SHIMANO RENEWS AGREEMENT WITH UNIPUBLIC FOR NEUTRAL ASSISTANCE AT LA VUELTA AND OTHER SPANISH RACES UNTIL 2024

Shimano is proud to announce the extension of its collaboration with Unipublic, offering its neutral race assistance service to all professional riders in prestigious Spanish road cycling races.

Beginning formally in 2001, Shimano and Unipublic have been working together for over 20 years to support the work of teams and riders in professional cycling races.

Following recent agreements with the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia organisers, today’s renewal continues Shimano’s ability to provide official Technical Services to riders in all Grand Tours, many World Tour one-day and stage races, plus the Olympic Games and the World Championships. This means that the world’s best bike riders will be able to focus their efforts on performance, whilst Shimano ensures that they can safely and successfully compete in races, even in the face of technical problems.

The team of professionals from the neutral assistance service of the recently created Shimano Iberia office will support riders competing in the prestigious races organised by Unipublic such as La Vuelta or its women's counterpart, the CERATIZIT Challenge by La Vuelta. It will also do so in other important events on the Spanish calendar with which Unipublic collaborates, such as the Volta a Catalunya or the Itzulia.

The director of La Vuelta, Javier Guillén, highlighted the importance of this agreement for Unipublic. "The different pieces that make up the gearing of a grand tour have to work like a clock and the technical assistance to the riders is, without a doubt, one of those key pieces. For us it is fundamental to benefit from the professionalism and experience of a company like Shimano, with whom we have more than 20 years of impeccable work in top level races, such as La Vuelta or the women's race CERATIZIT Challenge by La Vuelta".

Eduardo Roldán, General Manager of Shimano Iberia, declared: "For us it is a great pleasure to be able to continue this project together with Unipublic and to develop this exciting work in such prestigious competitions as La Vuelta. It also allows us to continue to demonstrate our total commitment to cycling, both with teams and riders that we have seen progress over the last 21 years. And finally, we can not and do not want to forget the fans, who make this sport unique and whom we want to continue to thrill stage after stage."

Shimano Iberia began its 2021 tour just over a fortnight ago in La Volta with a refreshed fleet of blue Shimano vehicles (six cars, two motorbikes and a mobile workshop) and all the material they use to ensure this service, which includes 30 neutral (Shimano-branded) bicycles with dropper posts for seat height adjustability, and 40 sets of Dura-Ace wheels for both disc brake usage and rim brake usage.

This week until Saturday 10th April you can see Shimano Iberia’s team in action at the Iztulia, supporting all the riders of all competing teams.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. Embargo: Friday 9th April, 10:00 CEST.

2. Images: Download by clicking the above images.

3. About Unipublic: Unipublic is a company specialised in the creation, organisation and promotion of elite sporting events. In its more than four decades at the helm of La Vuelta, it has been able to develop and implement a seal of quality and professionalism to grow a race that was born in 1935. Today, La Vuelta is a global event due to its national and international projection; and unique due to the explosive and innovative character that defines it. Unipublic has also continued to expand in the world of cycling. It has done so through the creation and promotion of cycle touring rides in the Principality of Asturias and the Community of Madrid. These are events in which it imposes its brand and seal of quality as a benchmark in the sector. For more information, consult the website www.unipublic.es

4. About Shimano: Founded in 1921, Shimano is dedicated to helping its customers get closer to nature, supporting people to realize their dreams and create new lifestyles. That comes with the desire to create outstanding cycling products and apparel. With 100 years’ experience in creating internationally renowned bicycle components, Shimano is proud to have developed products that continue to take countless athletes to victory and provide the means for limitless global bicycle journeys. For more information see www.shimano.com.