October 29/03 5:17 am - Saturn & Prime Alliance to Merge

Posted by Editor on 10/29/03
 

Team Sports, Inc and Paceline Team Sports Unite
Courtesy Team Sports

In a joint effort to form a professional team for the 2004 season, Team Sports owner Tom Schuler and Paceline Team Sports owner and CEO of Prime Alliance, Inc, Tom Irvine, are joining forces. The alliance between the two companies will see a merger of Saturn Cycling Team and Prime Alliance Team athletes and staff for the 2004 season. The newly formed team will bring together the number one and two ranked teams in the US during the 2003 season.

For Schuler, the merger makes good tactical sense, "I've always had an enormous amount of respect for what Tom Irvine has accomplished in a short amount of time. Joining forces with Prime Alliance only makes our cycling sponsorship that much more valuable for our new partners."

Saturn's decision not to renew their title sponsorship and Prime Alliance's interest in scaling back its title sponsorship roll created a mutually beneficial opportunity for both sports marketing companies. Schuler and Irvine continue to pursue additional companies that can utilize this partnership through title, co-title, and associate sponsorship roles. The merger of the two companies' teams doubles the resources, and makes for a new team with excellent potential for immediate impact in year one.

"The combination of the number one and number two organizations in North American road cycling creates an incredibly strong platform for new sponsorships. It additionally benefits many of the talented riders and staff currently searching for teams,"explains Irvine, who is also the CEO of Prime Alliance, Inc.

Schuler and Irvine are pleased with the move and hope to maintain relationships with the majority of current co-sponsors and industry sponsors of the Saturn Team. Additionally, the newly formed team will fill the feared void for many of the professionals who were left without a team when Saturn declined to renew.

The coming weeks will see this program start to take shape as new and existing sponsors unite.

Editor Note: no word on whether this is just for the men's program, or both men and women.