Yakima Racks Announces Sponsorship of 2005 Pro Cycling Tour

Yakima Racks, manufacturer of innovative car and truck racks for ski, snowboard, bike, canoe, kayak, surfboard and luggage gear and equipment, recently announced it has entered into a sponsorship arrangement for the 2005 Pro Cycling Tour, which includes many of the United State’s largest and most prestigious bike racing events.

Many of the world's top professional cyclists including Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong and members of the U.S. Olympic Cycling Team compete at the events. Among the races featured are the Wachovia Cycling Series ( Lancaster, Pa., Trenton, N.J., and Wachovia USPRO Championships in Philadelphia, Pa.) and the San Francisco Grand Prix in San Francisco, California.

Mike Steck, director of marketing for Yakima Racks, stated “Supporting the cycling community continues to be a top priority for Yakima. Through the US Pro Cycling Tour, we will reaffirm Yakima’s commitment to the expansion of the road cycling community. Additionally, we plan to use this opportunity to conduct an open dialogue with cyclists about auto rack design and performance and will bring their comments back to our research and design team. We appreciate having the opportunity to be part of this respected event.”

Yakima Racks will be featured on top of over 20 official race vehicles, made up of team cars and vehicles driven by race officials throughout the Pro Cycling Tour series and will travel over 550 miles, delivering over $300,000 in winning prize money. Bike races will be televised on Outdoor Life Network and local network affiliates.

Joan Hanscom, marketing director at the Pro Cycling Tour, said “Yakima is an established name with extensive roots in the cycling community. We need a quality bike roof rack that can efficiently transport performance equipment without a worry. Yakima fits the bill and will be an excellent long-term partner. We are happy to have them on board.”

Yakima Car Racks is a world leader in the manufacture and engineering of vehicle racks for bikes, kayaks, canoes, snowboards, skis and surfboards as well as cargo boxes, and roof baskets and bags for various luggage, camping and cargo needs. Yakima is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon.