
After such a long time, it's more than just a job, we are like one big family. I am part of a great team, and I know I can always rely on them. I am not the only one who has worked here for a long time, staff turnover is very low which speaks volumes. I think this is due to Wolfgang’s leadership, I couldn't imagine a better boss, he is certainly one of the reasons why I've been with the company for so long. I have learnt a lot from Wolfgang Renner in the last 30 years, and I still like to ask him for advice today, and not just on business matters. There is a flat hierarchy here, and his door is always open for everyone seeking his advice and support. Working in a sustainable industry for a successful and healthy company, selling products that make others and myself happy and getting out of the city and into nature. What more could you want?

Given the choice for a little bike adventure, where would you go and who would you like to take along for the ride?
Adventure is an exaggeration, but for 2025, I'm planning a ride from our hometown to Lake Constance, and once there, we plan to circumnavigate the lake, which will be over 200 km. I will do it with my son, and I will be on my REACTO of course. It is not really a big adventure, but we have fantastic riding around where we live and down towards the lake, and I am looking forward to sharing it with Lukas, who is still relatively new to bikes.

As with many of the distributors we have visited, there really is a family atmosphere at MCG Germany. Raffael is a significant part of that. He is clearly respected and loved by his team and is extremely professional in his approach to work. He is also very passionate about cycling and the MERIDA brand and the way it can improve people’s lives, by getting them on two wheels and outdoors.

We suspect Raffael is a perfectionist in everything he does as his REACTO was spotless and polished, when we asked if he had done this for the photos, he simply replied, “no it always looks like this”…perhaps we all need to be a little more like Raffael in the way we look after our bikes!

Join us for the third and final instalment from MCG Germany, where we will be getting to know Marc Strobl, who works in the marketing team. He shares a passion for the great outdoors with Raffael, and combines this with his other love – photography.