Sky to Sponsor Professional cycling team
The Sky Professional cycling team took to the roads for the first time in London on Monday 4th January, as the riders and management showed off the team’s colours to the world.
After a long time in the planning stage, the team is finally complete, both in the rider line up and in the long list of key sponsors and on January 4, the team was unwrapped for all the world to see in London at the team launch.
The launch was preceded by a ride featuring most of the team’s riders and 300 members of the public who won their places via the Team Sky Facebook page (opens in a new window). Three groups of 100 rode from different locations - the London Eye, Guildhall and Regent’s Park - towards a central meeting point on The Mall.
Team Principal Dave Brailsford said: "We started talking a long time ago about setting up a top-level British team but needed to reach a critical mass of riders to achieve it. Now here we are. We’re ambitious but the key thing for us is to make sure everything is centred on the rider. We want to treat the riders with dignity and respect so that they can be the best then can be."
Team Sky was created in February 2009 and has the aim to win the Tour de France with a British rider within five years and Brailsford added: "People need to be motivated to get the best out of them and we want them to achieve excellence. Team spirit is critical to us so the personality of the riders played a big part in our recruitment." Team Sky was awarded a four-year UCI Pro Licence this autumn and will first compete at the Tour Down Under in mid-January 2010.
The riders, eight of whom are British, comprise 12 different nationalities. Brailsford was also delighted at the success of the ride before the launch, saying: "It’s engaging with the public which is what this project is all about. And that’s why we wanted to have a ride today where the team rode with cycling fans - it’s a huge day for us."
All the riders at the launch cycled onto the stage at the presentation at Millbank Tower, astride their stunning looking Pinarello bikes with three-time Olympic gold medallist and Tour de France fourth Bradley Wiggins the last man to be introduced. "The thing with this team is that we’ll do everything we can to be in the best possible shape to win the Tour de France," promised Wiggins.
For more information on Team Sky visit: http://www.teamsky.com (opens in a new window)
Since becoming Principal Partner of British Cycling last summer Sky has used its relationship with millions of homes to encourage families to get out and ride in order to help their health, their fitness and the environment.
Through the launch of Sky’s Skyride campaign we aim to get 1 million more people regularly cycling in the UK by 2013. To find out more about the free cycling events taking place this summer and to get involved visit: www.goskyride.com (opens in a new window)