Triathlon Ireland has secured a two year commercial partnership with Europcar, Europe’s largest car rental company.  The sponsorship will include fleet support to Triathlon Ireland and the creation of a Europcar Series of Triathlon events.
Triathlon Ireland staff will be provided with two Skoda Yeti mini vans to use at triathlon events around the country and transport support will also be provided for athletes in Triathlon Ireland’s elite programme.
The Europcar Mini Series will include events  in Tipperary, Clare and Dublin, while   Europcar will also be present at a number of other triathlon events over the course of the season.
Europcar joins Vodafone and Kinetica Sports as the third national sponsor of the sport which also has commercial relationships with a number of kit and gear suppliers.
It boasts a strong profile of athletes very devoted to training and the sport and is growing at a faster rate than any participation sport in the country.
“The Europcar sponsorship deal is fantastic for Triathlon Ireland, said Chris Kitchen who was appointed as CEO of Triathlon Ireland only last month.
“We want to offer a service that is second to none to all involved in the sport and this involves a huge amount of travel and logistics. The Europcar Partnership will provide our key staff and Elite Athletes with an efficient and effective way to get around.”
“The vehicle wrap which will be carried on the vehicles is itself a great advert for Triathlon Ireland. We are very proud and honored to be associated with such a well-respected organization and look forward to a long relationship with them”
“Triathlon has shown massive growth in Ireland over the past few years, added Colm Menton, CEO of Europcar Ireland.  “Its growth trajectory mirrors that of Europcar’s business in Ireland and we have a number of staff who regularly compete in Tri events around the country.  We believe that there is a strong synergy between our commitment to customer satisfaction and Triathlon Ireland’s track record in delivering top class athlete focused events.”
Last year Gavin Noble became the first ever Irish male triathlete to compete at the Olympic Games, while in the same year Aileen Reid had the best ever finish in the World Triathlon Series in Madrid.   Ireland’s first ever Para Triathlon National Championships took place in Athlone in June, marking a significant step in the development of triathlon sport in Ireland.
The progress continues at all ages as well with Irish athletes filling the first two places in the 40-44 age group category at a major International Triathlon in Abu Dhabi over the weekend.
Con Doherty achieved a bronze medal at the Junior World Championships in Auckland in 2012 while a number of other squad members achieved top 10 results in international competition.
Europcar has 9 locations around the country at Dublin, Cork, Shannon, Kerry, Knock, Galway and Navan.