Cycling’s Vuelta a España has confirmed a sponsorship deal with Spanish telecommunications group Telefónica.
Event organiser Unipublic has agreed a three-year deal with Telefónica. The agreement covers the 2017 to 2019 editions of the Vuelta, which is one of cycling’s three ‘Grand Tour’ events.
Telefónica, which sponsored the Vuelta between 1999 and 2002, will serve as the event’s technological partner and exclusive telecommunications provider. The deal was first reported by Spanish newspaper El País last month.
In September, Telefónica extended its title sponsorship of UCI WorldTour cycling squad Team Movistar through its mobile phone operator brand.
The three-year agreement means the Team Movistar moniker is set to remain in place through to the end of the 2019 WorldTour season. The announcement came a day after Movistar’s star rider, Nairo Quintana (pictured), claimed victory in the 2016 Vuelta a España. The Colombian’s contract has also been extended to run across the duration of the new title sponsorship deal.