November 4/10 10:00 am - Team TIBCO/To the Top and Specialized Partner
Posted by Editoress on 11/4/10
Team TIBCO/To the Top and Specialized partner to help advance the development of women’s cycling.
Team TIBCO/To the Top is proud to announce its newly formed partnership with Morgan Hill, CA-based Specialized for the 2011 and 2012 seasons.
“We’re very excited to be partnering with a winning company like Specialized,” said Team TIBCO Founder and Director Linda Jackson. “Their successes on the world stage the past few years demonstrate their commitment to building exceptional bikes, and this partnership shows their dedication to helping more women reach the elite level of cycling.”
Specialized USA Partnership Manager Ian Dewar noted that the partnership was a logical one.
“Being a team focused on winning races and encouraging the development of women as professional cyclists, Team TIBCO is a perfect partner for us,” he said. “Drawing on our experience working with professional women’s cycling in past years, we knew TIBCO for 2011 has the perfect combination of youth and experience to create a winning team. We were immediately drawn to Team TIBCO’s commitment to excellence.”
Team TIBCO captain and 2009 U.S. Road National Champion Meredith Miller is no stranger to Specialized bikes, having ridden the Ruby road bike in 2008, and for the past two years, the S-Works Tri Cross and now the Crux cyclocross frames.
“I'm really excited to be back on Specialized on the road, this time on the new women's-specific Amira,” she said. “It's incredibly light weight, with a geometry that's comfortable yet dynamic on the road. All in all, I'm really excited to be working with Specialized for both road and cross. The company, its employees and product are second to none.
As Miller noted, Team TIBCO will be racing on 2011 S-Works Amira frames and using Specialized BG equipment, including Women’s S-Works Road Shoes, BG Saddles and Specialized S-Works Prevail Helmets – offering the best combination of lightweight, comfort and aerodynamics in the pro peloton. The team will also ride the World Championship-winning Shiv time trial bike.
“Specialized is proud of our continuing support for women’s racing,” Specialized Women’s Product and Marketing Manager Rachael Lambert said. “We believe that performance drives innovation. The aim of our women's line has always been to deliver a full, uncompromising range of products designed for women.”
Lambert added that Specialized will use the partnership with Team TIBCO to advance the development of its women’s-specific product line.
“We create bikes and equipment that are focused and driven by real needs of female athletes, whether it's frame tubing that is tuned specifically for each size of bike, lighter frame weights or tuned suspension,” she said. “Our products are 100% inspired and built for the women we are, and the women we meet every day.”
The team will take full advantage of the BG FIT (Body Geometry Fit Integration Technology) system, which is offered exclusively through Specialized Dealers. The BG FIT system was developed in partnership with Dr. Andy Pruitt, Ed.D., PA, of the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine, to help cyclists ride faster, longer and in greater comfort, while reducing the chance for injury.
“We are pleased to work with Team TIBCO for 2011 and 2012 and will immediately begin working with their athletes to maximize their potential through proper Body Geometry bike fitting and equipment selection,” added Dewar.
Jackson also noted that there would be an added geographic benefit to working with Specialized.
“Their World headquarters is barely an hour from our base of operations here in the Bay area of California,” she said. “This will give us far greater opportunity for collaboration over the course of this season and next.”
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