The end of the 2012 season is set to mark the parting of ways between Rapha Condor and Sharp as sponsors of the British UCI Continental team. Rapha Condor will continue to sponsor the UK based outfit whilst Sharp – who initially backed the team in 2009 under the ‘Sharp4Prostate’ charity banner, and shifted up a gear as a title sponsor for the 2010 season – will concentrate efforts on support of the Garmin-Sharp team at World Tour level.
Paul Hide, Managing Director of Sharp in the UK commented: ‘Our sponsorship of Rapha Condor Sharp has allowed us to put the Sharp brand in front of the kind of tech-savvy, design-conscious audience we want to engage with. Rapha and Condor have been the ideal partners to guide us in the sport, and we wish them every success in continuing their project to develop young talent. Sharp’s support of pro-cycling has now moved to UCI World Tour with Garmin Sharp. Like Rapha Condor, this is a team with an unwavering commitment to the best elements of cycling.’
Simon Mottram, Rapha’s CEO, added: ‘Sharp’s support over the last three and a half years helped us to develop a successful team and to reach the pinnacle of British domestic racing. We have really enjoyed working with them and although it is sad to part ways, seeing a multi-national company move up to supporting cycling at World Tour level is a very positive step for the sport and very satisfying.’
