Orca Orbea Press Release

March 7 2011
Media Release

Orca secures major cycle team sponsorships

• Euskaltel-Euskadi to train and race in Orca Killa Kompression wear
• Official base layer and compression sponsor to Twenty3c-Orbea
• Compression sponsor to Orbea Continental Road Team and Mountain Bike Team

Performance sportswear brand Orca has agreed several high profile professional cycle team sponsorships, including the Spanish-based Euskaltel-Euskadi team and the UK-based Twenty3c-Orbea team.

Through its global partnership with Spanish cycle brand Orbea, Orca has been appointed as the official compression sponsor to the Euskatel-Euskadi cycle team. Orca will also supply compression gear and other base layers, including its performance Merino wool activewear, to the new Twenty3c-Orbea team. In addition, Orca will be providing compression wear to the Orbea Continental Road and Mountain Bike Teams.

"These sponsorship agreements continue Orca's association with cycling at the highest level," explains Orca CEO Scott Unsworth. "Orca has a proven history with road and track cycling, including developing a revolutionary skin suit for the Olympic medal-winning New Zealand team at Beijing. We're now looking forward to working with these teams, providing our active and graduated compression garments, and baselayers from our performance Merino wool range.

"The new Velo Merino range of cycle products features some innovative technology. Options include 100% New Zealand Merino wool for next-to-skin layers, which take advantage of Merino's natural ability to regulate temperature, manage moisture and prevent odour. We also blend Merino with other performance fibres to provide the stretch, durability, comfort and breathability cyclists need when they're working hard. Merino wool fibre has a tradition in cycling going back to the 1920s and 30s, and the Velo Merino range is already proving popular."

"As a team, we are always looking to give the riders every possible advantage to allow them
to be the best they can be," said Twenty3c-Orbea Team Manager James Whatling. "Orca are at the forefront of both compression and baselayer technology and we are looking forward to benefitting from their fantastic products in 2011."

Orca was the official race and casual apparel supplier to Bike NZ for a number of years up to the Beijing Olympics, and recently sponsored the Orca Velo Merino cycle team in New Zealand's premier Tour of Southland. Orca has also been manufacturing cycle-specific garments for close to a decade.