“Already new signing Willie Smit has been named for the SA National Road Team to compete in Gabon in late February.”

The other new signing, team captain Bradley Potgieter, drew a clever strategic ride from Team Europcar SA at the Fast One in Southern Gauteng at the end of January. This handed a win to returning team member Ryan Gibbons, solidly backed by fifth placed Smit.

“Great strategic team cycling is like seeing our Europcar brand promise, ‘Moving your way’, brought to life in a different arena,” says Corbett. “At the Fast One, Brad planned for the riders to capitalise on the fast, flat course, using their strengths to concentrate on positioning Ryan perfectly for the finish line.”

At the Central Gauteng Road championships at the Cradle of Humankind, Smit finished with a flourish for his own win in the Elite Road Race, says Corbett. Gibbons came second in the Under-23 and James Fourie winning the Under-23 time Trial, working up with the rest of the members of Team Europcar SA for the action at the SA National Road Championships in Nelspruit.

Emphasising how seriously the company takes this sponsorship, Corbett acts as Team Europcar SA’s overall ream principal.

The full Team Europcar SA line-up includes captain Potgieter, Gibbons and Smit, along with other returning members Stuart Fitzpatrick and James Fourie, winner of the Under-23 time trial at the Central Gauteng championships. New signing Kent Main joins them, carrying an excellent record at junior level in 2014.

“In 2015 we also intend to build on the achievements of our development academy,” says Corbett. “Bringing on talent is one of the core missions of our business and we pull that through to this sponsorship as well, backing both young riders and the Road Cover - Europcar Academy. This year we’ll be adding an Under-23 Track Academy of six riders to our Junior and Under-16 categories.”

Already in 2015, the academy cyclists have started repaying the company’s faith. They dominated the top three podium places In the Central Gauteng championships junior road race and took the top two slots in the junior time trials. Road Cover - Europcar Academy also snatched the top two places in the Under-16 time trial, as well as a second in the Under-16 boys’ road race.

“This shows how training and development deliver results – as we say at Europcar, ‘a little further goes a long way’,” says Corbett. “As a company and as a sponsor, we truly believe in going a little further to deliver the best we can to customers, competitors and fans.”