Starting with the 2013 race season, Giant will be the official apparel sponsor for all Rabobank pro cycling teams. These include the Rabobank men's road and cyclocross team, the Rabobank-Giant Off-Road team and, with its Liv/giant women's brand, the Rabobank women's team led by Olympic and World Champion Marianne Vos.
Giant returns next year as the official bike sponsor of the Rabobank teams for the fifth consecutive year, and, with this new agreement, will also supply all team apparel—including racing, training and casual gear—for Rabobank riders and staff. It also means that Giant, with its extensive global network of retailers, gains the exclusive rights to market and sell Rabobank team apparel worldwide.
"Rabobank and Giant have been great partners since 2009," said Tony Lo, CEO of Giant. "We build bikes that help them win world championships, and their feedback pushes us to develop world-leading technologies. We're excited to now extend that partnership into apparel. Giant is committed to elevating our Rider Gear offerings, and this will help pave the way for us to reach the highest level."
As part of its initiative to expand its rider apparel development, Giant recently appointed industry veteran Stan Mavis as its new Global Executive Director of Rider Gear. Mavis, who co-founded Pearl Izumi in the U.S. and served as president of the Sugoi apparel brand, is spearheading the design and development of apparel for the team.
"Over the last four years Giant has developed cutting-edge bicycles for our riders to win at the world's most important races," said Harold Knebel, General Manager for the Rabobank cycling teams. "We're excited to extend the relationship to include apparel as well as bikes."
To help produce the highest quality racing kits and give Rabobank riders a competitive edge, Giant has partnered with performance apparel specialists Etxeondo. The Spain (Basque country) based company has a well earned reputation for quality and reliability that pro riders know and trust.
The final development and production process for Rabobank team kits is currently underway. Giant and Rabobank will unveil the new apparel later this year during their 2013 team presentations.
