Garmin-Slipstream pushing the pace on stage three of Franco-Belge. (Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)
Garmin announced on Tuesday that they have extended their sponsorship of Garmin-Slipstream, for a further three years. The American team's manager Jonathan Vaughters said the deal, which will see Garmin remain as title sponsor until at least 2013, will allow the team to reach its long term goals.
"When Garmin first decided to partner with us, we said we believed that a new era of cycling was upon us. Today, with this significant extension, we can now say – the era is here," said Vaughters.
"Garmin’s commitment to innovation and integrity mirrors our own, and knowing that we have their partnership for the next four years means that we can continue to develop the next generation of cycling champions."
Garmin, who produce global positioning systems (GPS), said that they had been pleased with the global exposure the team had provided the company since joining as principal sponsor prior to the 2008 Tour de France.
"The success of the team spans the globe and surpassed our expectations for the first year and a half of our title sponsorship, bringing Garmin’s reputation for quality, commitment, performance and productivity into countless households in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia," said Jon Cassat, Garmin’s vice president of communications.
"Our objectives were – and continue to be – to integrate our products on sports’ biggest stages and to build global brand awareness. Whether capturing victories around the world, winning national championships or working to develop future generations of talent, Garmin-Slipstream has helped us achieve those objectives and has made an impression on billions of potential customers."
Since their formation in 2007, Garmin-Slipstream has become one of the Worlds most successful teams. The squad underlined their strength this year with 29 victories. Their success included three stage wins at last month's Vuelta a España and Bradley Wiggins' fourth place finish at the Tour de France.
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For the team, the deal is firm endorsement of their approach to clean cycling. They work closely with Anti-Doping Research, Inc. (ADR) and ADSI (the Anti-Doping Sciences Institute) as part of their ongoing anti-doping mission.
"[With this sponsorship extension] we can continue to make technological innovations that will give our riders a competitive advantage on the road," said Vaughters. "And off the road, we can continue to help better the sport."
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