Pioneer Teams Up with UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team to Become Official Power, Data, and Technology Equipment Supplier

Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. today announced its technical partnership with the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team as an “Official Power, Data and Technology Equipment Supplier,” outfitting their race team with Pioneer’s advanced dual-leg power meter crank sets and SGX-CA500 Cycle-Computer. The UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team, consisting of both a men’s and a women’s squad, will use Pioneer’s equipment both in team-sanctioned races as a race tool and as a training aid off the course to improve pedaling technique and increase power performance output. The multi-year technical partnership kicked off at the beginning of April, with the team’s bicycles first fitted with the Pioneer system for the Tour of the Gila in New Mexico at the end of the month.

UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team Bicycle with Pioneer Power Meter System (Photo: Jonathan Potter)

Pioneer’s robust power meter system provides real time, dual-leg pedaling power measurements and analysis, graphically illustrating left and right power output, pedaling stroke efficiency, power loss, force vector analysis, and torque, in addition to cadence, heart rate, GPS positioning, speed, distance, elevation gain/loss, barometric pressure, ambient temperature, and more. At the heart of the system are two proprietary strain gauge crank-arm monitors developed by Pioneer that provide the highest power recording rate (on both legs) using 12 different points (every 30 degrees) on a single 360 degree pedaling stroke.

“Power meters have become critical training and race tools at the pro cycling level, and aligning Pioneer’s power meter technology with a high-level pro team such as the UnitedHealthcare Blue Train is very exciting for us,” said Russ Johnston, executive vice president of marketing and corporate communications, Pioneer Americas. “UnitedHealthcare riders will benefit from our system, giving them an extremely powerful tool that opens up a world of performance analysis in real-time, so they can make riding and pedaling adjustments instantly.”

The UnitedHealthcare “Blue Train” Pro Cycling Team consists of 23 male riders and 12 female riders, each with his or her own impressive riding resume and accolades from events around the world. The team will utilize the Pioneer system in Men’s and Women’s races in the United States and Canada and in select World Tour events around the world.

“This partnership with Pioneer provides our riders with the top tools of today, utilizing the absolute pinnacle of technology,” said Mike Tamayo, general manager and sporting director for the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team. “Training with power and analyzing data is imperative in every style of our racing, whether it’s a criterium, time trial, or a race like Milan San Remo. The team will greatly benefit from the power data and pedaling monitor capabilities offered by the Pioneer unit. We are really looking forward to working with Pioneer and we believe our partnership is a great match. We are constantly seeking improvement with the team and it seems like Pioneer approaches its business the same way.”

Join Pioneer’s Cycle Sports page on Facebook at facebook.com/PioneerCycleSportsUSA for the latest news and updates.

Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. is headquartered in Long Beach, Calif., and its U.S. Web address is www.pioneerelectronics.com. Its parent company, Pioneer Corporation, is a preeminent manufacturer of high-performance audio, video and computer equipment for the home, car and business markets.

PIONEER is a trademark of Pioneer Corporation.

About UnitedHealthcare:

UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with 780,000 physicians and other health care professionals and 5,900 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. UnitedHealthcare serves more than 40 million people in health benefits and is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.

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