Here’s a great piece of pub trivia for you: did you know that Škoda first started manufacturing operations in 1895 making bicycles? Well now you do. The love affair between Škoda and cycling continues to this day with Škoda Australia a Premier Sponsor and the Official Car Partner of the 2009 Tour Down Under UCI ProTour.

The event takes place in and around Adelaide, from the 18th until the 25th of January. The event will also mark Škoda’s first Australian showing of its new mid-size Superb. Škoda will provide the tour with over 90 vehicles including the Octavia hatch and wagon, and Roomster MPV.

International commentator Phil Liggett will make use of a Superb during his stay in Adelaide. Cyclist Lance Armstrong will also take the wheel of a Škoda when he’s not pushing pedals.

Australian cycling legend Phil Anderson, the first Australian to win a stage of the Tour de France, Commonwealth Gold Medalist and Škoda Australia ambassador, will also have the keys to a Škoda, and he’ll  be writing a blog during the event.

Head of Škoda Australia, Matthew Wiesner said, “The Tour Down Under is a great way for Škoda to support cycling and to gain a significant boost in brand awareness and visibility in Australia.”

“This year we have taken the opportunity to showcase the new Škoda Superb at the Tour to demonstrate the quality and dynamic ability of this luxurious vehicle, which embodies the values of the Škoda brand – advanced technologies, roominess, value for money and the Simply Clever solution,” he said.

The Superb will go on sale in April this year with pricing and specifications to be released a little closer to launch.