Dubai-based airline Emirates has signed on as the new co-title sponsor of the WorldTour cycling team formerly known as Lampre-Merida.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the new-look UAE Team Emirates was presented today (Tuesday) at a press conference ahead of the 2017 Abu Dhabi Tour, which commences on Thursday.
The Emirates logo will appear on the front of riders’ jerseys, with team colours remaining the green, white, black and red of the UAE flag. The team also announced the signing of two other sponsors in the form of Abu Dhabi-based defence and security systems company International Golden Group and Forex and CFD trading firm ADS Securities.
Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, divisional senior vice-president of commercial operations at Emirates, said, according to the CyclingNews website: “For us, it’s an opportunity. Emirates has always been involved in sport, however, in the last two years, cycling has seen tremendous growth, in terms of fans and people watching it here. Here in the UAE, I think almost every house has a bike in it. We always select the best and we feel the team is the best to associate ourselves with. It’s a huge opportunity to present United Arab Emirates as a country.”
It was announced in December that former WorldTour team Lampre-Merida was set to continue into the 2017 season after being granted a two-year licence by the International Cycling Union (UCI). However, its backing switched from a Chinese entity to a United Arab Emirates-based body.
It was initially announced in August that the WorldTour was set for its first Chinese team after a takeover deal was sealed for the Italian outfit Lampre-Merida. Chinese company TJ Sport Consultation was confirmed as the new licence holder of Lampre-Merida, which was formed in 1991.
Commenting on UAE Team Emirates’ ambitions, Matar Suhail Al Yabhouni Al Dhaheri, team president, said: “We are looking to be in the top 10 team, go step by step, look for top 10, then the year after more like top five. We’re aiming, slowly but surely, to be top-three in the three years. I’m confident in my management and riders to reach that in three years.”