IKO is ready for the new cyclocross season!
The 2019-2020 cyclocross season brings new colours. Together with new sponsor partner Crelan, IKO will adorn the shirt of Sanne Cant and the youth riders. In addition to the sponsorship of the IKO-Crelan women’s elite team and the long-standing sponsorship of the men’s youth team, the IKO-Crelan “VeldritAcademie”, a new project will be launched in which the team and Sanne Cant will look for new Belgian women’s talent in the field: The Crelan-IKO women’s youth team.
IKO and cyclocross: A story of continuity
It has already been 8 years since IKO took the plunge and started sport sponsoring in cyclocross. And what a great ride it has been so far! CEO Dirk Theuns elaborates: “Sponsorship is a long-term investment for IKO. It was a decision that fits in perfectly with the core values of our company. All the strategic decisions within IKO are based on the long term. It is a story of continuity that can be described as a success story for both IKO and the team. No less than 30 major titles have so far been notched up by Sanne Cant and the youth riders of the IKO academy: 16 national, 6 European and fully 8 world champion titles.
Investing in youth work and development
IKO was there at the start of the IKO Veldritacademie of the Roodhooft brothers in 2012. Familiar names including Sanne Cant and Mathieu Van der Poel come from this initiative for young people. Their success filters through to today’s youth team and is a daily motivation for our riders. As a sponsor, IKO can only be proud of this. As a sponsor, we have been incredibly spoiled by the riders’ successes.
A new season, new challenges!
Now that the new season has started, IKO, together with the new team sponsor Crelan, is once again raring to go. Sanne Cant and the youth riders will colour the field red and green with the IKO-Crelan team. The new team outfits will definitely stand out in the field. Sanne is not alone anymore, she will be supported in the Ladies elite team by 2 new ladies: Loes Sels and Karen Verhestraeten.
New project
But there will be more going on in cyclocross this season. IKO and Crelan are jointly supporting a new project by the Roodhooft brothers. The Crelan – IKO ladies youth team (U17, U19) will be created as a spin-off of the Veldritdacademie. A new talent team which will be supported by Sanne Cant. She will put her expertise at the service of the team and will also help search for new Belgian young women’s talent in the field. The girls will be able to rely on the vast expertise of the team in cycling, the professional support, the quality material, the scientific nutritional advice, etc. In this way, IKO intends to contribute to the further development of women’s cycling.
IKO is enthusiastic about the new season and the new youth project. We are convinced that many new titles will follow, which we would like to add to our list. We are convinced that the best is yet to come!
#IKOPushingLimits
