US biopharmaceutical company Amgen has extended a title sponsorship agreement with the Tour of California cycling race.
The new multi-year deal was brokered by AEG Global Partnerships. Amgen has title sponsored the Amgen Tour of California, which is part of the International Cycling Union’s (UCI) World Tour, for more than a decade.
The deal was signed yesterday (Wednesday) ahead of the conclusion of this year’s race on Saturday in Sacramento. The race travels annually across more than 800 miles of Californian roadways, highways and coastline drives.
As part of the new deal, AEG and Amgen will work together on an elementary school program entitled ‘Be Safe! Be Active! Be Smart!’, which is aimed at helping local children lead a healthy lifestyle while learning about bike safety.
Amgen will also use the race to showcase community outreach programs such as Breakaway from Cancer and Breakaway from Heart Disease. The platforms will receive prominent exposure throughout the race course and will be highlighted through tailored brand initiatives such as the Amgen Breakaway Most Courageous Rider Jersey.
The initiatives will be featured throughout the men’s and women’s pro races, as well as across the event’s digital and print channels. Further promotion will be provided through televised race broadcasts and the Amgen Leader jersey.
“The Amgen Tour of California has developed into one of the premier sporting events in North America,” said Kristin Klein, president of the event and executive vice-president of AEG Sports. “Alongside our partners at Amgen, we’ve been able to shape the race into not only one of the sport’s most prestigious annual events, but also a platform that gives voice to important initiatives like heart health and cancer awareness.”