By Gerard Cromwell
Dan Martin's historic victory in Liege-Bastogne-Liege last year provided one of the iconic moments of the 2013 season when the former Irish champion was chased for a time on the uphill finish by a man dressed in a panda suit.
Since then, Martin has been linked to the panda, designing t-shirts of the iconic moment to raise money for Temple St Children's Hospital and even posing for photos with the team's 'spiritual mascot' at the end of season Tour of Beijing last year.
For 2014, Martin and the rest of the Garmin Sharp squad will continue their link with the panda, with the team carrying the black and white panda logo of the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) on their newly designed jerseys.
"The collaboration with WWF is a natural progression of an exciting story, in the 2013 Liège-Bastogne-Liège race," said the team launching their new kit today.
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"Garmin-Sharp's lead rider, Dan Martin, was chased by a man in a panda suit just before he sprinted to the win. Since then, the panda has been the team's spiritual mascot, regularly called upon via twitter to provide help in the critical moments of a race."
“We are honored to partner with WWF and help its critical mission of creating a future where people live in harmony with nature,” said team boss Jonathan Vaughters.
"We’re thrilled to contribute to WWF’s efforts to ensure that cyclists, cycling fans, and everyone else have a healthy, thriving planet to enjoy for generations to come.”
“This collaboration is a natural fit for WWF because athletes and fans can be great advocates for the environment,” says Maria Boulos, director of corporate partnership at WWF International.
“Cyclists do the sport they love outdoors, and they want to have beautiful landscapes and clean air and water to enjoy – not just today, but forever.”
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The 2014 Team Garmin-Sharp jersey, once again manufactured by Castelli, will be worn for the first time at the Tour Down Under in Australia later this month.
While the 2014 jersey retains the distinctive argyle design associated with the Garmin Sharp squad, the back will be more visible from helicopter shots.
“It’s not just design updates," said Andrea Peron, Castelli’s race performance director.
"The close partnership we have with Garmin-Sharp’s Robby Ketchell, has led to improvements in aerodynamics and body temperature management in numerous models across the line, as well as five new models that we will be testing in 2014 to make sure the riders have the best possible clothing for every condition.”
As for Martin, the symbol has brought him good luck thus far. Here's hoping he causes more panda-monium (see what we did there – Ed) next season.
Dan Martin just about to pounce for victory at Liege-Bastogne-Liege last year with the now famous panda in tow.
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