Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE: HLF), a global nutrition and direct-selling company, with its local base in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, today announced that it has completed an agreement with the Marco Polo Cycling Team to become an official sponsor of the team for the Tour de Langkawi. After signing up Museeuw Bikes and FFWD wheels as equipment sponsors before the season, Herbalife now becomes the official provider of nutritional products of the team. The start of this program will be on March 1st, at the first stage of Tour de Langkawi, in Malaysia. Herbalife Malaysia will support the team in Tour de Langkawi. The cooperation includes several programs for Herbalife distributors to even get more inspired by the Marco Polo riders; big gatherings of thousands of distributors before the race and individual ‘meet & greets’ at stage starts and finishes. The riders will have the healthy Herbalife products available for their best possible recovery and use the H3O sports drink of Herbalife in the races.
Herbalife-Marco Polo Team for Tour de Langkawi:
Loh Sea Keong, Haidar Anuawar (both Malaysia), Liu Yilin, Wang Meiyin, Fu Xing (all China) and Brad Hall (Australia).
The team will be led by Rob Conijn and Henk Schipper.
The Marco Polo Cycling Team will be racing all over the world again in 2010. Following the decision of main sponsor Trek Bikes to step down, it seemed fielding a team in 2010 would be a tough call for the Marco Polo Cycling management, but with new support coming in from Museeuw Bikes and FFWD wheels, the team will continue to be a platform for the support and development of young riders from non-traditional cycling countries.
Leon van Bon road captain of the Marco Polo Cycling Team. (Photo: Francis Cerny)
The main sponsor position of the Chinese-registered team is still to be filled and available. Nonetheless, the team will race the biggest races in Asia (including Langkawi, QinghaiLake and Hainan) and spend a couple of months competing in Europe. The first race of the team will be the Mumbai Cyclothon in India, with the Tour de Langkawi following shortly after that.
