Skoda to drive htc

Top professional cycling outfit Team HTC-Highroad has signed a deal with Skoda Germany that will see Skoda provide the team with a fleet of vehicles for the start of the 2011 season.

HTC-Highroad's men's and women's teams will drive the Skoda Octavia Combi Sport Edition and the Skoda Yeti. The car manufacturer's logo will also appear on the team's jersey.

Skoda's corporate history is bound to the sport of cycling. In 1895, Václav Laurin and Václav Klement founded a bicycle manufactory in the bohemian town Mladá Boleslav. Ten years later the Voiturette A, the first automobile of the young company, rolled out of the workshops. In 1925 Laurin & Klement merged with Skoda.

"On the basis of our traditional roots, our brand feels a strong affiliation with cycling," said Uwe Ungeheuer, head of marketing for Skoda Germany. "We are happy to be the official vehicle sponsor of HTC-Highroad and we are looking forward to a successful relationship."

"Skoda is a very big supporter of cycling around the world, partnering with teams and major races, " added HTC-Highroad team manager Rolf Aldag. "We are very pleased to welcome another innovative brand to our family of partners and we look forward to representing them at our first race of the season, the Santos Tour Down Under. "

The deal is believed to be for a two year period, with an option to extend. It is likely to be worth some €1 million in cash and value in kind over the initial two-year term.

Skoda is a key international cycling sponsor. In April last year, it extended its sponsorship of the Tour de France through to 2013. The company was also a significant backer of last year's UCI Road World Championships.