POC Sweden AB has entered a three-year agreement to provide American pro cycling Team Garmin-Sharp with helmets and eyewear as part of the Swedish gravity sports brand's assault on the road cycling market.
“We are now entering the road bike scene and we need to go all in and support our mission of doing everything we can to possibly save lives and reduce the consequences of accidents, and at the same time assist with performance through advances in technology,” said POC CEO and Founder Stefan Ytterborn. “With Team Garmin-Sharp’s spirit, values and attitude, we have found a perfect partner. Together we will come up with even better, safer and faster products for the team and in their quest to win, but also benefit road cyclists around the world who will be able to use the same products and innovations for training and racing.”
POC is a leading manufacturer of skiing and mountain biking helmets, body armor and accessories that was acquired by Black Diamond Inc. in 2012. POC will provide Team Garmin-Sharp riders with its Octal, the Octal Aero and Tempor TT helmets, which is shown to the right.
When it comes to the eyewear, the team will choose from a number of different frames, ranging from the striking DID’s to the soon-to-be-released DO Blades. DO Blade has been developed in collaboration with 2012 Giro D’Italia champion, Garmin-Sharp’s Ryder Hesjedal, and Olympic TT Silver medalist Gustav Larsson – both POC team athletes.
POC will also produce additional products with specifically engineered properties to serve specific needs, depending on discipline and circumstances.
“I really believe the POC range of helmets is revolutionary in bringing new levels of comfort, aerodynamics and cooling to the market,” says Dan Martin, Team Garmin-Sharp. “I am blown away by POC's advanced design and we are very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with them this season,” adds Martin.
POC is just about to release AVIP, its first road bike specific range including helmets, apparel, eyewear and accessories. AVIP stands for Attention, Visibility, Interaction and Protection and is POC’s most ambitious initiative to date, promoting safety for road cyclists.
The blue color of the Octal helmet, shown at right, and the Do Blade sunglasses is called “Garminum Blue” and matches the team's jersey and will be used for competition. Since visibility is a key factor to road bike safety and to support the idea behind AVIP, the highly visible orange version of the Octal helmet will be the first choice for team Garmin-Sharp when training.
Starting with Australian National Championships in January, team Garmin-Sharp will be wearing POC helmets and eyewear around the world, from the Tour Down Under to The Tour de France to Liege-Baston-Liege.
Team Garmin-Sharp competes in a full schedule of professional cycling races in the U.S. and Europe. It is owned and managed by Slipstream Sports and dedicated to promoting ethical sporting and developing the next generation of cycling champions.
