This is the latest addition to An Post�s expanding cycling sponsorship portfolio, which also includes sponsorship of the Sean Kelly Cycling Team.
At the launch: Cyclist Stephen Halpin, Race Director Darach McQuaid, and Donal Connell, Chief Executive, An Post.
|
An Post Chief Executive, Donal Connell announced the three year Official Partnership and the Green Jersey Sponsorship at the GPO;
�We are Official Partner to the 2008 Tour of Ireland in association with F�ilte Ireland. This is the premiere racing event in Ireland, it is a unique showcase event for the country with many of the world's top teams participating. As an Irish company with unique, national reach, connecting communities and as a company with such historic associations to cycling, we are now involved in the hosting of a world class racing competition around Ireland.
The Tour will turn the towns and villages of Ireland into one large race route. I hope that large numbers of people will turn out to support the riders, certainly, the interest from other countries with participating teams will be huge. I am especially pleased that the An Post sponsored Sean Kelly Team will compete and hopefully succeed in bringing home the Green Jersey.�
Also present to announce the partnership, Tour of Ireland, Project Director, Darach McQuaid said; �We and our title sponsor F�ilte Ireland are extremely pleased to welcome An Post to a three year Partner Sponsorship with the Tour of Ireland. It is appropriate that a national company with such a vital involvement in communities all across Ireland will be Official Partner to Tour in the coming years.
Our goal is to grow the event year after year to make it one of the most thrilling European tours and we are delighted that An Post will be joining us to help accomplish that� McQuaid added.
There will be three An Post Sprint Lines along the route and at the stage finishes each day. The prestigious An Post Green Jersey Points Competition will be won over these stretches. In 2007 this competition came down to the last sprint and it will be just as hard fought this coming August.