SKY LOGO APPEARS ON GB JERSEYS

The Sky revolution is starting.

Alex Dowsett and Russell Hampton rode the under-23 time trial at the World Championships with Sky logos displayed prominently on their Great Britain skinsuits.

The company?s logo will appear on all GB team jerseys and shorts in Varese this week as part of the sponsorship deal which is set to benefit British Cycling from elite level to grass roots.

However, the appearance of the large Sky logos on the GB kit adds weight to the speculation that the company will eventually be the sponsor of the proposed professional team.

When the deal was signed in July CW suggested that Sky would eventually want to be involved at the very top of the sport.

However, British Cycling?s president Brian Cookson would not be drawn on whether Sky would be sponsor of the British-run team it is hoped will enter the 2010 Tour de France.

Cookson said: ?I think the thing to say at the moment is that we are in the very early stages of a relationship but it?s too early to say whether we?re going to get married.

?We hope that it will blossom in the fullness of time to be a very fruitful relationship for British Cycling and for Sky.

?They [Sky] are now a sponsor of the federation and the Great Britain cycling team so and part of that arrangement is they have the logo on the jersey. This is a very big opportunity to change and develop cycling in this country so we want to handle it properly and professionally.?

Cookson could not confirm at this stage whether a Sky-sponsored trade team would be competing in the track World Cup meeting in Manchester, in addition to the Great Britain team, at the end of next month.

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