UK time trialling governing body Cycling Time Trials has announced a new partnership with aerodynamic clothing brand Nopinz.
In what is currently an open-ended deal, Nopinz will supply national champions' jerseys, caps and prizes, and will work with CTT on collaborative promotions that they hope will extend the reach of both brands.
The CTT has worked hard over the last few years to shake off a frumpy and traditionalist label, and its partnership with Devon-based Nopinz – a younger brand seen as relevant and innovative – is part of continuing that work, says chair Andrea Parish.
"Having that association with a brand that is innovative, and the way that opens presents itself, and the marketing and everything is great for us, because there is that by association," she told Cycling Weekly. "You get a bit of momentum going, everything starts working."
With Nopinz having its roots in UK time trialling, the partnership seems like an obvious one, and Parish says it would have been harder to find a collaborator more closely aligned.
"I couldn't imagine another brand that's more aligned with and more integral to time trialling than Nopinz, and that's a great message to be putting out to people," she said.
Nopinz founder Blake Pond said: "The Nopinz brand was just born from time trialling really, because I was a time trial rider, an avid time triallist who always wanted to go faster, like all time triallists do."
After tearing a very expensive skinsuit with safety pins on its first outing, Pond set about designing a new, more aerodynamic solution.
"Providing the kits [to CTT] is the easy bit," says Pond, who continues to race, and win, against the clock. "It's about also trying to use both of our databases to improve and drive the sport forward, really, and get more traction, get more people participating in events.
"In recent years, there has been some decline in participation," he points out, "so it obviously makes sense. We can help CTT promote certain events, and they can help us promote certain products and things like that."
CTT has had previous partnerships – most recently with Czech clothing brand Kalas for example – but with the two brands being so closely aligned, this new coalition with Nopinz looks set to go deeper and reach further than before.
