UCI WorldTour team brings in new title sponsor

UCI WorldTour cycling team Orica-Scott will be known as Mitchelton-Scott from next year after a naming-rights deal was signed with Australian winery Mitchelton.

Mitchelton will replace explosives and mining chemicals company Orica as the team’s co-title sponsor. The new name change applies to both men’s and women’s outfits, with Mitchelton-Scott’s Continental team to launch at a later date.

The length of Mitchelton’s deal was not disclosed. The winery will share title sponsorship rights with sports equipment manufacturer Scott Sports, which took on naming rights to the team at the start of 2017 under a three-year deal.

Mitchelton’s managing director, Andrew Ryan, whose father, Gerry, owns the team, said: “The past number of years Mitchelton has focused on domestic business, but we are now ready to target export markets and cycling is a great vehicle to promote our brand to the various global markets.

“With the new Mitchelton Hotel and Day Spa, we have seen an increase in international tourism to the estate and this association with the team will enable us to broadly promote our estate to the world.” 

The team’s kits will also revert to black and yellow courtesy of apparel partner Giordana Cycling.

Orica, which first partnered with the team in 2012, had previously confirmed that the 2017 season would be its last as title sponsor.