Škoda has unveiled its 2012 cycling sport offering. Škoda cycles and matching sports wear show an exclusive ‘racing’ design for the season. This echoes the appearance of Škoda Motorsport’s successful works team.
The new bicycle range for the year 2012 comprises seven models for a different range of uses and age groups. All bikes are coloured green and white as is typical for the Škoda Motorsport team. The bikes’ appearance also echoes the brand’s new, fresh corporate design. The current 2012 design highlights the brand’s involvement with motorsport which dates back all of 111 years.
The two drivers from the Škoda Motorsport works team, Juho Hänninen and Jan Kopecký, have been named ambassadors for the 2012 Škoda bicycle and accessory range.
“Though hardly anyone is aware of this, bicycles are an essential part of our training,” says Jan Kopecký, driver in the Škoda Motorsport works team and IRC vice champion in 2009, 2010 und 2011.
“Before every race, we clock up several hundred kilometres. This is why I really value workmanship, functionality and timeless appearance, and this is what Škoda bicycles and the new functional wear are all about.”
The offering for 2012 includes models based on the ‘Superior’ brand. Street racers will opt for the 8.4 kilogram Škoda ‘Road’ with an aluminium frame and carbon fork. Off the asphalt, bike fans will be riding the MTB’ model or even the ‘MTB Full’ with a full-suspension frame. The Škoda ‘Cross’ is a versatile bike in the 2012 range. All these cycle models come with a lockable front fork and are available in three sizes.
But Škoda also has the little bikers in mind: the older ones might zoom off on the ‘MTB-Junior’, which is dimensioned to fit a child but has all the technology of “adult” bikes. This includes a lockable front fork or a 21-speed transmission. Even smaller children can cycle safely on two wheels with the Škoda ‘Kid‘. An all-new item in the range designed especially for the youngest children is the Škoda ‘Mini’ training bike, which was designed completely afresh in cooperation with Olpran, a bicycle maker.
The 2012 range also offers functional and comfortable bike wear from Kalaš company in Škoda’s exclusive design.
Škoda also supports cycling as a sponsor since many years: Besides international races such as the ‘Tour de France’ and the ‘Giro d’Italia’, the brand also has long been supporting cycling in the Czech Republic. This year, for instance, saw the partnership with the ‘Kolo pro život’ being extended, a cycling sports event for all comers.
The car manufacturer is also planning a new cycling event to be held in the heart of Prague in late August 2012 to pick up on the success of the ‘Škoda Cycling Challenge 2011’ as it has been until now. Friends of hobby cycling can also compete in a new ‘Virtual Cup’ in 2012. This project without a starting grid is unique in that participants can race on any of the twelve tracks any time. Prizes include a trip to ‘Tour de France 2013’ and selected bicycles from the Škoda range.
