Transitions in pursuit of world’s cycling fans

Optics has been catapulted to the top flight of international sports sponsorship through the creation of the Garmin-Transitions professional cycling team.

The multi-million pound sponsorship deal will place Transitions’ logo alongside that of the sat nav specialist Garmin putting the brand in front of hundreds of millions of consumers around the world at live events and via TV. Its logo will appear on the shirts of team members at 245 racing days next year in events such as the Tour de France.

The team, formerly Garmin-Slipstream, is one of the most successful in professional cycling and has an ethos of promoting the ethical growth of cycling and developing the next generation of cycling champions. ‘We are thrilled to be associated with such a talented and ethical team that has received so much recognition for their success’, said Lindsay Brown, general manager, Transitions Optical EMEA.

Transitions said the tie up gels with its own ideals and will provide Transitions with global visibility for its everyday photochromic lenses and its adaptive sunwear, SOLFX. The Garmin-Transitions riders will also wear Transitions’ most advanced photochromic lens technology as they race and train. Jonathan Vaughters, CEO of Slipstream Sports, which owns the team, said, ‘Our riders are constantly going through different light conditions while training and racing. If we can enhance their visual performance, it will give us a big advantage on the road.’

Transitions has got involved in the sponsorship at an exciting time for cycling which has seen its popularity rocket following major UK success at the Beijing Oympics and the world championships. This has been accompanied by an increase in cycling for leisure and commuting.

‘Cycling represents one of the best values in the arena of international professional sports and is undergoing a huge surge in popularity, becoming the second favourite recreational activity in the world,’ said Matt Dorling, business director northern Europe. Transitions is expected to build an extensive marketing campaign around the sponsorship including activity within optical practices.