(Press Release)
TREVISO, ITALY – Rudy Project, recognized for its involvement in the cycling, triathlon and action sports, has announced an partnership with the Etixx – Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team as their official sunglass for the 2016 season.
Notable riders such as Tony Boonen, Tony Martin, Marcel Kittel, and Niki Tepstra will debut Rudy Project’s Special Edition Etixx – Quick-Step Tralyx Performance Sunglass as the team defends their 2015 title as the “Winningest World Tour Cycling Team in the World.” Off the bike, team riders will wear the Spinhawk or the myriad of casual frames that best represent each rider’s personality and look.
"We are pleased with this partnership", says Patrick Lefevere, CEO of Etixx – Quick-Step. "Rudy Project is a high quality and technological brand that has been present for many years in the sport business. The experience gained in 30 years of activity, and the attention to details and design, place their eyewear amongst the coolest performance sunglasses in cycling. The passion that Rudy Project puts into its products is the same that we put every day in the races. We are sure it will be a win-win partnership."
The Etixx – Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team was established in 2003 and is based out of Wevelgem, Belgium, a city symbolic to Flemish cycling. Since its inception, the team has captured more than 500 victories, including 14 Monument Classics, four Road World Championships, five ITT World Champions, two TTT World Championships, two World Cups, and an Olympic Title. In 2015, they were the Winningest Team in the World for a the fourth year in a row.
The 2016 roster will feature returning riders such as Tony Boonen, Niki Tepstra and Tony Martin. Martin is recognized for his success in the time trial discipline, having won the UCI Time Trial World Championships three years in a row (2011-2013). As a multiple Tour de France stage winner and Olympic silver medalist, Martin donned the Yellow Jersey at the 2015 Tour de France after winning the fourth stage. New faces will also be seen on the team this season, including notable sprinter Marcel Kittel. An eight-time Tour de France stage winner and fellow Yellow Jersey wearer, Kittle had a quiet 2015 season due to illness but is now geared up for 2016.
“Rudy Project’s dominant cycling heritage is something that we are excited to continue with the Etixx – Quick-Step Team,” said Paul Craig, president and co-founder of Rudy Project North America. “This partnership merely solidifies our commitment to furthering the success of the world’s top athletes by providing them with the most technically advanced – and just downright cool – sunglasses in the peloton.”
The team will be equipped with the Special Edition Etixx – Quick-Step Tralyx Performance Sunglass, which will come standard with Rudy Project’s most durable lenses: the ImpactX-2. These photochromic lenses were designed for any light condition, changing from clear to laser black depending on the rider’s surroundings. Additionally, the sunglass features an ultra-lightweight frame, an unobstructed field of peripheral vision, and the PowerFlow vent system.