Swedish cycling apparel specialist Craft canceled its cooperation contract with ProTour team Astana. By ending the sponsorship, Craft drew the consequences of team captain Alexander Vinokourov's positive doping test and Astana's subsequent Tour de France drop out. With this step, Craft also emphasized its dedication to a doping-free sports world.
"We are extremely disappointed by the latest incidents. We love cycling and our sponsorship of professional athletes and teams reflects our belief in the unique excitement of sports. However, doping contradicts our conviction, our commitment and ethics. More importantly, it harms not only our credibility, but sports in general", said Jens Petersson, Managing Director of Craft.
The Swedish company specializes in the optimization of high-tech sports apparel to support athletes with the best performance gear in their pursuit of sporting goals.
The involvement in professional sports and close cooperation with the world’s best athletes is the foundation of the brand's philosophy and its product development. Jens Petersson added that "We want to continue our sponsoring commitment, which runs successfully in cross-country, running and triathlon. We believe those co-operations to be extremely productive for both sides. So we will also look for new projects in cycling – projects, which will confirm our trust and will live the true excitement of cycling. We might support more grassroots events like the very successful Craft Bike Trans Germany this year, but we haven’t made decisions yet."
