Cycling

Jean-Rene Bernaudeau’s Pro Continental cycling team will be sponsored by the electricity and gas supplier Direct Energie from 2016.

Financial holding company Markel Corporation has agreed a commercial partnership with Richmond’s organising committee for the  2015 International Cycling Union (UCI) Road World Championships.

Japanese automotive manufacturer Lexus has signed up as a commercial partner of the International Cycling Union’s (UCI) 2015 Road World Championships in the US city of Richmond, Virginia.

Belgian pay-television broadcaster Telenet has signed this month as a sponsor of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup in 2015-16 and as the event’s title sponsor, from 2016-17 to 2019-20, in a deal that gives Telenet extensive broadcast rights to the series.

Norwegian oil and gas company Statoil has extended its agreement to serve as the main sponsor of the Arctic Race of Norway cycling event.

The Virginia Tourism Corporation has entered into a partnership with Richmond 2015, organiser of this year’s UCI Road World Championships cycling event.

South African telecommunications company MTN has confirmed it is to end its title sponsorship of the MTN-Qhubeka Professional Continental cycling team at the end of the 2015 season.

French financial services company Cofidis has extended its long-term title sponsorship of the Cofidis UCI Pro-Continental cycling team.

UK pay-television broadcaster Sky will end its eight-year sponsorship of the British Cycling national governing body in 2016.

The University of Richmond in the US has struck a deal to become a major partner of the 2015 International Cycling Union (UCI) Road World Championships.

German caffeine shampoo brand Alpecin measures the success of its cycling and football-based sponsorship portfolio solely in terms of unit sales.

Operating budgets for the professional cycling teams that compete on the UCI World Tour average out at between €12m to €15m with teams typically funding much of that total from title sponsors or co-title sponsors.

The marketing team behind insurance company Aviva will continue to “test the waters” as title sponsor of cycling’s Tour of Britain and Women’s Tour. The brand assumed the rights from its subsidiary financial services company Friends Life, which served as title sponsor to both in 2014.

US biopharmaceutical company Amgen has renewed its title sponsorship of the Tour of California UCI America Tour cycling race.

German shampoo manufacturer Alpecin has expanded its presence in cycling by becoming an official co-partner of the Tour de Suisse.

UK insurance company Aviva has taken on title sponsorship of the Tour of Britain and Women’s Tour cycling events.

Bicycle and cycling product manufacturer Trek has struck a partnership with the Tour de Suisse cycling race.

Richmond 2015, the organiser of the 2015 UCI Road World Championships, has signed TowneBank to its team of major corporate partners for September’s nine-day cycling event in the US city.