Upping the Ironman ante: Ooltewah-based Quintana Roo to sponsor triathlon bike course

photo Quintana Roo-sponsored triathlete Anja Beranek will be competing in the Ironman Chattanooga triathlon this fall. Ooltewah-based Quintana Roo bicycle manufacturer will sponsor the bike course for the race.

Quintana Roo bicycles and athletic equipment have been a staple of traithlons for 30 years, selling bikes and other equipment to athletes all over the world.

Now, the world is coming to the home of Quintana Roo, and the company is stepping up its investment to welcome the world to Chattanooga.

The Ooltewah-based American Bicycle Group, parent company of Quintana Roo and Litespeed bicycles, announced Wednesday that Quintana Roo will be the official bike course sponsor for Ironman Chattanooga as well as for Ironman Lake Placid and expanded investment at all Ironman events in North America.

"Quintana Roo is a triathlon-specific brand, the originial triathlon-specific brand dating back to 1984, and we've had a very long-standing relationship with [Ironman parent company World Triathlon Corporation]," said American Bicycle Group president Peter Hurley. "We attend most of their events and exhibit at most Ironman events in North America and have done so for years.

"As a result of that, we have expanded our relationship with WTC, part of which was our work in bringing WTC to Chattanooga. So the extention for us to become the bike sponsor for Ironman was natural and something we've been working on for many months."

Ironman Chattanooga will have it's innaugural run Sept. 28 as part of a five-year contract in the Scenic City. The race will take competitors over a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle segment and a 26.2-mile run.

Hurley worked with Chattanooga Convention and Visitors Bureau president Bob Doak and Greater Chattanooga Sports & Events Committee president to convince the World Triathlon Corporation to bring the Ironman triathlon series to Chattanooga.

Tim Morgan did a great job putting it all together, and I made a trip down to Tampa to meet with WTC," Hurley said. "We know all the folks down there.

"As a result of [Ironman] coming to Chattanooga, we've expanded our involvement dramatically. Actually we've doubled our commitment."

Quinana Roo has maintained a presence at Ironman events for several years, and the brand is widely known among the triathlon community.

"We are thrilled to partner with a unique company like Quintana Roo," Ironman chief sales officer Carola Ross said in a release statement. "For 25 years, they have solely been vested in triathlon specific gear, evolving right alongside the sport. Quintana Roo brings immediate credibility to the Ironman event experience."

In addition to their work with Ironman, Hurley said that he is equally proud with the local work his company has done in support of other teams and clubs in Chattanooga such as the Chattanooga Track Club, the Chattanooga Triathlon Club and Scenic City Velo cycling team.

Hurley said that bringing events such as the Ironman and the USA Cycling Professional Road and Time Trial Championships helps his company show off his company's home town to an international audience of competitors.

They're important for Chattanooga and we're very pleased to support and help bring these events to Chattanooga," he said.

"We participate in events all over the world, so it's wonderful for us to have some of that here and help promote Chattanooga.

"We're involved in over 100 events around the world, so to have two in our home town is very good for us and we're very excited about it."

Contact Jim Tanner at jtanner@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6478. Follow him on twitter at twitter.com/JFTanner.

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