MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rally CyclingSM and sports management company Circuit Sport have finalized a new co-title partnership with UnitedHealthcare. The newly named Rally UHC Cycling will continue to operate as both a Pro Continental Men’s Team and UCI Women’s Team in 2019 and pursue invitations to the world’s top races.
“Our goal is to set a new high-water mark for American cycling around the globe with the intention of racing in the UCI WorldTour,” said Charles Aaron, managing director, Circuit Sport. “We are entering a time of significant change and growth for our program, and couldn’t be more ready for the opportunity.”
“We look forward to leveraging the combined reach and resources of Rally, UnitedHealthcare and the cycling team to spread our shared message of healthy living to the millions of people around the world who avidly follow cycling,” said Rhett Woods, chief creative officer, Rally Health, Inc.
For Aaron, the formation of Rally UHC Cycling is a testament to Circuit Sport's unique approach to international sports marketing. The team has long aspired to be “more than just a collection of logos on a jersey.” As Aaron explains, “Winning races is very important to us, but we also emphasize providing unique marketing opportunities for our partners that deliver real, measurable ROI.”
The team’s infrastructure is expanding in both the United States and in Europe. In October, Circuit Sport opened a new service course in Girona, Spain, and an expansion of overseas racing is underway along with a host of high-profile races under consideration for 2019.
“We’re serious about growing the team,” said Jonas Carney, performance manager, Rally UHC Cycling. “When we sit down with race organizers, we can show them that we have a plan for growth that matches our ambition.”
A Refreshed Look
The team’s orange racing kit will remain
largely unchanged for 2019. The new look incorporates UnitedHealthcare’s
“UHC” sporting mark and blue accents. The “winged” team logo also
remains intact, with a seamless and elegant integration of the
UnitedHealthcare brand.
“It was important that we maintain our brand’s unique look as our international profile grows and ‘Rally orange’ continues to develop a following,” said Sam Wiebe, creative director, Rally UHC Cycling. “We developed a simple, tasteful way to integrate the UnitedHealthcare brand into our livery, and we are proud of the final product.”
A New Level of Performance
In recent years, the men’s team
has achieved success around the globe. In 2017, it became the first
Continental outfit in history to win a WorldTour race with two stage
victories at the Amgen Tour of California. In February 2018, the team
nearly won a stage of the Dubai Tour after a strong effort from one of
America’s brightest young cycling talents, Brandon McNulty. In March,
Adam DeVos captured a stage win at Malaysia’s Tour of Langkawi. In the
summer, Colin Joyce won a stage of the Arctic Race of Norway, finishing
third overall. Robin Carpenter followed by winning King of the Mountains
at Germany’s Deutschland Tour.
“We pursue high-profile races and have steadily performed better and better at them,” said Patrick McCarty, performance director, Rally UHC Cycling. “We make sure our athletes have the best support possible, and we try to place them in the races they dream about winning.”
The 2019 men’s roster retains the talent that delivered worldwide success last year while adding Gavin Mannion (2018 Colorado Classic overall champion), WorldTour veteran and Olympian Svein Tuft, and talented sprinters John Murphy and Pier-Andre Coté.
The women’s team, helmed by Olympian and former Circuit Sport athlete Zach Bell, is anchored by Olympic medalists Kirsti Lay, Alison Beveridge and Kelly Catlin. Sprinter Emma White, who racked up several national titles and stage wins in 2018, is joined by the Canadian trio of Sara Bergen (Canadian Criterium Champion), Katherine Maine (Canadian Road Champion) and Sara Poidevin (2017 Colorado Classic Champion).
Supporting the UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation
The
team’s long-time relationship with UnitedHealthcare Children’s
Foundation (UHCCF) will also expand with the new partnership. Since
2009, Circuit Sport teams have worked with UHCCF to raise more than
$100,000 for the organization, which provides grants to families for
medical services that are not covered – or not fully covered – by their
health insurance plan. As the team grows its international profile, it
plans to share the charity’s unique mission around the globe.
About Rally Health, Inc.
Rally Health is a consumer-centric
digital health company that makes it easy for individuals to take charge
of their health and collaborates with health plans, care providers, and
employers to engage consumers. The company’s flagship offering is
Rally®, a digital health platform featuring a suite of Web and mobile
solutions that help people manage their health and health care needs.
More than 45 million consumers have access to the Rally platform through
more than 200,000 employers, and payers such as UnitedHealthcare,
BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, Health Alliance, and others.
With offices in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Chicago, Minneapolis,
Denver, and Las Vegas, the team behind Rally Health has been working
together since 2010 to transform the consumer health industry. For more
information, please visit rallyhealth.com.
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to
helping people live healthier lives and making the health system work
better for everyone by simplifying the health care experience, meeting
consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships
with care providers. In the United States, UnitedHealthcare offers the
full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, and
Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more
than 1.2 million physicians and care professionals, and 6,500 hospitals
and other care facilities nationwide. The company also provides health
benefits and delivers care to people through owned and operated health
care facilities in South America. UnitedHealthcare is one of the
businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified health care
company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at uhc.com or
follow @UHC on Twitter.
About Circuit Sport
Circuit Sport takes a unique platform
approach to sports marketing and management that redefines what a
professional cycling team represents. Our teams are more than just a
collection of logos on a jersey – we passionately believe that riding a
bicycle can improve a person’s life. For more information, visit circuitsport.com.
