Liquigas Pro Tour Cycling Team, including Cannondale alumni and winner of the inaugural Pro Tour Danilo Di Luca, has chosen Cannondale bicycles as technical bicycle sponsor in a multi-year partnership beginning in 2007.

The agreement secures a long-term partnership with the high profile and highly sought-after world class Liquigas team. Both parties are enthusiastic about the spirit of partnership and the many important victories to come.

“Liquigas has the breadth of talent to showcase and win with world class athletes and a strong vision for the future,” said Matt Mannelly, Cannondale President and CEO. “A key aspect of the sponsorship is the integration of the team into the Cannondale Product Creation Process. Everything we create hinges on input from riders at the highest level. We look forward to collaborating with Liquigas to fuel our engineers towards continued innovation,” Mannelly continues.

Both Di Luca and Paris Roubaix winner, Swedish powerhouse, Magnus Backstedt, will begin their next season on-board Cannondale’s SystemSix, which recently topped the charts in Germany’s Tour Magazine benchmark performance tests. Its lightweight construction and explosive stiffness make it the ideal platform for one-day powerhouses and climbers alike.

“These decisions are made as a team,” said Liquigas Managing Director Roberto Amadio. “Several members of our team such as Di Luca, Bertagnolli, Spezialetti and Roberto Petito have raced and won on Cannondale in the past—and in the end it comes down to product performance. Our success hinges on aligning ourselves with the best partners. We believe that Cannondale is at the forefront of bicycle innovation.”

Liquigas was the best choice for Cannondale. “This was a very important decision for us.” says Mannelly. “We’ve been approached by a number of teams and we had the best chemistry with Liquigas—it’s a true partnership built on performance and winning at the highest level.”

Team Liquigas is the crown jewel in Cannondale’s show of force on the road in 2007. With the successful Continental Team Barloworld and 3 time NRC Champion Health Net riding Cannondale, the addition of Team Liquigas ensures that Cannondale-sponsored racers will top podiums worldwide in 2007 and beyond.

For information on Cannondale bicycles visit: www.cannondale.com