Garmin® to Sponsor Slipstream Sports, Adding Edge® 705 to Elite Cycling Team’s Training
Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN), today
announced its sponsorship of Slipstream Sports LLC, an elite cycling
team that prides itself on using talent, training and technology in
taking on the world’s best competition. Slipstream cyclists will train
with the Edge 705, the newest GPS-enabled cycling computer in Garmin’s
popular line of fitness products. Slipstream’s support vehicles will use
Garmin’s nüvi® 770, which combines compact functionality with
comprehensive preloaded maps of North America and Europe.
“Garmin is thrilled to be joining forces with Slipstream, a team that
exemplifies sportsmanship and integrity in this new era of competitive
cycling,” said Jon Cassat, Garmin’s vice president of communications.
“An unparalleled training tool for professional and recreational
cyclists, the Edge 705 will help Slipstream excel on the sport’s biggest
stages.”
Slipstream Sports is among the best cycling teams in the world and could
be the only American team to compete in the 2008 Tour de France. Many
riders are also Olympic hopefuls for Beijing. Slipstream Sports is
dedicated to promoting ethical sporting and developing the next
generation of cycling champions. In 2007, Slipstream partnered with
Agency for Cycling Ethics (ACE), to create the most progressive
anti-doping system in the professional sports world. The team of 25
riders will undergo combined voluntary testing at least 700 times
throughout the 2008 season.
“Technology plays a key role in our training, traveling and
communicating as a team,” said Jonathan Vaughters, CEO/President of
Slipstream. “Garmin is the perfect fit for our team’s needs, and we are
very excited to work with them this season.”
The Edge 705 represents several breakthroughs in cycling technology,
including power compatibility wireless unit-to-unit connectivity and the
ability to monitor GPS position, heart rate, speed, cadence, altitude
and gradient on the same display. And Slipstream teammates will be able
to share their information – including saved rides, waypoints and
workouts – with each other through ANT+Sport™ wireless technology.
Slipstream cyclists can display their customizable data fields on large
2.2” color screens, which also bring the Edge 705’s mapping capabilities
and street navigation to life in vivid detail. The Edge 705’s barometric
altimeter makes it much easier for cyclists to match their altitude
profile with their speed, cadence and heart rate during post-ride
analysis. And when paired with a third party’s ANT+Sport-enabled device,
the Edge 705 measures power – torque and cadence for each leg at the
pedals – which is often cited as a true indicator of an efficient ride.
Slipstream cyclists and coaches can analyze their performance long after
the ride ends by turning to Garmin Connect™ — Garmin’s new and enhanced
online training site at connect.garmin.com — where they can track their
progress, share workouts and participate in an online community. Garmin
Connect calculates measurements such as time, distance, speed, elevation
and heart rate. This information is displayed through charts,
illustrations, reports and a variety of map representations including
street, photo, topographic, and elevation maps as well as the popular
Google Earth application. Team Slipstream can replay its workouts and
watch as cyclists move along a mapped route that coincides with selected
data fields and the statistics at any given point.
Packed with detailed maps and 6 million preloaded points of interest,
the nüvi 770 will help the Slipstream team travel with speed and ease
across two continents. Barely bigger than a deck of cards, the nüvi 770
has route-planning capabilities for multi-stop trips and also answers
two common questions: “Where am I?” and “Where’s my car?” At any time,
with a single tap of the screen, drivers can display their exact
latitude and longitude coordinates, the nearest address and
intersection, and the closest hospitals, police stations and gas
stations. And to help Slipstream’s drivers find their support vehicles
in an event’s vast parking lots, the nüvi 770 automatically marks the
position in which it was last removed from the mount.
About Slipstream Sports
Founded in 2005, Slipstream Sports LLC is a highly progressive sports
management company dedicated solely to promoting the ethical growth of
American cycling.
About Team Slipstream
Owned and managed by Slipstream Sports, a sports marketing and
development company, Team Slipstream is dedicated to promoting ethical
sporting and developing the next generation of cycling champions. In
2007, Team Slipstream partnered with Agency for Cycling Ethics (ACE), to
create the most progressive anti-doping system in the professional
sports world. Each of the team’s 25 riders will undergo combined
voluntary testing at least 700 times throughout the 2008 season, 20
times the number of tests that most professional cyclists are subject to
annually. Team Slipstream will be competing in a full schedule of
professional cycling races in the U.S. and Europe throughout 2008.
Additional information is available at www.slipstreamsports.com.
About Garmin International
Garmin International Inc. is a member of the Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN)
group of companies, which designs and manufactures navigation,
communication and information devices – most of which are enabled by GPS
technology. Garmin is a leader in the general aviation and consumer GPS
markets and its products serve aviation, marine, outdoor recreation,
automotive, wireless and OEM applications. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated
in the Cayman Islands, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the
United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For more information,
visit Garmin’s virtual pressroom at www.garmin.com/pressroom
or contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200. Garmin, Edge
and nüvi are registered trademarks, and ANT+Sport and Garmin Connect are
trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries. Anticipated product
availability dates are based on management’s current expectations and
are not guaranteed. All other brands, product names, company names,
trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective
owners. All rights reserved.
Notice on forward-looking statements:
This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Garmin Ltd.
and its business. All statements regarding the company’s future product
introductions are forward-looking statements. Such statements are based
on management’s current expectations. The forward-looking events and
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could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors
and uncertainties affecting Garmin, including, but not limited to, the
risk factors listed in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 30, 2006 filed by Garmin with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (Commission file number 000-31983). A copy of Garmin’s Form
10-K can be downloaded at www.garmin.com/aboutGarmin/invRelations/finReports.html.
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statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Garmin
undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any
forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information,
future events, or otherwise.