Koga to sponsor Skil-Shimano

Dutch bicycle manufacturer Koga will be the new equipment sponsor for the Skil-Shimano Pro-Continental cycle racing team in 2006. After an extended absence, the Dutch bicycle brand has returned to the higher ranks of road racing.

Koga will be equipping Arend Scheppink and Iwan Spekenbrink's new team with their FullPro Scandium and RoadRacer special edition framesets, and according to Wouter Jager, Koga's Managing Director, "The time has come for Koga's re-entry into the highest level of men's road racing. This will be a fantastic comeback!"

Team sponsors and management are also enthusiastic about the new partnership with Koga - not least because Koga will actively involve the team in its research and development activities to develop new cycle frames. "We particularly enjoy such close professional collaboration", explained the team management.

Established in 1974, the company has most recently been involved in sponsoring the Netherlands national track team, although success stories on the road include a stage win by Peter Winnen on Alpe d'Huez in the 1982 Tour de France and overall victory in the Le Grand Boucle Feminin by Dutch cycling star Leontien Zijlaard-Van Moorsel.