The International Cycling Union (UCI) and Shimano Inc. today signed an agreement to extend
their partnership contract until the end of 2012.
The signing ceremony between the UCI President, Mr Pat McQuaid, accompanied by the Director
General, Mr Jean-Pierre Strebel, and the Chairman of Shimano Inc., Mr Yoshizo Shimano, took
place in Friedrichshafen, Germany, during the international bike show Eurobike.
Shimano, a leading worldwide supplier of bicycle components, fishing tackle and other sports
equipment, has been a UCI partner since 1999 and provides technical services at the Road,
Track, Mountain Bike, Marathon, Cyclo-cross, BMX, Juniors and Para-cycling World
Championships, as well as at the Mountain Bike and Cyclo-cross World Cup events.
Shimano was also in charge of technical assistance at the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004 and
in Beijing in 2008.
Ten years after the beginning of this collaboration, which represents an essential quality
guarantee for riders and teams in all the cycling disciplines, Mr Pat McQuaid expressed his
pleasure that the contract has been extended: “Shimano is definitely one of our Federation’s most
loyal and prestigious partners, and we are honoured to have been able to extend our agreement
with them. The level of the services that Shimano has always provided, as well as the importance
of its support to different UCI activities – beginning with the World Cycling Centre in Aigle – have,
over the years, provided us with a precious ally in our daily commitment to cycling.”
Mr. Yoshizo Shimano commented: “Shimano truly feels that the opportunity to extend this
agreement is a special one. We are looking forward to the continued co-operation with the UCI in
the coming years with our common goal in mind: to promote the popularity of cycling all around
the world in all disciplines and at all levels.”