Team Oranje, in which the speed skating and the cycling team of Jac Orie and Richard Plugge are united, has secured Visma as a second name sponsor for at least five years, starting in 2019. Norwegian company Visma provides business software, IT solutions for retail and IT-related development and consultancy. Both the skating and the cycling team will act as Team Jumbo-Visma.

“We are thrilled to be the new sponsor of one of the world’s best cycling and speedskating teams. Visma provides business-critical software to the public and private sector across a range of industries. We have now reached a stage where we are going from being a Nordic software brand to a Pan-European and supporting team Jumbo-Visma will be an important step in increasing our footprint in Europe”, says Visma CEO Øystein Moan.

“Thanks to the fruitful cooperation and the development that we have gone through together, Jumbo dared to support our vision for a long and indefinite period of time. This has not gone unnoticed. It has created appeal within the sports world and also in the business world. The agreement with Visma is a result of this”, explains Plugge.

“Visma has been interested for a longer period of time”, Plugge continues. “The long-term support of Jumbo, the resignation of Lotto and especially the way we have positioned ourselves in recent years have convinced Visma to partner up with us. We perform with athletes who have been developed in our team. Visma is the first Norwegian company to support cycling on this scale and I am very proud of that. Moreover, in Norway skating counts, just like in the Netherlands. The partnership with Visma underpins the strength of Team Oranje.”

Orie concurs with his fellow director. “I think it’s great that a company like Visma has chosen for our combined skating and cycling team”, he says. “As a Norwegian company, they display a big interest in both skating and cycling, just like many Dutch companies. That’s why this immediately felt like a good match. I look forward to using their knowledge of software in analysing our large amount of test data. I am convinced that by joining forces, we can take the next step in our development.”

“We believe this sponsorship will put the Visma brand on the European map and help Visma increase its presence and brand awareness in the Netherlands and throughout Europe. Visma is expanding its activities in the Netherlands and recently acquired one of the leading Dutch providers of payroll and HR software, Raet. Cycling is also a popular sport in both current and potential markets, making the sponsorship a great fit for Visma,” Moan concludes.