UnitedHealthcare has signed a new three-year deal with Momentum Sports Group, which will see it remain as name sponsor for the Professional Continental team through 2014. The team, which began in 2003 as Health Net, stepped up from Continental status in 2011; it managed to secure invitations to a number of the sports biggest races, in the United States, Asia, and Europe.
“We are thrilled to team up again with UnitedHealthcare,” said Greg Raifman, chairman and CEO of the Momentum Sports Group. “UnitedHealthcare has been incredibly supportive, and we have been able to build a true long-term partnership that benefits everyone involved – the community, the fans, and the sport overall.”
More than simply wearing the company’s logo on their cycling kit, UnitedHealthcare riders also serve as health and wellness ambassadors to local communities and visit schools, children’s hospitals and YMCAs across the United States.
“Partnering with Momentum Sports Group provides us with a number of opportunities that go well beyond promoting the benefits of exercise and cycling,” said Jeff Alter, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual. “When not racing, this team is engaging communities and their youth in educational discussions and activities that will develop healthy habits early in a person’s development.”
This extra-sportive role is something that many of the riders clearly enjoy: “We love racing under the UnitedHealthcare banner and travelling around the country talking about the health benefits of exercise and proper nutrition,” said rider Jake Keough. “Winning races is very important to our team, but just as important for us is having a positive impact on the lives of young people.”
UnitedHealthcare’s highest scoring rider in 2011 was German sprinter Robert Förster, who took the team’s three biggest victories with stages at the Tours of Langkawi, Asturias, and Qinghai Lake. Förster returns in 2012, and the team is bolstered by the arrival of Curaçao champion Marc de Maar from Quick Step, Jeff Louder from BMC Racing, and Philip Deignan and Jason McCartney from RadioShack.