February 9, 2006 - San Francisco, CA - Belgian triathlete Rutger Beke and Cervelo Cycles Inc. are pleased to announce that Rutger Beke will be riding Cervelo bikes for the 2006 and 2007 season.
“I am really excited, proud and grateful to be riding a Cervélo”, said Beke. “The technology behind the bikes is second to none and as I make my push to win Kona I will need all of those technological advantages over the other guys”, added Beke. “My new relationship with Cervélo will be one of the cornerstones of my success in the coming years and I am so grateful for the opportunity to ride the fastest machines out there”, said Beke.
Beke’s first race will be Ironman South Africa, where he will compete atop the brand new Cervélo P2C. After this race, Beke will be personally fitted by Cervélo co-founder Gerard Vroomen to ensure the most aerodynamic and powerful bike position moving forward.
“We are very excited about the opportunity to work with Rutger”, said Gerard Vroomen, Cervélo co-founder. “Rutgers performance in Hawaii the last three years speaks for itself, so we consider it a huge compliment that he approached us to get faster. Phil and I have always said that we would rather be the #1 bike in Hawaii than the bike of the #1, but now that we are the most used bike in the race, we certainly don’t mind winning it and we hope we can help Rutger do that”, commented Vroomen.
After Ironman South Africa, where he will take on the reigning world champion Faris Al Sultan in what many view as a precursor to the Ironman world championships in October, Beke will also be racing at the prestigious Wildflower triathlon. He is also scheduled to race the Florida 70.3 and will return to the Monaco 70.3 to defend his 2005 title.
About Rutger Beke?Rutger is currently 28 years old and resides in Leuven, Belgium with his wife Sofie Geeraerts and their new baby girl Tille. Rutger became a professional triathlete in January 2003 and has recorded a 2nd, 5th and 4th place finish at the Ford Ironman World Championships the last three years.
About Cervélo Cycles
Phil White and Gérard Vroomen founded Cervélo Cycles in 1995 when their design for a new time trial bicycle, built at the request of a professional cyclist, failed to garner interest from traditional cycle manufacturers. Today, Cervélo Cycles is the largest time trial bike manufacturer in the world. This Canadian company is internationally recognized as one of the most innovative and fastest growing bike manufacturers the sport has seen in years.
In June 2005 Cervélo was ranked 34th in the seventeenth annual PROFIT 100 ranking of Canada’s fastest-growing companies by the magazine PROFIT: Your Guide to Business Success.
In 2002 Cervélo entered into a major partnership agreement with the successful Team CSC. According to Bjarne Riis, Team CSC Manager and the 1996 winner of the Tour de France, “Every little edge I can find for my team can prove to be the deciding factor. That’s why we’ll be on Cervélo’s this year.” Based in Toronto, Cervélo currently produces nine different models and a full line of cycling apparel. Their products are available internationally. Please visit www.Cervélo.com for further information.
About Katalyst Multisport Management:
Founded on the most basic principals of integrity, experience and creativity, Katalyst is committed to extending the reach and influence of the multisport lifestyle.
www.katalystmultisport.com
Media Contacts
For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact:
Rutger Beke:
Chris McCrary
Katalyst Multisport Management
(415) 215-3412
chris.mccrary@katalystmultisport.com
Cervélo Cycles Inc:
Peter Donato
Special Assignment Inc.
Tel.: 416.964.6118
E-mail: donato@specialassignment.com