VN news ticker: Bikes of Wout van Aert, Marianne Vos on auction, SD Worx welcomes new sponsor
Here's the news making headlines for Friday, December 17.
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Bikes of Wout van Aert, Marianne Vos, Primož Roglič for sale in Jumbo-Visma auction
Jumbo-Visma is auctioning some history-making bikes to raise money for the “development of cycling talent.”
Wout van Aert’s Mont Ventoux-crushing bike, the machine that Marianne Vos rode to victory at Gent-Wevelgem, and Primož Roglič’s Vuelta a España-conquering Cérvelo are among the 24 prizes that have been put up grabs on the online marketplace ownhistory.bike.
Jumbo-Visma director Richard Plugge plans to pour auction proceeds into the team’s ties with various development platforms.
“At Team Jumbo-Visma we’re engaged in many initiatives supporting cycling talents to flourish,” Plugge said. “Think of our academy, the talents of our development team and of course the new initiative CyclingClassNL in which we participate as a cycling team. That is how we truly contribute to the future of Dutch cycling and this auction enables us to take the next step.”
The auction runs for 11 more days and bids are already up at 700 euros. So if you want a piece of history, you’d better get in quick.
SD Worx welcomes insurance company Yuzzu as sponsor through 2023
Belgian insurance company Yuzzu will become an “important sponsor” of SD Worx for the next two seasons, team officials confirmed Friday.
Yuzzu, an insurer noted for its bike-protecting offerings, joins workforce-management setup SD Worx as a backer of the all-conquering squad of Demi Vollering, Lotte Kopecky, Marlen Reusser and many more top talents for 2022-2023, with the option to extend through 2024.
“The arrival of Yuzzu enforces our ambition to remain the number one team in the world,” said team manager Erwin Janssen in a press statement Friday.
Yuzzu does not appear to have any naming rights but is hoping that the recent blossoming of women’s cycling will put it front-and-center of its target market.
“Women’s cycling is on the verge of a major breakthrough. The positive evolution and professionalization is noticeable. The return of the Tour de France Femmes on the calendar is an important example of this growth,” said Kenneth Vensina, chief customer experience officer of Yuzzu.
“Cycling is extremely popular, especially in Belgium, which is our main market, so we are looking forward to amazing spring classics. Cycling remains a popular sport. It doesn’t matter whether it’s cycling, mountain biking or cyclocross, people are always involved and inspired. It corresponds with Yuzzu’s strategy to ensure the daily lives of their clients.”