Skoda tours Down Under
No, it's not a whacky celebrity race grid, it's Skoda's biggest local marketing effort yetEmerging Czech-based brand Skoda took over the streets of Adelaide and its surrounds last week. Indeed, while Holden may build cars in the South Oz capital, it was the Volkswagen Group-owned brand that ruled the roads -- and much of the local electronic media.
Skoda was the official vehicle supplier to Australia's premier bicycle race event, the Santos Tour Down Under (TDU). The brand is the official supplier to bicycle racing's international federation, the UCI, and also the official supplier of vehicles to the Tour de France and many high-profile cycling teams.
Supplying over 110 vehicles to the internationally sanctioned event, the local arm exposed its Octavia and Superb models to the more than 700,000 spectators that lined Adelaide's roads during the six-stage event.
TDU has grown substantially in stature since it gained ProTour status in 2008. The cycling equivalent of an F1 grand prix or round of the WRC, it hosted seven times Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong's comeback to competitive cycling in 2009. This year, Armstrong chose the Tour Down Under to debut his new (Nissan-sponsored) Radio Shack team.
TDU gained further momentum in 2010 thanks to the appearance of Australia's first-ever road cycling world champion, Cadel Evans and his new BMC cycling equipe.
Each of the 19 teams (18 international and one local squad) of seven riders, which competed in TDU used identically-specified white Skoda Octavia RS wagons as team cars. The event official cars were Superbs and teams also used Volkswagen Caravelle and Transporter support vehicles. The end result was a touring-car styling grid of sporting wagons (pictured) racing through the streets of Adelaide chasing the bicycle race.
Skoda Australia officials would not comment on the cost of the TDU sponsorship, but it is believed to dwarf any previous commitment by a local distributor or manufacturer to cycling.
Under its UCI agreement, the brand will also support the 2010 World Road Racing Championships. In Australia for the first time, the road worlds will be held in Geelong in late September.
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