VIRGIN BLUE SWAPS WINGS FOR WHEELS WITH ELITE CYCLING TEAM SPONSORSHIP

Friday 29 February 2008: Virgin Blue Airlines will this evening unveil its newest corporate sponsored team, The Virgin Blue Elite Cycling Squad, at a special event at the Audi showroom in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane.

Virgin Blue staff and Chief Executive, Brett Godfrey, will join members of the 18 strong squad and other sponsors tonight to celebrate the new partnership.

Brett Godfrey said, “As a keen cyclist, but far from elite, I’m very excited about the new partnership and we look forward to cheering them on in their quest for victory in the up and coming Australian racing program.”

Chris White, Director Pegasus Racing Pty Ltd, said, “Having Virgin Blue as a major sponsor gives us the necessary backing to achieve our objective of winning the National Road Cycling Series.

“With the support and assistance of Virgin Blue we have been able to assemble a squad capable of winning the major Australian road cycling races. There are a tremendous amount of similarities when comparing ourselves with Virgin Blue, we both have objectives that rely heavily on team work in executing strategies that will lead to the attainment of our objectives.

"We look forward to 2008 as the commencement of a long and fruitful association”, Chris White finished.

As part of the new sponsorship the squad will be outfitted in newly designed racing kits featuring the Virgin Blue Green Globe logo, which will be revealed at the event tonight.

Based in Brisbane, the Virgin Blue Elite Cycling Squad consists of 13 male and five female team members aged between 15 and 40.

With a full 2008 cycling schedule ahead of them, in the coming months the team will be racing in Perth, Tasmania and Queensland before heading to the USA to race in 17 races loosely called ‘Super Week’. Throughout August to December the Squad will be racing in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland before focusing their efforts on the National Championships in January 2009.

The squad is also sponsored by Wilson HTM investment advisers, BDO Kendalls chartered accountants, Hewlett Packard, River City Cycles, Audi Centre Brisbane, Cervelo, Zipp and Triple Play clothing.