Baden-Baden, December 15, 2023: A cyclist’s career doesn’t start with winning a grand tour. It takes perseverance and discipline to get to the top. But not without setbacks – just like in business. Support must also be geared towards the long term and start at an early age. As an international company, grenke has been a community and sports supporter for decades – first in chess and football and always focused on youth programmes. grenke’s entry into cycling sponsorships is its third major commitment and the first on an international scale. With the formation of a long-term partnership, grenke is supporting the development of young cycling talents on their way to the professional ranks as the namesake of the grenke - Auto Eder under-19 team. The grenke logo will also be seen on the jersey of the BORA - hansgrohe WorldTour team, starting with this coming season.
grenke CEO Dr Sebastian Hirsch, himself an enthusiastic racing cyclist, knows from his own experience: “In cycling, endurance, resilience and continuous commitment lead to success. On a team, everyone supports each other – especially when things get tough. It’s the same in business. grenke’s top performance would be impossible without our employees.” Sustainable growth and trusting customer relationships can only be realised with the strong commitment of the grenke team. “The BORA - hansgrohe cycling team is a perfect fit for us because it is driven by the same spirit and also has an international reach.”
Ralph Denk, Team Manager of BORA - hansgrohe, is delighted with the new partnership: “From day one, I had the feeling that grenke’s management was passionate about this partnership and that it was about more than just reach and image. This is about pure emotion. A sponsorship partnership couldn’t have a better starting position.”
Ralph Denk’s professional team is entering its 15th season. As the only German team in the UCI WorldTour, it is in action 240 race days per year. With successes in some of cycling’s most important races, such as the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a España, BORA - hansgrohe is one of the world’s top teams. Like grenke, the cycling team is also international, featuring professionals from 14 nations, including big names like Primoz Roglič, Jai Hindley and Lennard Kämna. This is who will be displaying the grenke logo starting next year.
The BORA - hansgrohe team also promotes cycling talent in the under-19 category. Within just a few years, this talent factory has produced one of the most successful junior teams in the world and is currently setting benchmarks for this age group. From world and European championships to the most important junior races, the team has already numerous titles on its list of victories. A success story that is set to take the next step next year as Team grenke - Auto Eder.