ŠkodaPortal.cz Simply clever

Mladá Boleslav/Corsica, 1st July, 2013 – The new ŠKODA Superb has done fantastically well at its first official appearance at the start of the Tour de France. With the market launch, the completely redesigned top model makes its debut as the official Red Car, leading the peloton. ŠKODA is supporting the French cycling tour this year for the tenth time as the official sponsor.

"A strong first appearance for the new Škoda Superb," says Werner Eichhorn, ŠKODA Board Member for Sales and Marketing. He continues, "Its use as the Red Car is a great platform for our flagship. Our top model also shows its strengths on the racing track." With a total of 250 vehicles, including eight ŠKODA Superbs in red, the Czech car manufacturer shows its colours at the 100th anniversary of the cycling classic. This year's Tour de France has been underway since the 29th June and runs until 21st July.

The red ŠKODA Superb is driving in the most prominent part of the Tour – in the very lead. The Red Car is also the only vehicle that can pass the finishing line of each stage together with the riders. The Tour director, Christian Prudhomme will be sitting in the back of the Superb through all the stages. "I love my Superb, it is a fantastic car. Even though I am as tall as my driver at 1.9 m," it is so comfortable sitting in the back and I can even cross my legs. I am particularly excited this year about the gigantic panoramic glass roof," said Prudhomme.  The panoramic roof that reaches to the rear of the vehicle allows passengers in the rear to stand up when opened.

For its use during the Tour de France, the Superb has been specially lacquered in special edition 'Corrida-Red'. Technical equipment has been installed in the Tour director's car to ensure constant communication with all participants during all stages of race. All necessary communication features are housed in a specially designed console in the back seat.

ŠKODA has made a total of 250 vehicles available for the Tour organisers: alongside the Superb, there are the Octavia, Octavia Combi, Rapid, Yeti, Roomster and Citigo.

ŠKODA is supporting this year's Tour de France for the tenth time as the official sponsor.  "Cycling is a highly dynamic sport that attracts millions of people worldwide," says Werner Eichhorn, ŠKODA Board Member for Sales and Marketing. He continues, "It fits perfectly with the ŠKODA brand." Alongside ice hockey, cycling is a very important pillar of ŠKODA's international Sponsorship Strategy. Grassroots cycling also plays a central role.

From the very beginning, this prominent use of cars has played a major role in this sponsorship. Year after year, the 250 ŠKODA models travel around 2.8 million kilometers during the Tour. The total distance travelled over the past nine years is almost 25 million kilometres. The ŠKODA fleet has really done itself proud in terms of reliability though: So far there has not been one single breakdown due to technical problems.

ŠKODA's sponsorship of the Tour de France demonstrates the special relationship that the brand has with cycling. The company's success story began with the construction of bicycles at the headquarters in Mladá Boleslav. At the end of the 19th century in 1895, the bicycle mechanic Václav Laurin and bookseller Václav Klement established a factory there for the production of bicycles; from 1899 also motorcycles and cars since 1905 when the first Voiturette A was produced – the company's first car. In 1925 L&K merged with ŠKODA.

The Tour de France is one of the world's biggest sporting events ever – surpassed only by the football World Cup and the Olympics. Last year at the course alone, there were around 12 million cycling enthusiasts cheering on the competitors and a further 1.7 billion of us tuned in around the world.

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