Read about: Radio Shack Cycling Team

The Radio Shack Cycling Team is a professional road bicycle racing team that features RadioShack as their title sponsor. The team is managed by Capitol Sports and Entertainment, who also manages the Trek-LIVESTRONG U23 development cycling team, and who formerly ran the former Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team. The Radio Shack Cycling Team is co-owned and was co-founded by Lance Armstrong, who announced the team’s formation on July 23rd, 2009. While primarily known for competing in cycling races, Team Radio Shack will also host runners and triatheletes (Lance Armstrong himself will compete in all three; cycling, running and triathlons).

While Armstrong originally retired from competition in 2005, he returned to competitive cycling for the 2009 Tour de France. His return generated a lot of attention for his LIVESTRONG foundation, which allowed the non-profit to increase their awareness, fundraising and ground level activism in the fight against cancer. As he utilized the massive media attention caused by his return to spread the LIVESTRONG message, Armstrong saw the opportunity to grow the cause even further.

Armstrong felt compelled to help found the Radio Shack Cycling team in order to fulfill his ambition to form a team comprised of the world’s top cyclists, who would be lead by the world’s best coaches. RadioShack stepped up to the plate and provided the title sponsorship the team needed to get off the ground.

For Armstrong, pairing with RadioShack made a lot of sense. By pairing with the mega-brand, Armstrong was able to leverage Radio Shack’s connection to millions of people to help spread his LIVESTRONG message, including the strategic utilization of Radio Shack’s massive base of brick and mortar stores. Furthermore, Armstrong says he feels a personal kinship with RadioShack due to the company’s commitment to the importance of technology to people’s daily lives, a commitment that Armstrong shares and understands due to his career racing on the most advanced bikes available to him.

Radio Shack, on the other hand, cites Armstrong’s leadership, his iconic image, and his understanding of the importance of keeping people connected, as making him their ideal partner. As Lee Applbaum, RadioShack’s Chief Marketing Officer stated: “This is an exciting time for RadioShack. We are re-launching our brand with a new creative platform in early August, and now having Lance on our team- an American icon who embodies the spirit of mobility, connectivity and philanthropy- really allows us to accelerate our brand’s evolution.”

The Radio Shack Cycling Team is composed of some of the best competitive cyclists in the world. Besides Armstrong, some key members include 2008 bronze medal cyclist and New Zealand National Champion Sam Bewley; 2007 Tour de Georgia champion Jani Brajkovic; two-time Wisconsin state road race champion Matthew Busche; and three-time USA Cycling National Racing Calendar Champion Chris Horner.

In addition, the Radio Shack Cycling Team and their team managers are lead by the winningest sports director in history, Johan Bruyneel. Bruyneel directed Lance Armstrong to all seven of his Tour de France championships, as well as Alberto Contador to his two, giving Bruyneel a total of nine Tour de France victories under his belt.