Walmart named title partner for UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships
by October 21, 2021 3:21 pm 940 views
Experience Fayetteville has received a grant to host a series of cyclocross races, including the 2022 Cyclocross World Championships. In 2018, Experience Fayetteville sponsored OzCross Cyclocross race at Centennial Park at Millsap Mountain in Fayetteville.
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Experience Fayetteville announced Bentonville-based retailer Walmart Inc. as the title partner of the 2022 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, which will take place from Jan. 28-30 in Fayetteville, according to a Thursday (Oct. 21) news release.
It will be the second time the U.S. has hosted the event in its 72-year history, the release shows. About 300 cyclists representing 25 nations will compete for UCI World Championship titles in men and women elite, men and women under 23, men and women juniors, and team relay events of which are being included for the first time.
“We are proud to be the title partner of the 2022 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships that will be held in Northwest Arkansas, where our company was founded nearly 60 years ago,” said Kim Tunick, senior director, brand experiences and partnerships, at Walmart. “This sponsorship demonstrates our commitment to the community and promoting healthy and active lifestyles for our customers and associates. We are excited to be a partner for this world-class event.”
Founded in 1900 in Paris, UCI is the global governing body for cycling.
“We are delighted and proud that the 2022 edition of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, the discipline’s annual flagship event, can count on the support of Walmart, the largest retailer in the world,” said UCI President David Lappartient. “The arrival of an economic player of this stature is testimony not only to the discipline’s appeal but also, more broadly, to that of cycling, whose societal benefits are increasingly being recognized.”
Experience Fayetteville is the destination marketing organization for the city of Fayetteville and the area organizing committee for the 2022 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships.
“We are very pleased to have Walmart as a valuable partner in bringing the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships to Fayetteville and Northwest Arkansas, and greatly appreciate their support,” said Molly Rawn, CEO of Experience Fayetteville. “With the world-class venue and course that has been built, we anticipate hosting many more exciting events in the area in the years ahead.”
In 2019, Experience Fayetteville received a $2.3 million grant from the Walton Family Foundation’s Personal Philanthropy Group to coordinate and promote three cyclo-cross races, including the 2022 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships. The event will take place at Centennial Park at Millsap Mountain in Fayetteville.