Team Jumbo-Visma Women ready to take the next step
Over the past three years, Team Jumbo-Visma Women has become a force to be recko...
The successful cycling and speed skating teams, collectively known as Team Jumbo-Visma, will go their separate ways in the foreseeable future. The cycling team (Blanco Pro Cycling) will continue under the leadership of Richard Plugge, and the speed skating team (The Speed Skating) will continue under the leadership of Jac Orie and Sven Kramer. Jumbo, which had previously announced its intention to withdraw as the main sponsor, will remain involved with both teams for three years as a Founding Partner.
In October 2014, the combined cycling and speed skating team was presented at Tivoli Utrecht, going by the name LottoNL-Jumbo. It was unique in sports to bring two sports teams together under one banner. This created a unique proposition in sports sponsorship with 365 days a year visibility for various partners. After the first successful years, 2019 marked the team's name change from LottoNL-Jumbo to Team Jumbo-Visma.
Over the past eight years, the speed skating and cycling teams have achieved many successes, including 16 Olympic medals, victories in the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a España in cycling, and numerous World and European titles in speed skating.
"We have concluded that it would be better for both teams' futures to continue independently, each with its own sponsorship proposition"
Jac Orie is proud of the unique collaboration with the cycling and speed skating teams over the past nine years: "In 2014, we started with a unique concept: an archetypal Dutch sports team, visible 365 days a year. We have benefited greatly from this partnership: the speed skating team has maintained its position at the top, and the cycling team has also been at the top for several years now. The successes on the bike have led to the cycling team becoming more and more international, which has made the 'typically Dutch' element of the partnership somewhat less prominent."
The reform of the main sponsorship got both of them thinking about the future. Richard Plugge points out: "Indeed, the cycling team has acquired a much more international focus and appeal now that we are among the best cycling teams in the world. As a result, the search for the primary sponsor is different for each party. We have had a lot of discussions about the upcoming change, and we have concluded that it would be better for both teams' futures to continue independently, each with its own sponsorship proposition. I would like to thank Jac for the excellent cooperation and Jumbo and the Van Eerd family for their support. I'm, therefore, delighted that Jumbo will continue to be involved with the cycling team as a Founding Partner."
"We are proud of the development of the teams to the very top"
Jac Orie is also optimistic about the future: "I am very grateful to Jumbo and the Van Eerd family for the great contribution they have made to our successes so far, and I very much appreciate that they are giving us a 'flying start' with the skating team in the coming years, thanks to their commitment as Founding Partner. This makes our future look very positive."
Ton van Veen, CEO of Jumbo, is pleased with the partnership's new structure: "We are proud of the development of the teams to the very top. And of the beautiful successes achieved over the past few years. We have achieved a lot together, and our personal ties are close. As the main sponsor, we are stepping back. However, as a Founding Partner, we will still be actively associated with the skating and cycling teams in the years to come. Our primary focus will be on talent development and joint social projects."