By Jos Dyer, 2 years ago
Vittoria Official Partner of the UCI
Vittoria is proud to announce a five-year partnership with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) starting in 2021. Vittoria will support the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships and the Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup as an Official Partner as well as the activities of the UCI World Cycling Centre and the UCI Solidarity programme until 2025.
The partnership with the UCI is another important step for the establishment of Vittoria’s brand and products on the MTB scene. Vittoria is the chosen tire partner of Team Absolute Absalon-BMC and Santa Cruz FSA MTB Pro Team. Last September in Leogang (Austria), Frenchman Jordan Sarrou was crowned mountain bike cross-country Olympic UCI World Champion after racing on Vittoria Barzo tires. Vittoria XC tires are the only ones using 4 different graphene-enhanced compounds in the tread.
Together in the name of sustainability and solidarity
The partnership between Vittoria and the UCI also involves a common commitment towards sustainability and climate change. Both partners are integrating sustainability into all internal policies and decision-making processes. Promoting greater environmental responsibility through cycling is the mission both organizations are committed to. Vittoria will soon have a Cycling Innovation Centre at its HQs in Italy only dedicated to product innovation, whose aim will also be to research on how to make bicycle tires production and disposal more sustainable.
Vittoria will collaborate with the UCI to develop and sustain cycling in the world by supporting local cycling associations and programs dedicated to young cyclists in developing countries as part of the UCI Solidarity Programme.
UCI President David Lappartient stated: “I am very pleased about the arrival of Vittoria among our Official Partners for mountain bike, one of our five Olympic disciplines. I also look forward to the support it will bring to the activities of the UCI World Cycling Centre, our training and education centre serving our solidarity programmes. Vittoria is one of cycling’s major historical brands and proposes high-quality products that have been appreciated by amateurs and professionals for decades. Its commitment alongside us for several years bears witness to the strong appeal of our events and at the same time will help us fulfill our mission of developing cycling throughout the world.”
President and CEO of Vittoria Stijn Vriends stated: “Being the Official Partner of the UCI’s mountain bike activities and supporting the UCI World Cycling Centre and the UCI Solidarity programme in the next years represent major milestones for us. This is a great opportunity, not only to speed up our process to become a reference brand in the sport of mountain bike and its industry, but also to unite our efforts and convey the values of solidarity, sustainability and equality that UCI has in its agenda for the next years. I’m sure our fans and customers will be as delighted as we are.”
About the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)
Founded in 1900, in Paris (France), the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is the worldwide governing body for cycling. It develops and oversees cycling in all its forms and for all people as a competitive sport, a healthy recreational activity, a means of transport and also just for fun. The UCI manages and promotes eight cycling disciplines: road, track, mountain bike, BMX Racing, BMX Freestyle, cyclo-cross, trials and indoor cycling. The season-long UCI Mountain Bike World Cup and the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships were founded in the early 1990s, while the cross-country Olympic format has also been on the programme of the Olympic Games since 1996. Cross-country Olympic and downhill competitions take place across all continents for the world’s Elite and for amateur competitors across different age categories. More information at www.uci.org
About Vittoria
Vittoria is the world’s leading brand of performance bicycle tyres, known for its unique graphene-enhanced compounds and advanced cotton & nylon casings. Vittoria produces at its factories in Thailand and sells through subsidiaries in Asia, Europe and North America. With its global R&D capabilities, Vittoria develops bicycle tyres for all performance levels in road, off-road and urban use. Vittoria Group is owned by its managers and the investment fund Wise Equity. More info on www.vittoria.com