Cycling Sponsorship Moves Bring Optimism For 2021

Supermarket giant Intermarché has taken over the title sponsorship of Wanty Gobert as the team moves up to the World Tour (Credit: Wanty Gobert)

10 December 2020

After a flurry of announcements at the end of this year, the 2021 cycling sponsorship landscape is showing clear signs of recovery as brands, teams and rights holders regain confidence for the post-Covid era.

As we head into the final part of the year you’d be forgiven for thinking that the world of cycling sponsorship would be winding down. But as teams, brands and rights holders scrabble to finalise deals for 2021, there’s been a flurry of key movements, with new brand partnerships across various sectors.

This is good news for the industry. Despite the disruption in 2020 and the commercial challenges of Covid, the fact that new brands are coming in and new investments are being made suggests that confidence is returning at all levels of the sport.

We’ve also seen a very clear trend emerging in the nature of cycling sponsorship - the rise of purpose. A key theme that’s become commonplace in other global sports and the wider marketing landscape, it’s refreshing to see that an increasing number of brands are using the platform of cycling to raise awareness for cause-led initiatives and to drive a genuine force for good. We expect this to gain momentum going into 2021, as an increasing number of brands consider communicating their mission and inspiring global behaviour change via the many positive aspects of cycling.

Here’s a round-up of the latest sponsorship moves across the industry:

Assos replaces NTT as title sponsor of World Tour team

When Japanese communications giant NTT announced it was withdrawing its sponsorship of the World Tour team of the same name, many thought it could spell the end for the squad. Thankfully, premium Swiss apparel brand Assos swept in to announce they would be taking over for 2021, renaming Doug Ryder’s outfit as Team Qhubeka Assos. As well as striving to win races at the highest level, the partnership is also rooted in a purposeful cause - raising awareness and driving action for the Qhubeka charity, which sources thousands of used bicycles from around the world and donates them to communities in Africa.

Royal DMS replaces Sunweb in the World Tour

Dutch health company Royal DSM have taken over title sponsorship of Team Sunweb (Credit: Team DSM)

It was a surprise to many that Sunweb announced it would not be continuing its title sponsorship of the pro cycling team after four successful years. Instead, the German-registered squad will undergo a complete rebrand from next season, as Dutch health and nutrition company Royal DSM steps in as title sponsor. With an all-new black kit, expect ‘Team DMS’ to carry on where the previous iteration left off, with new signing Romain Bardet set to be their World Tour leader next season.

Muc-Off partners with British Cycling and cyclocross team

Muc-Off have partnered with British Cycling (Credit: Muc-Off)

Cycling maintenance and lubricant brand Muc-Off is no stranger to sponsorship, counting Team Ineos as one of its high-profile partnerships, but its latest collaboration is an altogether different proposition. The Dorset-based brand recently announced it would be extending its sponsorship of the Steve Tilford Racing Cyclocross team, which operates to help young people from all backgrounds find and chase their passions through cycling. The team, which aims to be completely carbon neutral, also works with national organisations to educate and mentor young athletes throughout the United States. This purpose-driven approach aligns perfectly with some of Muc-Off’s own initiatives, including its ‘Project Green’ campaign.

It’s been a busy month for the Muc-Off partnerships team. In addition to the Steve Tilford sponsorship, the bicycle care brand has also just been announced as British Cycling’s official Tribology, Lube and Chain Optimisation supplier.

The two have worked together in various capacities over the years, from chain optimisation for the Olympic and Paralympic teams at London 2012 and Rio 2016, to providing exclusive offers to British Cycling members for over a decade. 2021 will see Muc-Off step up this longstanding relationship with both British Cycling and the Great Britain Cycling Team, with a wide-ranging and all-encompassing activation plan that caters for all cyclists from grassroots to elite level.

Sungod joins UCI Continental team Canyon dhb as a title sponsor

Popular British UCI Continental team, Canyon dhb, has announced SunGod as a new title sponsor. The fast-growing eyewear brand has been making inroads into the cycling market in recent years and this year released a line of cycling-specific sunglasses which have been well received.

After a challenging season with limited racing opportunities for the team the news provides a welcome endorsement to the domestic racing scene going into 2021. The last three years have seen a number of domestic teams forced to close after the departure of key sponsors. Notable casualties included Madison Gensis, JLT-Condor and Team WIGGINS.

UK Cycling Events confirms new partners for 2021

UK Cycling Events, one of the UK’s biggest operators of sportives, has unveiled a portfolio of new sponsors for the 2021 season. Under new owners Maverick Race, UKCE has revealed Freedom Brewery, Alzheimer's Research UK, Jimmy’s Iced Coffee and OTE Sports as its key partners. Despite the ongoing uncertainty around mass participation events next year, it’s encouraging to see such a vote of confidence in the UK events landscape - potentially paving the way for other brands and event operators to follow.

Intermarche replaces CCC as World Tour team title sponsor

As the CCC team folds this month, Wanty Gobert has swiftly taken over the World Tour licence. Not only that, but the Belgian outfit has confirmed a three-year title partnership with grocery store chain giant Intermarché from 2021, making the new team name Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux.

Cure Leukaemia announced as official charity partner of the Tour de France

UK blood charity Cure Leukaemia has become the first ever official charity partner of the Tour de France in the UK, via a three-year deal with the ASO. A key component of the partnership will be Cure Leukaemia’s ‘The Tour 21’, which sees a group of 25 amateur cyclists taking on the full route of the Tour de France one week before the professional race, and aiming to raise over £1m for the charity.

EF Education and Cannondale announced as first sponsors of all-new Continental race team

Cannondale and EF Education are amongst the first big sponsors to be confirmed by the all-new Continental team, Nippo-Provence-PTS Conti. Set up by ex-pro Robbie Hunter, the American squad have also been heavily linked with Nippo as a future co-sponsor. With both Cannondale and EF as key partners, it also suggests that the 12-rider development squad could be linked to the WorldTour team EF Pro Cycling, joining Rapha, Poc and other leading performance cycling brands on the team’s roster.

Astana become Astana Premier-Tech for 2021

Canadian manufacturing giant Premier-Tech has announced it is to step up to title sponsorship of the Astana World Tour team from next season. With reduced budgets available from the Kazakhstani companies that previously funded the team, Premier-Tech’s increased investment will cover a significant proportion of the outfit’s costs. Discussions are also underway to create two new youth teams in Canada and Kazakhstan.

With several major new partnerships revealed in the space of a few weeks, it suggests that brands, teams and rights holders are identifying clear opportunities across the sponsorship landscape next season. As competition increases, it will be the ones that not only negotiate the best rights but who activate those rights effectively, that will succeed in 2021.

Tom Foy is a Partner at Freeride.