Oakley Becomes A UCI Mountain Bike Official Partner

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Oakley announced a two-year partnership starting in 2019.

Oakley will support the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships presented by Mercedes-Benz and the Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup as an Official Partner.

The arrival of the U.S. eyewear brand, which is owned by the Italian group Luxottica and has been a player in the cycling industry for several decades now, is yet another sign of the faith that leading brands and media partners have in mountain bike.

The 2018 Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup attracted record audiences on Red Bull TV, while there was a significant increase in the cumulative audience for the 2018 UCI World Championships in Lenzerheide (SUI), with 46 million viewers tuning in.

Oakley has been part of our sport for more than three decades. In the 1980s, the brand made a name for itself within the road cycling peloton with its glasses, helmets and its line of clothing. Today is supplies several UCI WorldTeams and top teams in the UCI Women’s WorldTour. At the end of the 1990s, Oakley extended its activities to include mountain bike, and has been chosen by legends such as Julien Absalon and Nino Schurter (cross-country Olympic) and Greg Minnaar and Rachel Atherton (downhill).

From 2019, the partnership with the UCI will start a new chapter in the history of Oakley’s involvement in cycling.

“The arrival of an international brand such as Oakley is excellent news for mountain bike,” said UCI President David Lappartient. “At a time when our competitions are enjoying increasing popularity, it gives me great pleasure to see an established player in the cycling industry demonstrate their faith in our discipline. Our partnership will combine the global and high-profile exposure of UCI events with the expertise of Oakley products.”

“At Oakley we look for partnerships that share our passion for technological innovation, that allow us to stay ahead of the game and set the standard in sports performance. We can’t wait to work with the UCI over the next two years and beyond in creating the ultimate experience for athletes and spectators”, said Ben Goss, Oakley global brand director.

Founded in 1900, in Paris, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is the worldwide governing body for cycling. The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup was founded in 1991.