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Mladá Boleslav, 25 June, 2013 – Ten years of sponsoring the Tour de France and a number of other commitments in the world of cycling are the expression of a special relationship that ŠKODA has with two-wheel mobility. The history of the company began in December, 1895, with the production of bicycles: Václav Laurin and Václav Klement established a factory in Mladá Boleslav for the production of bicycles – some four years before they produced the first motorbike and ten years before their first automobile was launched on the market.

ŠKODA, as one of the oldest and longest-established car companies in the world, started their success story with the construction of bicycles. "In Mladá Boleslav at the end of the 19th century, Laurin und Klement, our founding fathers, were true pioneers in their field of mobility," explains ŠKODA CEO, Prof. Dr. h.c. Winfried Vahland. He continues, "Their wonderful craftsmanship and energetic engineering spirit were the source of widespread inventions. From their passion for technology and constant search for improvements, dreams in mobility came true.  With the construction of bicycles and later of motorcycles and automobiles, they were pioneers of their time," says Vahland.

Laurin and Klement were two mobility enthusiasts whose bicycle factory in Mladá Boleslav laid the foundation for a corporate history steeped in tradition. As they could not find a bicycle to meet their demands on quality, they decided to go it alone in 1895.  Initially bikes would be repaired and improved at their rented workshop but soon after they were constructing their own bicycles sold under the brand name 'Slavia'.

Thanks to the business acumen of Václav Klement and the technical ingenuity of the skilled bicycle mechanic, Václav Laurin, the range progressively expanded. At the end of the 19th century a Laurin&Klement billboard advertised "The first domestic company to offer a two-year warrantee on account of its perfect products." From 1899 L&K then produced motorbikes and finally, from 1905, the company began automobile production with their 'Voiturette A'. L&K merged with ŠKODA in 1925.

"With their pioneering initiative in the field bicycle production, Laurin and Klement undoubtedly laid the cornerstone for the success of the ŠKODA brand," explains ŠKODA CEO, Vahland. "Our sponsorship of the Tour de France and our involvement in cycling in general shows our close connection to those roots in a special way."

Alongside ice hockey, cycling is also a very important pillar of the international ŠKODA sponsorship strategy, in which sponsoring the Tour de France and other cycling events play a central role. The car maker supports the Czech 'Bike for Life' events, the 'Virtual Cup' competition and Berlin's 'Velothon'. Bikes still form a part of the ŠKODA model range, as they always have: 2013 saw the launch of the eleventh collection of ten bicycles for both adults and children as well as a wide range of ŠKODA bike wear and accessories.

What began almost 118 years ago with the production of bicycles by Laurin&Klement has emerged as one of today's most successful automobile brands with seven model ranges and a presence in over 100 countries worldwide. Within the next few years, as part of the 2018 growth strategy, the manufacturer intends to expand and increase sales to at least 1.5 million cars per year by 2018.

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