Škoda Australia Sponsors Australia's Largest One Day Cycling Challange

PR Log (Press Release) – Sep 14, 2009 – Škoda Australia is pleased to announce its role as Official Vehicle Supplier for Around the Bay in a Day 2009. Around the Bay in a Day is Australia’s largest mass participation, single day cycling event, taking place around scenic Port Phillip Bay in Melbourne on Sunday 18th October 2009.

Škoda has a long and rich history in cycling, having started out as a bicycle manufacturer in 1895, before switching to four wheels in 1905.

“We already have an on-going partnership with Australia’s premier professional road cycling event, the Tour Down Under in Adelaide, so it was only natural for us to get involved with Bicycle Victoria to sponsor Australia’s largest single-day public bike ride,” said Matthew Wiesner, Head of Škoda Australia.

Around the Bay in a Day’s Event Manager, Ms Eleni Koronakos, said she was thrilled to call Škoda Australia ‘Around the Bay’s Official Vehicle Supplier’. “With Škoda Auto’s longstanding history with cycling we feel Škoda Australia are a perfect fit for Australia’s premier public cycling challenge,” Ms Koronakos said.

The event offers a choice of five ride distances: 50km, 80km, 100km, 210km and 250km. With the exception of the 100km ride, which starts in Sorrento, all rides start and finish at Alexandra Gardens in the heart of Melbourne.

Škoda Australia is providing vehicles to Around the Bay organisers along with display vehicles at the Go Bike Expo from 16th to 18th October 2009. The fleet of vehicles will include the popular New Octavia ( http://www.skoda.com.au/newoctavia/ ), the elegant Superb and the recently launched high-performance Octavia RS ( http://www.skoda.com.au/octaviars/ ).

For further infomation on Skoda's range of European carsavailable in Australia, you can visit your nearest Skoda Car Dealer ( http://www.skoda.com.au/dealernetwork/finddealers.aspx ) for a test drive.