COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (BRAIN) — USA Cycling has named Assos its official cycling apparel partner for the USA Cycling Team through the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Assos will outfit Team USA at international cyclocross, mountain bike, road and track competitions for the next five years. The partnership begins this spring, and will see Assos outfitting athletes at both the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, as well as at all World Championships and World Cup events during the coming five years.
"Assos is one of the most iconic apparel brands in cycling and we are honored they have chosen to partner with us," said USA Cycling's CEO, Derek Bouchard-Hall. "The quality of their products is unmatched, and to have the USA Cycling Team competing in their clothing is a powerful advantage we are thrilled to have for not just Rio, but all the way through Tokyo as well.
"The timing could not be more perfect. As we seek to transform USA Cycling to become more member focused, Assos, too, is transforming itself under new leadership to better serve women's cyclists and the U.S. market more broadly. We share a commitment to supporting American cycling through innovation and progressive ideals. We are changing together in very positive ways that I think the American cycling community is going to embrace."
Former Black Diamond Equipment executive Phil Duff and partners bought a majority interest in Assos last September. Duff is now Assos' CEO.
Duff said, "We are partnering with USA Cycling in part because of the aggressive changes they are making, which mirror our own brand transformation. Assos will combine its R&D resources with those of USA Cycling in a continuing effort to search for speed. We look forward to not only supporting Team USA, but also to forging a stronger connection with American cyclists. The U.S. market is extremely important to us, and we look to shift our marketing and product development to better satisfy the expectations of the American consumer."
The Assos Team USA kit wil be available by late June and will have a retro style.
"The Assos Team USA kit will remind many of the national kits of the 1980's," Duff said. "The design of a dark blue jersey with red and white stripes and white stars is a conscious decision to salute the past while looking toward what we think will be a very bright future with USA Cycling."
