Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling becomes Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling for 2016 as the team’s long-standing nutrition partner High5 steps up its commitment to the team to become co-sponsor. Wiggle, the world’s leading online cycling and tri-sports retailer, returns to support the team for a fourth season, which will begin the year at Number One in the International Cycling Union (UCI) rankings.
As co-sponsor since 2012, Honda has been an important supporter of the team from its inception, and will continue its association with Wiggle High5; supporting the team with race cars, as well as vehicles for athletes and staff, Honda’s logo will remain present on the 2016 jersey.
2015 was the best year yet for the black and orange team, with Wiggle Honda riders taking 33 UCI-ranked victories, and winning four of the nine individual World Cup races; with Jolien D’hoore winning the opening round in Drenthe, Netherlands, and in Vårgårda, Sweden, Giorgia Bronzini winning in Chongming Island, China, and Elisa Longo Borghini winning arguably the most prestigious of all in the Tour of Flanders.
“I had an ambition in 2012 to create the most professional women’s cycling team in the world, increase salaries for athletes and become the World Number One UCI team within three years,” said Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling Team Owner and Manager Rochelle Gilmore. These goals have now been reached but we believe that the season ahead represents an opportunity for both the riders and the team to reach a completely new level. We’ll be doing all we can to support our riders’ main goals and continue creating a team environment that will ensure success on the road.”
Wiggle has been the team’s primary sponsor since 2012 on an initial three-year contract. With such a successful partnership over those three years, however, that contract has been renewed into the coming season.
“Wiggle has sponsored the team from its beginning three years ago to achieving their goal of World Number One ranking whilst promoting women’s cycling,” said Harvey Bennett, Chief Marketing and Sales Officer at Wiggle. “Wiggle is very pleased to extend the successful partnership with the Team into 2016. Wiggle High5 will be the team to beat once the season begins and signings, old and new, mean there are riders who can win and support the Giro, other Grand Tours and Classics.”
Thirteen of the fifteen riders from Wiggle Honda’s 2015 season will return in 2016, including D’hoore, Bronzini and Longo Borghini, eleven-time Japanese Champion Mayuko Hagiwara, Spanish Road and Time Trial Champion Anna Sanchis and double Track World Champion Nettie Edmondson.
Also returning for Wiggle High5 will be Olympic Champion Dani King, Australian Champion Peta Mullens, two-time Giro d’Italia winner Mara Abbott, French Time Trial Champion Audrey Cordon-Ragot, Australian sprinter Chloe Hosking and exciting young British duo Amy Roberts and Anna Christian. They will be joined by the additions of Swedish Champion Emma Johansson, two-time Junior World Champion Lucy Garner and exciting Netherlands rider Amy Pieters.
Below a presentation video about the Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling team.
Wiggle High5 Rider Line Up 2016
Mara Abbott (United States), Giorgia Bronzini (Italy), Anna Christian (Great Britain), Audrey Cordon-Ragot (France), Jolien D’hoore (Belgium), Annette Edmondson (Australia), Lucy Garner (Great Britain), Mayuko Hagiwara (Japan), Chloe Hosking (Australia), Emma Johansson (Sweden), Dani King (Great Britain), Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy), Peta Mullens (Australia), Amy Pieters (Netherlands), Amy Roberts (Great Britain), Anna Sanchis (Spain)
