PTO Seals Bike Partnership
The Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) has announced a three-year partnership with German bicycle manufacturer Canyon that will see it become the official bike partner of the new PTO Tour.
The partnership will be built on content and the provision of support and educational initiatives at and around PTO Tour events, starting at the 2022 Collins Cup, which begins 20th August.
Canyon already has a history in triathlon, having sponsored and developed bikes with athletes such as Jan Frodeno, Patrick Lange, Daniela Bleymehl and Laura Philipp, but this partnership is seen by both parties as a way to emphasise the uniqueness of triathlon and to strengthen the interaction between pro and age group athletes.
At the same time, Canyon and the PTO plan to offer riders on-site services that were previously reserved only for pro athletes.
Tim Godfrey, Chief Marketing Officer at the PTO, commented, “This is a brilliant partnership for both parties on a number of levels. Canyon and the PTO share a very similar philosophy and commitment to taking the sport to the next level.
“Their unrivalled expertise, bike know-how and relationships with leading athletes such as Jan Frodeno and Laura Philipp will immediately add significant value to the PTO’s Professional and Age Grouper propositions aimed at exciting, engaging and growing triathlon’s fan base around the world.”
Simon Summerscales, Global Head of Marketing at Canyon, added, “We’re big fans of what the PTO is trying to achieve with its athlete-owned disruptive business model. The PTO is bringing an innovative approach to growing participation within the sport, for both the Professional athletes and also for the Age Groupers, who get the unique opportunity to watch the performances of the pros on the new PTO Tour and then race on the same courses.
“That really resonated with our own mission to inspire more people to get on a bike and ride, which we will bring to life through fun and innovative interactions such as educational content, prize-giving and event activation, in particular this year at the Collins Cup and the PTO US Open.”
The inaugural PTO Tour race schedule for 2022 will include the first-ever PTO Canadian Open and the second edition of the Ryder Cup-style Collins Cup, which sees Team Europe take on Team USA and Team International. It will also feature the first PTO US Open.
