blur helps put new national cycling team on the road

blur Group, which operates the world’s largest online marketplace for business services, is pleased to announce that it has partnered with the new national cycling team for Wales to help raise the £11.2 million needed to launch the team onto the international circuit.

It is the first time Wales has fielded a professional team in international cycling and builds on the success of Welsh cycling stars including Team Sky’s Geraint Thomas and Luke Rowe and the Olympic gold medallist and women’s road race world champion Nicole Cooke.

The new team, ‘We are Wales’ Pro Cycling, aims to field a team to compete in races in the 2016 season with the hope of qualifying for the prestigious events like the Tour de France within a four years.

The team will also act as a catalyst for encouraging greater participation in cycling and more inward investment into Wales.

The project will run over a four-year period with the total project value budgeted at approximately £11.2 million, and is expected to be recognised over four calendar years.

Eifion Weinzweig, co-founder of Weinzweig-Dejan Cycling, who is leading the ‘We are Wales’ team, said: “We have been working on this initiative for three years, but it’s only since engaging with the sponsorship experts at blur that our dream has become a reality.”

“We know that the Welsh people are very passionate about rugby and football. We hope that by providing them with this unique opportunity to get behind a new team in a rapidly expanding market, it will make everybody feel proud of being Welsh and what the country has to offer.”

blur operates the world’s largest online marketplace for business services and is working with its extensive network of service providers to offer a range of packages to attract commercial sponsors.

Philip Letts, CEO of AIM-listed blur group, said: “We are delighted to play such a big part in putting the ‘We are Wales’ team on the road and are very confident that our platform will facilitate raising the £11.2million sponsorship target.

“To date fund-raising has exceeded expectations and we anticipate being in a position to announce a headline sponsor within the next couple of months.”