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Epic Series partners with Ciovita as Official Technical Cycling Apparel Partner

By Epic Series, 01/25/22, 11:15PM HST

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The Epic Series and Ciovita, an international cycling apparel brand with headquarters in Cape Town, today announced a multi-year deal wherein Ciovita becomes the Official Technical Cycling Apparel partner to the Epic Series and its global portfolio of nine class-leading mountain bike stage races.

Matt Wikstrom, Chief Partnership Officer at The IRONMAN®️ Group explained, “We are thrilled to partner with Ciovita globally across the Epic Series. Not only are they a global leader in cycling apparel, but it is also special for us to partner with a South African based brand as we grow this series around our pinnacle event based in the region, the Absa Cape Epic.”

The name Ciovita is a combination of Italian and Latin words and means “life in motion”. This philosophy underpins the brand’s approach to an industry that is always pushing itself to go further and faster.

“Partnerships are the building blocks of the success of the Absa Cape Epic,” explained Absa Cape Epic Founder, Kevin Vermaak. “Since 2004, the role of Official Technical Cycling Apparel Partner to the Absa Cape Epic has been filled by three of the world’s biggest cycling brands and now it is the turn of Ciovita. We’ve worked with Ciovita in the past at the Wines2Whales, and this new expanded partnership extends to the entire Epic Series portfolio. I am so proud to have a dynamic and swiftly growing South African company on board for the entire Epic Series.”

Inspired by the passion to ride and race, Ciovita has successfully taken the South African market by storm. The brand is worn with pride by professional racers at events like the Absa Cape Epic, Swiss Epic, and the MTB World Marathon Championships, as well as by aspiring amateurs during training and racing.
In 2021, Candice Lill and Mariske Strauss raced to second position in the Absa Cape Epic Elite women’s category while wearing Ciovita kit and proved the brand’s quality on a global scale.

“Ciovita has supported my career for several years and it has been an absolute pleasure wearing the kit throughout training and racing,” said Candice Lill. “Last year, Mariske [Strauss] and I tackled the 2021 Absa Cape Epic and the kit stood up to every challenge we encountered. The technology present in Ciovita’s garments is incredible and every detail has been considered to ensure that the wearer is comfortable even when pushing to their limit. I am excited to see more elite mountain bikers wearing Ciovita in the Epic Series races across the world.”

As Official Technical Cycling Apparel partner to the Epic Series, Ciovita will design, and manufacture the coveted Epic Series leader jerseys that the world’s best battle for, as well as the leader jerseys for the various category and special jersey races within each Epic Series event.

The all-new Epic Series leader jerseys are state-of-the-art and have been manufactured using Ciovita’s 3D Nanotech 4-way stretch fabric that is designed and optimised for racing. The strategically placed ventilation panels and UV protection ensure that riders can maintain an optimal temperature and be protected from the sun, even when the racing gets hot.
In addition to the leader jerseys, Ciovita will also manufacture event-specific rider jerseys and an exciting merchandise range that will be available for purchase. Ciovita also offers teams the opportunity to have custom kit created for events and the options range from bespoke designs to simple vinyl printing of logos on the readily available kit.

“The Epic Series was born out of the Absa Cape Epic’s success and has grown into a global portfolio of class-defining MTB stage races,” explained Kati Csak, Epic Series Senior Director of Global MTB. “Ciovita’s growth in the South African market has been remarkable and has come off the back of hard work and an exceptional product. Their dedication to high standards and unwavering commitment to delivering only the best is echoed in our values, and I am eager to see the brand worn with pride at our global events.”

“I have followed the Epic Series for years and this partnership is nothing short of a dream come true,” enthused Andrew Gold, Ciovita CEO. “Ciovita has forged its own path in the cycling industry and our growth has been phenomenal both a local and international scale. The partnership with the Epic Series will expand our international reach through the most decorated MTB racers and dedicated amateurs racing in our kit across the world. On 27 March, when the winners of the Absa Cape Epic, kitted in their new leader jerseys, hoist the trophies into the air, we’ll be experiencing as much of a win as they are. Bring on March and the rest of 2022!”

To view the entire Ciovita range, please visit https://ciovita.com.