Sponsor News: Slipstream Partners with Garmin

Following on the heels of both the CSC and High Road teams, Slipstream-Chipotle announced today the forming of a partnership with Garmin International, makers of GPS navigation tools. In what is great news for cycling, three of the cleanest teams in cycling have now secured powerful new sponsors that will carry them through the next few years. The new official name of the team will be Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30.

CEO Jonathan Vaughters had a vision when he started the Slipstream squad: clean cycling and integrity. His belief was that if you build it, they will come, and he was emphatically correct. Garmin, like Saxo Bank and Columbia sportswear, realized that a partnership with Slipstream will give them positive exposure in a variety of locations and demographics.

According to an official press release, the team will be overhauled from a visual perspective, from kits all the way up to the team bus. For the faithful Slipstream fan base, the question must be whether the signature argyle design will remain, or will it be replaced by an entirely different motif?

Asked about the general argyle design in a virtual press conference today and whether it will stay a part of the uniform, Vaughters explained that the trademark argyle will stay, as it has become a description for "where we came from. It identifies where we're from, where we came from and where we started. I symbolizes what we're all about, our personality." A Garmen rep also claimed that it "will be one of the finest looking kits in the Tour."

Garmin also announced that they will be debuting their new cycling computer, the Edge® 705, an all in one navigation/personal monitoring system that has built in maps and tracks all individual performace on the bike, all in a wireless device. Further, the 705 allows data to be downloaded and shared, which will be a plus for any average club rider looking to one-up his teammates.

Team expectations in the Tour will be very simple according to Garmin representative Steve Garmin. "We'll look to bring the most competitive squad possible, and ride it (the Tour) with as much commitment as possible every single day. There are individual stages that we have in mind for possible wins, but expect to see us at the front in every stage as we look to make our mark on the race." Expect the new Garmin-Chipotle outfit to continue to impress as the months and years go on, as one of the most progressive cycling minds, Jonathan Vaughters, refines his master plan.