Specialized Women have signed a three-year sponsorship agreement with race organizer Amaury Sport Organization (A.S.O.) to continue as the Official Performance Bike sponsor of the La Course by Le Tour de France held for the first time in 2014.
This one day race, held on the final day of the Tour de France, will once again see the fiercely competitive women’s pro peloton tussle for the win on the majestic Champs-Élysées in Paris.
“It was terrific to see women racing on the World’s biggest stage last July,” said Slate Olson, CMO of Specialized. “It is important that we keep this momentum going, and with our support of La Course we hope to ensure that the exposure to a growing global audience will only strengthen the sport for women racing at the highest level."
Yann Le Moenner, Managing Director of A.S.O. remarked, “We are very pleased to see that Specialized Women, a pioneer in the field of women cycling, will be by our side for the second edition of La Course by le Tour de France. This renewed confidence confirms the great value and the legitimacy of this new women's race, whose images, with the Champs-Elysées as a background, were broadcasted in more than 150 countries last year.”
Specialized Women sponsors the Boels-Dolman Cycling Team powered by Specialized lululemon, a team that boasts a bevy of top riders including British sensation, Lizzie Armitstead, Dutch powerhouse Ellen van Dijk, and American star Evelyn Stevens. Specialized provides high-performance bikes and equipment to the team.
Evie Stevens, Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team, "I think that La Course it’s really exciting and a huge step in women cycling. The Tour de France is the pinnacle in cycling in the US people that don’t know cycling know Tour de France. So for them, including the women to that with La Course make the event very exciting. For me it’s even more special because Specialized is the team sponsor so for them to be sponsoring this big event just shows that they’re really moving in the direction that women cycling needs to be headed."
Lizzie Armistead, Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team: “I think La Course is a very good race for women cycling. It’s a World stage and we have the support from the crowd from the men’s race, because they’re going to be there and it means millions of people on the street and we just get the opportunity to showcase our sport that is not happening so often. It’s a special race I think we also had the fastest average of the all season last year. It’s a hard race and it’s really nice that Specialized is sponsoring again because I think Specialized is making great effort for women cycling and developing women cycling and I think that’s the perfect partner that perfect fit for that event. La Course is kind of changing the face of women cycling and I think that Specialized brand is doing that as well.”
During the 90km course, which includes 13 laps of the Champs-Élysées circuit, Olympians, World and National Champions will go head-to-head in an effort to get to the top step in Paris and celebrate in this prestigious location. The race itself is held prior to the final stage of the Tour de France and will be broadcast in over 140 countries to an audience of millions.
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