Press Release- Skil -Moser Pro Cycling Team
Thursday, February 17, 2005

According to Drew Cunningham who is working on PR for the for the team, there is a possibility of seeing them at some races in the east this year.

Skil new main sponsor professional cycling team

Starting this year, portable power tools manufacturer Skil will be the new main sponsor of the Skil – Moser Pro Cycling Team, www.skil-moser.com. Skil believes that cycle racing is an excellent match for its target group, who as well as DIY, enjoy life, and are interested in sports. The Skil – Moser Team is built around Tour de France and Vuelta (Tour of Spain) stage winner Bart Voskamp, under the management of Gerry Takens, Aike Visbeek, and Merijn Zeeman. The sponsorship agreement was officially announced in Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands.

Bert van der Tuuk, general manager of the team, and Gerhard Kobesen, President of Skil Europe, signed the contract between Skil and the team organization. The sponsorship means that Skil will be present on all of the cycling clothing and equipment the team uses.

With the sponsorship of the Skil – Moser team, the power tools manufacturer Skil is re-entering the professional cycle racing world. In the early 1980’s Skil was already a team sponsor with top riders including 1978 world champion Gerrie Knetemann defending the Skil colors. "With this new, young and enthusiastic team we intend to reach for the same highlights as in the early 1980’s " said Gerhard Kobesen.

As well as Bart Voskamp the team will also include cyclists Bert Hiemstra and Peter Mazur. The Skil-Moser team will take part in an international program of races such as Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, Giro del Capo, Brabantse Pijl, Veenendaal-Veenendaal, Tour of Belgium, and Volta ao Alentejo this spring with more to be announced soon. Next to the professionals Skil will also sponsor the Moser-AH-Trentino U23 Continental team, www.teammoser-ah.nl, a group of talented young cyclists who will be trained to become future professionals.

At 36 Bart Voskamp is the most experienced cyclist in the team. He has certainly earned his stripes in the cycling world and has been a professional since 1993. He has twice won the Dutch time trial championship (1991 and 2001) as well as stages in major cycling races such as the Tour de France (1996) and the Vuelta a España (1994 and 1997). Voskamp has ridden for teams such as TVM, Polti, the BankGiro Loterij and Chocolade Jacques. His experience is extremely useful both for the riders and the management. That’s why he is being given a double role: active as a rider and active within the management. Voskamp: “I’m setting myself the goal of lifting this team to a higher level. With the experience I have, I will be fulfilling the role that lies between the management and the riders as team captain. But that will not stop me from adding to my list of victories."

Skil-Moser is the team of the new Europe. Alongside Dutchmen, Belgians and a German no fewer than four strong Polish riders have been included in the team. Bart Voskamp and Bert Hiemstra are experienced riders, Frank Kwanten and Roel de Vries major new talents. Then we have the promising Polish riders. Peter Mazur was first in the Tour of Poland young riders classification last year, Marek Wesoly won the Polish road championship that year too, Dariusz Rudnicki is acknowledged to be a great sprinter and Arkadiusz Wojtas wants to prove that he can be one of the leaders of the team. And Jan van Velzen has a clear goal in mind in the Skil-Moser team: "Winning!"



Skil’s love of cycling began more than twenty years ago. In 1984 the pro team Skil-Reydel started with riders such as Jean Habets, Fréderic Vichot and the Irishman Sean Kelly. Their victories included Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Paris-Roubaix (Sean Kelly) and the Tour Méditerranéen (Jean-Claude Bagot).

In 1985 the team Skil-Sem started with Sean Kelly, Jacques Vermeer, Fréderic Vichot and the legendary Gerrie Knetemann. It was good year with numerous resounding victories. ‘The Kneet’ won the Amstel Gold Race while Sean Kelly took first place in the Giro di Lombardia and the Ronde van Nederland.

Skil-Moser will compete in many major races this year, expanding the list of achievements of the Skil teams in 1984 and 1985.

www.skil-moser.com
www.teammoser-ah.nl

photos by Jonathan McElvery, Jack Milton, and BikeReg.com