The 2019 UCI Road World Championships has come to an end in the heart of Yorkshire, where Mapei was the UCI Main Sponsor. Running from 22nd to 29th September, the world’s best cyclists made their way to the 2019 host region for what proved to be the pinnacle event in the international road cycling calendar.
The Mapei brand was made highly visible throughout Yorkshire, with barrier scrims, banners, and inflatable arches and columns lining the cycling routes and surrounding towns. Mapei’s logo featured as part of the official video clips for the 2019 UCI Road World Championships, as well as official support vehicles. Catering was also provided as part of Mapei’s reserved Hospitality area which was open solely to visiting clients, and gave them the opportunity to enjoy watching the races from exclusive viewing points.
Offering geographical advantages like no other, the UK’s largest county provided a remarkable range of routes for cyclists; its stunning landscapes created an exhilarating experience for everyone involved, including the massive crowds that gathered in and around Harrogate to show their support. Routes spanned the lengths of Yorkshire, with races starting in different towns and cities each day of the event, and finishing in the centre of Harrogate.
UCI President David Lappartient said:
“We are very thankful to Mapei for their loyal commitment on our side one more time this year in Yorkshire as Main Sponsor of our flagship event. They have been one of cycling’s historic partners, and the blue and white colours of the brand are part of the collective imagery genuinely associated to the UCI Road World Championships.”
From 1993 to 2002, Mapei sponsored a top-tier UCI road team ‘Team Mapei’, winning five Paris-Roubaix with champions including Andrea Tafi and Franco Ballerini, as well as being ranked by UCI as the strongest team for eight years. Mapei also supported the UCI World Cycling Centre when it opened in 2002 through its Mapei Sport Research Centre.
The roots of Mapei’s passion for cycling has stemmed into a firmly established collaboration with UCI over the years. Since 2008, Mapei has sponsored every edition of the UCI Road World Championships, with previous events being held in Innsbruck, Austria (2018), Bergen, Norway (2017), and Doha, Qatar (2016). Other hosts include Richmond, USA, Ponferrada, Spain, and Tuscany, Italy.