Written by: Press Release
Posted: Monday, 23 June 2008

Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the
global leader in satellite navigation, announced today its title
sponsorship of Slipstream Sports, an elite cycling team that will be
showcasing its dedication to clean competition in one of the biggest
events in professional sports: the Tour de France. In tackling the
daunting stages of the Tour — and redefining the face of cycling — Team
Garmin will train and race with the Edge 705 GPS-enabled cycling
computer and travel with nüvi 770 personal navigation devices. The
sponsorship will extend through 2010 and the entire team – from kits to
cars, will be re-branded for the Tour de France.
Garmin
and Slipstream officials and athletes will hold a Webcast press
conference on June 18, 2008, at Noon Eastern Standard Time. Interested
parties may attend at http://www.videonewswire.com/event.asp?id=49186.
Additional information on Garmin’s title sponsorship, including the new
team logo and visuals, will be revealed on July 3 in Brest, France, in
the press room at Penfeld Parc des Expositions de Brest.
“Slipstream
cyclists are setting the standard for success through integrity and
sportsmanship,” said Jon Cassat, Garmin’s vice president of
communications, “and this fresh perspective on work ethic and
accountability is in keeping with Garmin’s worldwide reputation for
accomplishing great things through teamwork.”
Packed
with detailed maps of North America and Europe — and several million
preloaded points of interest — the widely acclaimed nüvi 770
will help Team Garmin’s tour bus and support vehicles travel with speed
and ease across two continents. Barely bigger than a deck of cards, the
nüvi 770 features traffic alerts, Bluetooth compatibility,
route-planning capabilities for multi-stop trips and instant answers to
the questions: “Where am I?” and “Where’s my car?”
The Edge 705
represents several breakthroughs in cycling technology, including power
compatibility, wireless unit-to-unit connectivity and the ability to
monitor GPS position, heart rate, speed, cadence, altitude and gradient
on the same display. And Team Garmin will be able to share data –
including saved rides, waypoints and workouts –through ANT+Sport™
wireless technology.
Team Garmin cyclists and coaches
can track their progress, share workouts and participate in an online
community – even sharing recent rides with fans around the world. Garmin Connect
calculates measurements such as time, distance, speed, elevation and
heart rate. This information is displayed through charts,
illustrations, reports and a variety of map representations including
street, photo, topographic, and elevation maps as well as the popular
Google Earth application.
Garmin and Slipstream Sports
share similar success stories rooted in hard work, innovation and an
unwavering insistence on quality results. Just as Garmin is a global
leader with facilities in North America, Europe, and Asia, the
Slipstream squad assembled elite athletes from around the world. Team
Garmin features several Tour de France stage winners and five National
Champions from the USA, Sweden, UK, New Zealand and Canada. At this
summer’s Olympics in Beijing, 17-year-old phenom Taylor Phinney will be
among the members of Team Garmin competing for gold at the Games.
“We
are thrilled to partner with Garmin and believe that establishing this
title sponsorship is further evidence that a new era of cycling is upon
us,” said Jonathan Vaughters, CEO of Slipstream Sports, LLC, the
sports management company that runs the team. “Garmin’s commitment to
innovation and integrity mirrors our own.”
Slipstream
Sports is dedicated to promoting ethical competition and developing the
next generation of cycling champions. In 2007, Slipstream partnered
with the independent Agency for Cycling Ethics (ACE), to create the
most progressive anti-doping system in the professional sports world.
The team of 25 riders undergoes combined voluntary testing at least 700
times throughout the cycling season. Team director Jonathan Vaughters’
staunch “ride clean or go home” philosophy earned him a nomination by
Sports Illustrated for the prestigious Sportsman of the Year award.
During
the season, television coverage of professional cycling reaches 4
billion people, a number that is sure to grow as the sport emerges as
an easy and enjoyable solution to global challenges associated with the
environment and health issues. All around the world, riders of all
ages, abilities and demographics are getting back on their bikes. And
few competitive teams travel as far and as often as an elite cycling
squad — the sport itself rewards getting from Point A to Point B the
most efficiently — and Garmin’s wide range of products offer assistance
every step of the way.
For more information on Team Garmin, visit
www.garmin.com/teamgarmin and
www.slipstreamsports.com. For additional information on the July 3 event in Brest, contact Jake Jacobson or Marya Pongrace.