December 12/18 11:03 am - Mitas Tires Joins UCI as Official Partner of Mountain Bike

Posted by Editoress on 12/12/18
 

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is delighted to announce a two-year partnership with Mitas, beginning in 2019.  Mitas will support the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships presented by Mercedes-Benz, and the Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, as an Official Partner.

This agreement with the Czech tire manufacturer - part of the Swedish Trelleborg group - is further evidence of the attractiveness of mountain bike amongst the biggest brands.  This partnership between the UCI and Mitas comes as mountain bike is enjoying significant increases in audience figures.  The 2018 Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup achieved record viewing figures on Red Bull TV; similarly, the 2018 World Championships in Lenzerheide (SUI) saw a large increase in cumulative audience numbers, reaching 46 million television viewers.

Founded at the beginning of the 20th century, Mitas is known for its tires, predominantly aimed at the agricultural market. The organization has a substantial presence across Europe, and also has a long tradition of engaging with the two-wheel industry (motorbikes, scooters and bikes).

The Mitas brand is particularly visible in the Cross-country Olympic (XCO) discipline. They provide equipment for the KROSS Racing Team, which includes Poland's double Olympic medallist and 2010 UCI World Champion Maja W?oszczowska.

Since 2015, Mitas has also been the official tire supplier for the Absa Cape Epic, an 'Hors Class' team stage race on the UCI International Mountain Bike Calendar.  Furthermore, since 2017, Mitas has become a title sponsor of Croatian stage race Mitas 4 Islands, also on the UCI calendar.  Finally, Mitas participates in solidarity work by providing bike tires to rural areas of developing countries, such as supported programme "Bikes for Africa" in Gambia, which has been running since 2014.

UCI President David Lappartient said: "We are delighted to welcome Mitas as an Official Partner of mountain bike.  Mitas is favoured by a great many athletes and events, and its expertise in racing tires is well-known.  A renowned manufacturer having confidence in the UCI is further evidence that our major events stand out in the mountain bike world."

Head of Marketing of Mitas Bicycle Tires Pavel Nosek stated: "We are excited about this partnership with the UCI, which complements our support for top-level cycling events.  Thanks to this agreement, the Mitas brand will get even closer to mountain bike riders and to the discipline's worldwide audience, reinforcing our reputation as a premium, reliable, competitive and Europe-based bicycle tire manufacturer."