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Cannondale have just annonced sponsorship of Team Barloworld road team for 2006. This is in addition to their backing of the Italian Lampre-Caffita team.
“We have no intention of just supplying product,” says Matt Mannelly, Cannondale’s CEO. “With Barloworld we’ll be re-writing the rules on traditional sponsorships.”
“In competitive cycling, there are sponsors of teams and there are owners. We want to control our own destiny and will have part ownership of the squad.” says Mannelly. “With ownership comes responsibility and commitment. Our dealers, and more importantly our consumers expect ‘value beyond product.’ With Barloworld, our goal is to create a full-blown ‘experience’ that will touch consumers on many levels.”
In addition to bikes, Cannondale will be designing and developing full team kit. The team will be riding Cannondale’s revolutionary Six13 and Slice Aero TT machines. And, as with every Cannondale team, Cannondale engineers will use the Barloworld squad in the “Cannondale Product Creation Process” to pursue, develop and introduce new road technologies.
The team will be managed by long-time Cannondale confidant Claudio Corti, who was instrumental in ushering Cannondale into the pro peloton in the 1997 season with the Saeco. “Cannondale always delivers more than a great bike and race clothing,” says Corti. “They bring a unique personality to a team that creates excitement and generates enthusiasm for the sport.”
Barloworld has conveyed that they are committed to the sport of cycling with a long term objective of placing the first South African sponsored team on the podium at the Tour de France. A multi-national company with headquarters in Johannesburg, Barloworld represents and manages many leading brands around the world. Barloworld is active in 31 countries and commercialises its products and services in over 100 countries. Barloworld has 23,000 employees and sales of three billion US dollars.
“Both Cannondale and Barloworld have the highest of expectations,” concludes Mannelly. “The Tour de France is among our future targets, along with the other major stops on the Pro Tour.”
For more information, visit Cannondale’s web site at www.cannondale.com
