GreenEdge Cycling, known as Team BikeExchange, for the 2021 Men and Women Cycling WorldTour season, has announced the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) as new Official Partner starting from Tour de France 2021. The partnership will run from July 2021 to December 2023.
AlUla, a boutique heritage and culture destination in North West Saudi Arabia, has chosen to partner with GreenEdge Cycling to introduce the stunning landscape of ancient civilisations to millions of cycling and sport fans around the world. AlUla and GreenEdge Cycling share core values such as sustaining eco-friendly environments and the holistic health benefits of sport for all, and in particular cycling.
With Saudi Arabia only recently opening up to tourism, AlUla is an emerging destination, however the region’s connection with sport has already been established having already hosted multiple sport events from running and eco-trails to motorsports and polo. This is one of the common goals between AlUla and GreenEDGE Cycling Owner and Chairman, Gerry Ryan, who has been a pivotal investor in sport as a way to connect to his customers and play sports a true way to entertain fans globally. Ryan was a pioneer in the production of film-documentary “All For One” in 2017 and Amazon Prime Serie, “Eat. Race. Win.” in 2018.
Home to Hegra, the first UNESCO World Heritage site in the Kingdom, as well as the ancient Kingdom of Dadan, the open-air library of rock inscriptions in Jabal Ikmah, and AlUla Old Town, AlUla’s history goes back more than 200,000 years. Today the region is opening up as a year-round destination for heritage, arts, nature and adventure. From railway bike trails to functional road bike paths and scenic mountain biking, two wheeled transport and recreation is a big part of AlUla’s Journey Through Time 15-year masterplan, launched in April 2021.
The partnership will include mutually beneficial opportunities for GreenEdge Cycling and AlUla which is set to include a cycling camp in AlUla, encouraging the local community to be engaged with the sport.
Gerry Ryan, Team Owner and Chairman, Team BikeExchange, said, “I am extremely delighted to announce this new partnership between GreenEDGE Cycling and AlUla, a luxury travel destination which we are honored to promote on our team assets. We haven’t been there yet physically, but in the last few weeks we have meet many people who are working to promote the region and we have seen so many breathless images and videos and I can’t wait for our first opportunity to visit AlUla and discover more about it. We will do our best to support their growth.”
Brent Copeland, General Manager, Team BikeExchange, added, “For us it is very exciting to have such a prestigious and historical region coming onboard with GreenEdge Cycling. We strongly feel cycling and Team BikeExchange in particular is the perfect brand to promote such a spectacular area. I look forward to visiting in person soon and working closely with the team at RCU to maximise the opportunities of our partnership. The mutual respect and alignment of values is great for GreenEdge Cycling and it will be exciting to see how our partnership can help AlUla to grow awareness among the passionate cycling community as a luxury heritage destination. We are here for a long-term partnership and we will keep developing together.”
Phillip Jones, Chief Management and Marketing Officer, Royal Commission for AlUla, said, “AlUla is delighted to become an Official Partner of GreenEdge Cycling and to be part of a sport which has 1.7 billion spectators around the globe. Cycling is a premium sport and offers an invaluable opportunity to communicate the premium AlUla experience, our extraordinary heritage and culture as well as our efforts to future proof the destination for the enjoyment of future generations of visitors. As a developing tourism destination, AlUla is focused on safeguarding the natural and cultural landscape, sustaining eco-systems and wildlife and developing light-touch tourism experiences. We are excited to work with the passionate team at GreenEdge Cycling in the coming years.”
