GPS technology company Garmin has agreed deals to sponsor five UCI WorldTour cycling teams for the 2017 season.
Garmin will continue to sponsor the Cannondale-Drapac Pro Cycling Team and the Movistar Team, and has also entered into partnerships with the Astana Pro Team, FDJ Pro Team and Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka.
In addition, Garmin will continue to back the following mountain biking teams: Trek Factory Racing, CLIF Pro Team, CUBE Action Team and Scott-SRAM.
Several teams will be equipped with Garmin products to increase performance and help provide a safer cycling environment. Edge cycling computers will provide data and key metrics to cyclists, as well as GPS and navigational support, while the Varia cycling radar will warn riders of nearby traffic.
Many of the sponsored teams will also use Garmin Forerunner GPS running watches, Fēnix multi-sport GPS watches and a range of Vívo activity trackers which will monitor the distance cyclists travel, the calories they burn and their sleeping patterns. In addition, teams will benefit from the Garmin Index smart scale, which measures the likes of weight, body fat and skeletal muscle mass.
“Garmin started sponsoring professional cycling teams nearly a decade ago, and we are excited to continue our commitment to the sport,” Jon Cassat, Garmin’s vice-president of communications, said.