Il Magistrale Cycling Coffee

More About Il Magistrale Cycling Coffee

Il Magistrale Cycling Coffee is a Dutch specialty coffee roastery with a clear connection to cycling culture. The company is linked to Eindhoven and Heeze, where the current private limited company is registered. Il Magistrale Cycling Coffee B.V. has KvK number 93202040, is located at Sint Nicasiusstraat 47 in Heeze, and was founded in 2024.

Origins and Development

The brand’s story begins with Bas van den Heuvel, the founder and owner of Il Magistrale Cycling Coffee. His first steps into the world of roasting date back to 2013, when he worked with a Probat P5 roaster at a care farm shop. The catalyst was a quest for more consistent espresso beans.

This was followed by further training and hands-on experience. In 2015, the cycling concept took shape after a roasting masterclass, a period of apprenticeship with Amsterdam roaster Kees Kraakman, and barista certifications. There are two different dates regarding the brand’s founding year in the available records: the brand uses the slogan “Pushing Hard since 2017”, while a podcast note mentions that Bas started the coffee venture as a side activity in 2016.

Cycling terminology as brand identity

The link between coffee and cycling is most evident in the names of the blends and products. In the early stages, the brand used names referring to nicknames and famous climbs from the cycling world, such as Cima Coppi, Bom van Balen, and Superprestige. This theme has remained visible in later names like Cobble Crusher, Leeuw van Vlaanderen, El Tractor, LSRF – Gravel Grinder, and Racing Wasps.

Assortment and recipes

The current coffee lineup includes Cobble Crusher, Coffee Explorer Pack, Le Coffee Ride, Leeuw van Vlaanderen, El Tractor, Mr. Cero Cero, LSRF – Gravel Grinder, Cima Coppi, Racing Wasps, and Ghisallo. The coffees are categorized by roast profile, with categories such as dark roast, medium roast, and light roast. Additionally, the webshop utilizes terms like specialty coffee, direct trade, single origin, blend, and decaf.

Technical brewing data is provided for some products. For Cobble Crusher, for example, an espresso recipe is listed with a 17.5 gram dose, 38 gram yield, and a 32-second extraction time. Such parameters provide insight into how the coffee is positioned for espresso. The current model and capacity of the production roaster are not publicly documented, although a new roasting facility is mentioned for 2024.

Origin and Sourcing

The range includes both blends and coffees with clear origin designations. Mr. Cero Cero is a decaf coffee from Honduras, processed using the Swiss Water Process with an SCA score of 84. El Tractor consists of beans from Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, and Ethiopia, with an SCA score of 85. Leeuw van Vlaanderen is documented as a Brazilian single-origin coffee of the Yellow Bourbon variety.

Racing Wasps is described as having been developed with riders from Team Visma|LAB. The subscription variant lists Ethiopia and Peru as countries of origin, specifically the Guji and Cajamarca regions, with Suke Quto and Huabal named as producers. The processing method is fully washed and wet fermented, with direct trade certification and SCA scores of 83+ and 86.

Le Coffee Ride combines coffees from Guatemala, Colombia, and Ethiopia, specifically from the Huehuetenango, Excelso, and Sidamo regions. The coffee consists of fully washed Arabica, carries RFA certification, and has an SCA score of 85. For the broader supply chain, Il Magistrale works with trading companies from Antwerpen and Hamburg, including Sucafina. The company also expresses a desire to source all coffee via direct trade in the coming years, though no firm deadline has been documented.

Sustainability and logistics

A carbon footprint of 5.8 kilograms of CO– where – is used as a dash, but the text says CO₂ per kilogram of coffee is mentioned for the roasting process. Il Magistrale works with Climate Neutral Group and invests 9.45 euros per ton of CO₂ into projects focused on reducing deforestation and promoting biodiversity in the Brazilian Amazon. Efficient cookstoves in Uganda are also mentioned as part of their CO₂ reduction projects.

Several measures have been implemented regarding packaging. Capsule packaging has been replaced by fully recyclable plastic bags. Shipping boxes have been changed to recyclable cardboard boxes with paper tape. For events, paper cups without PLA coating are used. In terms of transport, a biogas tank on the coffee truck and a fully electric car for business and retail visits are mentioned.

Sales, partners, and events

Distribution occurs through coffee products, subscriptions, a partner program, event support, and their own clubhouse environment. Subscriptions can be set for delivery every week, two weeks, three weeks, or four weeks. The partner program targets cycling cafes, workshops, and businesses. Joop Schoorl is listed as a partner since 2023.

The events arm is a prominent part of the business operations. The company reports presence at at least 50 events across Europe. For 2025, highlights include Golazo’s Tour of Flanders across three locations, Cycling World in Düsseldorf, Ridemeister events, the Gravel World Championships in Maastricht, and Rotterdam 6days at Ahoy. For certain events, they operate a Ford Ranger under the name Caffeine Race Service.

Coffee bar in Heeze

Il Magistrale coffee bar opened on Sunday, October 8, 2023, the same day as the UCI Gravel Worlds in Veneto. The bar is located in an old school in the center of Heeze, near the Strabrechtse Heide. A local listing cites Jan Deckersstraat 6 as the address. The bar uses a Kees van der Westen Mirage two-group espresso machine.

The coffee bar’s offering consists of coffee, vlaai from Bisschopsmolen in Maastricht, local pastries, tea, and Fritz Kola sodas. The documented opening hours are Thursday through Saturday from 08:30 to 17:00. Additionally, the bar is open at least two Sundays per month during events.

Team and public attention

Bas van den Heuvel remains the most documented person within the company. According to available information, the business operates with five employees, supplemented by freelance cycling specialists and partners. Stagemarkt lists three recognized internship profiles and names Bas van den Heuvel as the contact person. Company.info lists Pandohill B.V. as management starting from 2024.

Il Magistrale gained public attention through outlets such as SportNext, Perfect Daily Grind, Gravel Union, and Gravel Goeroes. In 2019, Bas van den Heuvel received the first SX Open Stimuleringsprijs, providing one year of workspace in the SX office building. Later media coverage focused primarily on the relationship between coffee, cycling, and the development of the brand.

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