Main sponsor, Vacansoleil, signs for three years.

When sponsorship contracts were signed on 24th of June, a new Dutch pro-continental cycling team was created: the Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team.

The team is made up of 18 cyclists, one of which is a cyclo cross rider. There are 12 Dutch, 2 Belgians, 2 Danish and 2 French in the team. Managed by Daan Luijkx, they will take part in a double pro-continental race schedule for 2009. The Dutch cyclists, Bobby Traksel and Aart Vierhouten, have already been contracted.

Team members and management all have a clear and firm vision of their team's goal:
“SPORTING, TRANSPARENT AND AMBITIOUS”
The mission of the Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team is to create a solid base and close team during 2009 with a view to expanding the number of Pro-tour races in 2010 and participating in a major race in 2011.

Behind the Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team there is strong financial support: main sponsor Vacansoleil has signed for three years with its contribution increasing throughout the period. Batavus has made a similar three year commitment and final negotiations in are in progress with a third sponsor. For 2009 the Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team will work with a budget of between three and four million euro. This will increase significantly each year. With this level of support the Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team will be a European team that will be able to compete internationally for victories.

With this move, Vacansoleil has made a clear choice in its sports sponsorship strategy: Football sponsorship at a national level gave positive results in several of the countries where we sell. By choosing a pan-European strategy we will not have a separate team in every country, but one team with our identity to promote our brand in several countries at the same time. Cycling is a sport which is very close to the people; a sport which is very popular in many European countries. However it is also a sport which has had diffecult times in the past few years. We believe that things can move forward again and are convinced that with Daan and the cyclists he selects, we have made a good choice. They will show that cycling is a great activity that can be sporting, transparant and ambitious and that can be practiced in a positive way. With this message we hope to make contact with many of the people of Europe.

Batavus has been a very well known brand of bikes for more than a century and, during these years, has had close contact with professional cycling. Innovation via top sport is important and, after a short break, Batavus is happy starting from 2008 to be back in the world of sport with the P3transfer-Batavus team. From 2009 Batavus will continue in this vein and will become sponsor of the new professional Dutch team: the Pro-Continental Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team. The sporting success of Batavus goods will continue and this will have an effect on its whole range.

Vacansoleil and Batavus fit very well together: both are very strong Dutch brands that have products that focus on free time. Camping and cycling are often linked together by many consumers and are seen as positive lifesytle choices. Vacansoleil and Batavus also work together as sponsors of the successful television programme Campinglife (NL) (RTL4, Saturday night 7pm)

Daan Luijkx: Since ending his active professional cycling career at the end of the nineties, Daan has had gained good experience in several management positions, both in business and in cycling. Daan is founder and owner of the accountancy agency Hoendervangers & Luijkx Accountants & Belastingadviseurs. This company has two offices in Roosendaal and Sprundel in the Netherlands and employes 40 people.

Previous page>