“Garmin-Sharp” registered in time for the Tour de France
On the day that Team Saxo Bank announced a co-sponsorship deal with Tinkoff Bank, Slipstream Sports – currently known as Garmin-Barracuda – also has some good news. The team has struck a deal with electronics giant Sharp with immediate effect, which will see the team name change to Garmin-Sharp just in time for the Tour de France.
“Sharp shares our passion and commitment to the best innovations in technology,” said Jonathan Vaughters, CEO of Slipstream Sports. “We are incredibly excited to partner with them to together develop technologies that will help our riders do what they do every day, even better.”
The team’s literature will continue to refer to what is now its third biggest sponsor, calling itself “Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda” but, like RadioShack-Nissan-Trek, is will only be able to use the first two sponsors’ names in an official capacity. The team’s code with the International Cycling Union (UCI) will also change from GRM, to GRS, with immediate effect.
“In the year Sharp celebrates 100 years of creating unique technologies and products that bring genuine benefit to society, we are delighted to become Technology Partner to the most exciting team in one of the world’s most beautiful sports, which perfectly showcases the convergence of technological and human achievement,” said Paul Molyneux, CEO of Sharp Europe. “Sharp has a strong focus on developing its brand presence globally, and this offers us the opportunity to put ourselves in front of a significant, new, world-wide audience. Sharp is dedicated to its founding ideals of sincerity and creativity, and with their clear commitment to ethical innovation, Slipstream are the perfect fit.
“The rapidly-growing consumer Health and Wellness market offers tremendous potential for Sharp and with this team and the partners involved, we have a world-class platform to develop real technological benefit in a highly-focused, performance-based environment,” he added. “We will challenge ourselves to use new and existing Sharp technology to help this amazing group of athletes go faster, recover quicker and continue their inspiring journey to the top of their sport, looking to create new products that help people live in a healthier, more enjoyable way.”
Sharp already has a presence in cycling – albeit a far smaller scale one – in the UK, as a sponsor of the Rapha-Condor-Sharp team, and as a sponsor of the Tour of Britain. In its centennial year, Sharp will not only collaborate with the team on new technology, but supply it with its Aquos LCD screens, audio products, solar panels, air purification systems, microwave and steam cooking equipment, refrigerators and multifunction printing devices.
“Working with the team provides Sharp with an outstanding opportunity to showcase its technology in its most important markets across Europe and around the globe,” said Matt Johnson, President of Slipstream Sports. “It also gives them access to some of the best athletes in the world to develop products for the future.”
The team’s new kit, manufactured by Castelli, will be unveiled at the team’s pre Tour de France press conference on Thursday, June 28th.