Van Dessel Cycles sponsors Iraqi juniors

In a gesture of goodwill, Van Dessel Cycles has agreed to sponsor the war-ravaged Iraqi junior national cycling team. "They are riding the city streets of a war zone because they are so dedicated to this sport," said Mathew Werner of 'Cyclists for Cultural Exchange'. "They were using ancient equipment - really old and decrepit bikes and clothing."

Van Dessel Cycles, seeing the plight of these Iraqi riders, decided to help. "We read an article about the group Cyclists for Cultural Exchange, which stated they were looking for help with their support of the Iraq junior national team," explained Van Dessel's Edwin Bull. "Always eager to give back to the cycling community as a whole, we couldn't help but get in touch and offer assistance."

Along with other industry leaders like Shimano, Ritchey, Giro, Fizik, Carnac and Smith, Van Dessel Cycles allowed the Iraqi team to turn in their rusty old steel frames and provided 10 of their Flahute racing frames. A mix of carbon fiber and aluminum, the Flahute provides its riders with the responsiveness that a racing frame demands, meaning a generation of Iraqi cyclists won't be forced to forego their ambitions of competing at international level.