Monday, July 21, 2003

Hamilton, ON - The Hamilton 2003 World's Organizing Committee continues to build momentum towards October's Championship with the announcement of a new partnership with RONA. The home improvement powerhouse has signed on as the Official Home Improvement Retailer of the 2003 World Road Cycling Championships.

RONA is proud to communicate its passion for sports through various partnerships and sponsorships and has long been a supporter of Canadian Cycling. They have sponsored events such as the Montreal Women's World Cup Challenge and the Feria du velo de Montreal. Since 2000, they have sponsored Team RONA, a result of their original Sponsorship with Genevieve Jeanson, the 2003 Women's Elite Road Race National Champion. Most recently, RONA has partnered with Esker to create Team RONA-Esker compromised of Karen Bockel (Germany), Andrea Hannos (Canada), Meshy Holt (New Zealand), Genevieve Jeanson (Canada), Kristen La Sasso (US) , Magalie Le Floc'h (France), Catherine Marsal (France), Carrie Tuck (Canada), Erinne Willock (Canada).

"We're thrilled to be associated with an event of this magnitude in our own back yard and we're looking forward to this competition", said Mark Hindman, Ontario Marketing Director. "Supporting Canadian athletes is important to us. We've been a keen supporter of cycling at both the recreational and elite levels, having been the main sponsor for the past three years of team RONA/Esker, a world-class team and one of only two Canadian women's cycling teams recognized by the International Cycling Union. It's a tremendous opportunity for Canadians to take pride in hosting these world class athletes and we'll be there to cheer them on."

Neil Lumsden, Hamilton 2003 General Manager and Chief Operating Officer is truly enthusiastic about the new agreement. "This newly formed partnership has paralleled our goal to reach and connect with consumers across the country. We look forward to building this new partnership with RONA over the next few months."

RONA is a Canada's leading distributor and retailer in hardware, home improvement and gardening products. RONA operates a network of some 540 stores of various sizes and types. More than 16,000 employees in all regions of Canada work under the various banners. The RONA network represents almost 10 million square feet and annual sales approaching $3 billion.

The Road World Cycling Championships will be staged in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada from October 6 to 12, 2003. Hamilton, a city of 500,000, is located on the western edge of Lake Ontario, roughly midway between Niagara Falls and Toronto, and approximately a one-hour drive from Buffalo, New York. Over 800 athletes from over 50 different countries will compete in ten different races. There are two disciplines - the individual time trial and the road race with five different classifications, elite men and women, junior men and women, as well as Under 23 men. It will be only the sixth time the Road World Championships have been held outside Europe and the second time in Canada, the first occasion was 1974 in Montreal. For more information, visit the official website, www.hamilton2003.com.