Carbon Addiction

A new season typically means new sponsors, and 2015 has plenty of them. In case you’ve been wondering who’s financing the world’s top cycling teams in 2015, here’s a quick summary.

Teams with new naming sponsors in 2015:

Garmin Cannondale – Okay, they’re not exactly new naming sponsors, rather two existing ones from different 2014 teams getting together in a new arrangement for Slipstream Sports in 2015. Gone is the blue argyle, replaced by green.

Etixx-Quickstep – Quickstep floors have sponsored Patrick Lefevere’s squad since day one in 2003 and continue to do so. In 2015 their fellow naming sponsor Omega Pharma has opted to use one of its sub-brands, Etixx Sports Nutrition, which clearly they’re hoping to sell bucketloads of to cycling fans.

Lotto-Soudal – For 2015 it’s out with Belisol (custom-made windows and doors in PVC, aluminium and wood) and in with Soudal who are a manufacturer of sealants, PU-Foams and adhesives, pretty much a Euro version of Selleys.

LottoNL-Jumbo – Jumbo is major supermarket chain in the Netherlands. But just to really confuse us all in 2015, the team will also be sponsored by yet another national lottery. Unlike FDJ (the French national lottery) the team formerly known as Belkin, Blanco and Rabobank actually has the word Lotto in their name too, like their Belgian counterparts. God help Phil Liggett.

Team Giant-Alpecin – formerly known as Giant-Shimano, the bike manufacturer shares naming rights in 2015 with, of all things, a brand of Caffeine Shampoo. Marcel Kittel will no doubt be delighted.

 

Teams with existing naming sponsors in 2015:

Team Sky – As if you didn’t know…Sky is a British-based publicly-listed media organisation.

BMC – American-owned team sponsored by a Swiss-based bicycle manufacturer.

Trek Factory Racing – American-based bicycle manufacturer. But you knew that already too.

Ag2r-La Mondiale – Ag2r is a French-based insurance/financial group. La Mondial is a wealth management business.

IAM Cycling – IAM is a Geneva-based asset management business, specialising in pension funds.

Astana – Astana is the capital city of Kazakhstan, the team itself is funded by a coalition of state-owned Kazakh companies known as Samruk-Kazyna.

FDJ.fr – French team sponsored by the French National Lottery.

Movistar – the major Spanish mobile phone operator.

Katusha – In English the Russian word Katusha translates to the pet name form of the name Yekaterina, a Russian equivalent of Catherine. So it roughly equates to English names like Kathy and Katie. What do this have to with pro cycling? I’m not exactly sure, but will dig a bit more when I have time.

Tinkoff-Saxo – Tinkoff Credit Systems Bank was established by Russian team owner, Oleg Tinkov in 2007 when he sold his previous business, a brewery. Saxo Bank is a major Danish investment bank.

Lampre-Merida – Merida is a Taiwanese-based bicycle manufacturing business, selling over 2 million bikes a year. Lampre has sponsored the Italian squad since 1991 and is a manufacturer of prefinished steel sheeting.

Orica-GreenEDGE – Orica is an Australian-based multinational corporation that provides chemicals and explosives primarily for the mining industry.