Swiss watchmaker Tissot has been named as the International Cycling Union’s (UCI) first world cycling partner as part of an expanded agreement with the sport’s global governing body.
The new four-year deal, which also sees Tissot retain its position as the official timekeeper of the UCI across all events and disciplines, will run from 2017 to 2020.
Under the fresh agreement, Tissot has been named as the inaugural title sponsor of the UCI Track World Cup, and as the first-ever presenting partner of the UCI Track World Championships. The new status becomes effective from the 2016-17 season and commences with the opening leg of the Track World Cup in Glasgow, Scotland from November 4-6.
Tissot will also serve as the presenting sponsor of all future attempts at the UCI World Hour Record.
In addition, Tissot’s timing services will be used for the UCI’s World Championships in the road, track, mountain bike and BMX disciplines, and for all legs of the Track World Cup and any future attempts at the UCI Hour Record.
Tissot’s GPS data will be used at the Road and Mountain Bike World Championships, while the company will also present each future individual world champion across all four Olympic disciplines of the sport with a watch as part of the ‘Tissot Watch Award’ initiative.
“This partnership allies (Tissot's) world-renowned precision with the growing popularity of our Olympic sport across the globe,” UCI president Brian Cookson said. “All of our disciplines will benefit from this alliance and our fans will surely appreciate the technological savoir-faire of our trusted partner.”
Tissot first partnered with the UCI in 1995.