Specialized Bicycle Components has added another high-powered team to its ranks in the form of the HTC-High Road squad. The partnership, which will put Specialized bikes underneath the the world's most successful men's and women's cycling teams, will see the two California-based entities enter a long-term sponsorship agreement for 2011 and beyond.
"We are thrilled by this foundational partnership with the iconic global cycling brand of Specialized," commented Bob Stapleton, the founder of High Road Sports. "Mike Sinyard is an authentic entrepreneur and his company is a dominant force in both professional racing and bringing innovation to millions of recreational cyclists worldwide."
Stapleton, who entered the sport with the aim of affecting positive change, confirmed the partnership will go beyond racing.
"Our partnership is focused not only on athletic success, but also on developing superior products and promoting cycling as a part of a healthy lifestyle for the more than 160 million enthusiasts in Europe and the USA alone," he continued.
"We come together with aggressive plans and motivated partners who are excited about the compelling sport of cycling. We want to further build on this platform and recruit leading technology and lifestyle companies to work alongside our existing partners, which include HTC, Shimano, Oakley, as well as our marketing partners, Google and Skype. Together, we are focused on adding a long-term, innovative co-title partner with naming rights in advance of the major races this summer, including the Tour de France," Stapleton explained.
Specialized founder Mike Sinyard recognizes the synergies between his company and High Road Sports, and is enthusiastic about the potential.
"I've always respected Bob [Stapleton] and the teams he has built," Sinyard admitted. "Our organizations have a lot in common: Their team headquarters is just down the road from ours, both crews focus on riders' needs first, and we've both achieved great results that are fueled by the love of cycling."
A key aspect of the partnership for Sinyard is the continued development of Specialized products with feedback from both the HTC-High Road men and womens teams. The company will now look forward to having the world's fastest sprinter, Mark Cavendish, continue to dominate the bunch gallops on their bikes.
"High Road will drive us hard to continually improve our bikes and helmets, and we'll deliver the best materials in the world to help them win races," he said.
Specialized will supply frames, forks and helmets for both teams. The weapon of choice for the mens team will be the S-Works Tarmac for the majority of races, but they will have the advantage of using the S-Works Roubaix for the cobbled classics. The Shiv TT will be the team's time trial machine. The riders will wear the all-new S-Works Prevail helmet on the road and the TT3 helmets in the time trial.
"We are especially excited about the HTC-Highroad women's team, which is every bit as strong and successful as the men's squad," continued Sinyard. "Through close work with these top-tier riders, we can continue to grow and improve the performance and fit of our women's bikes and equipment."
The eleven riders on the women's squad will race on Amira road bikes, built specifically for high-performance riders and racers, and Shiv TT bikes for the time trials. They will also wear Prevail and TT3 helmets.