Skil new main sponsor for Pro Continental team

Skil, manufacturer of portable power tools, will be the new main sponsor of Dutch Skil-Shimano Pro Continental cycling team for 2006, now known as Shimano-Memory Corp. The team expects to present some additions in the near future, including a number of international riders. According to the team managers Arend Scheppink and Iwan Spekenbrink, the outfit will be able to put in more international appearances and strengthen the selection of riders.

The agreement between Skil and managing company Cycling Promotion Nederland has initially been signed for one year, but both parties intend to continue their partnership for a multi-year period. "The most important pillars of the team’s strategy - international presence and the coaching of cycling talent - remain in force and can now be developed further", Spekenbrink said.

"This move into the Pro Continental division gives us the opportunity to gain visibility with the team in major international events, and to underline the dynamic image of the Skil brand," Skil’s President Gerhard Kobesen explained. A number of riders, both Dutch and international, will be added to the team in the near future.