Škoda Gets Behind NZ Spring Cycling Team

The New Zealand sprint cycling team that achieved such amazing results this year have now received strong endorsement from ŠKODA. The car manufacturer has just signed a two-year sponsorship agreement with the team. The NZ cycling sprint team of Matt Archibald, Eddie Dawkins, Ethan Mitchell, Simon van Velthooven and Sam Webster will be ŠKODA ambassadors. They have each been given a high-performance ŠKODA to drive for the duration of the sponsorship.

“These elite athletes have already proved to be world beaters and we want to give them all the support we can to continue their glittering international careers. Cycling is woven into the DNA of the ŠKODA brand and the opportunity to partner with one of New Zealand’s high profile cycling teams builds on ŠKODA’s global cycling strategy” said Greg Leet, General Manager of ŠKODA New Zealand.

Mitchell, Webster and Dawkins won the world team sprint title in Colombia earlier this year and followed it up with a gold medal in Glasgow. Webster also won the individual sprint gold medal in Glasgow, with Dawkins getting a bronze. At the same event, Van Velthooven followed his bronze medal in the keirin at the London Olympics with a silver in the 1km time trial, with team mate Archibald on his heels in the bronze medal position.

The cyclists enjoy their cars. Simon van Velthooven said apart from being a high-performance vehicle, the roof rack and huge boot on his Octavia RS are great for any weekend activity. Sam Webster sees being a ŠKODA ambassador as a great opportunity to join up with a company that has a rich cycling heritage. Ethan Mitchell echoed the sentiment. “To have the support of such a cycling passionate company in my journey toward the goal of Olympic glory is amazing and extremely humbling. To see the world champ stripes on my car is an extra motivation to go out and defend our world title and bring more success to cycling and New Zealand.”

The sponsorship deal with the men’s sprint cycling team is the latest in ŠKODA’s long-standing association with New Zealand cycling. The car maker already counts world champion Alison Shanks as an ambassador and sponsors the Avantidrome National Cycling Centre of Excellence as well as local cycling events. The company will be looking to continue to build its support of the sport over the coming years.

ŠKODA has been associated with cycling from its very start in 1895. Before they made cars, company founders Vaclav Laurin and Vaclav Klement began manufacturing bicycles in their home town of Mladá Boleslav in what is now the Czech Republic. Nowadays ŠKODA provides transport in more style and comfort than a bicycle ever could. The company’s cars are provided as support vehicles in major cycling races such as the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta España.

For more information please go to http://www.skoda.co.nz .