Skoda Australia Proudly Announces New Ambassador Partnership With Young Australian Cyclist Jack Bobridge

BOTANY, AUSTRALIA – October 19, 2009: Jack Bobridge, gold medal winner in the under-23 time trial at the recent UCI World Road Cycling Championships in Switzerland, has joined the Škoda Team.

Škoda’s association with cycling reaches back over 100 years, when the brand was a bicycle manufacturer, before it switched to four wheels in 1905. This early connection has been rekindled with Škoda’s current sponsorship of the world’s most famous bike race, the Tour De France.

Closer to home, Škoda Australia is a proud partner of the first event on the UCI ProTour calendar, the Tour Down Under in Adelaide. It has also recently taken on a sponsorship association with Australia’s largest public bike ride, Around the Bay in a Day.

With his recent win at the world championships (which Škoda Australia will sponsor in Geelong in 2010), Jack Bobridge has further added to his already impressive haul of wins.

This dominance has lead to Jack being signed up by Garmin Slipstream, one of professional cycling’s top teams, much to the disappointment of Lance Armstrong.

Following a training ride with the seven-time Tour de France champion before this year’s Tour Down Under, Jack was described as the ''real deal'' by Armstrong, who expressed regret at not being able to sign Jack up for his own team.

“We are very excited to welcome Jack to the Škoda Team and look forward to supporting him as he pursues his goals and dreams,” said Matthew Wiesner, Head of Škoda Australia. “To be supporting the proven future of Australian cycling as we head to the Olympics in 2012 is great for the brand".

As part of the Škoda Ambassador program, Jack is driving the recently launched high-performance Octavia RS Wagon, a vehicle he thoroughly enjoys as it fits well with his attitude to superior performance.