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Dole brings energy from the very first pedal stroke – new fruit and vegetable supplier
Fruit company Dole is a new official supplier to Vätternrundan. With a clear focus on public health, the joy of movement and the cyclists of the future, Dole was on site during Bike Week as a race sponsor for Minivättern, among other activities.
Fruit company Dole is a new official supplier to Vätternrundan. With a clear focus on public health, the joy of movement and the cyclists of the future, Dole was on site during Bike Week as a race sponsor for Minivättern, among other activities.
– The banana is the perfect nutritional boost; it tastes good, comes ready-packaged and is packed with energy and vitamins, says Johan Ekman, Sales & Marketing Director at Dole/AB Banan-Kompaniet.
In addition to sponsoring Minivättern with bananas, apples and baby carrots, the partnership also included creating a fun “Skoj med hoj” station and providing fruit and vegetable energy for participants in the other recreational races.
– We are especially pleased to welcome a new sponsor with such a clear focus on the cyclists of the future and a strong shared commitment to public health, says Jessica Nilsson, Sponsor management & communication at Vätternrundan.
– Minivättern is a place where many children get their first real cycling race experience. The fact that Dole wants to be part of and contribute to that experience feels absolutely right.
The collaboration got off to a great start during Bike Week in Motala, with the ambition to further develop the partnership going forward. A clear goal has been set, based on a shared ambition to contribute to better public health. By combining the joy of cycling with fruit and vegetables, the aim is to inspire healthy habits that can last long after the finish line.
– For us, partnering with an event of this scale, as Bike Week is with all its races, feels like a natural choice. Our hope and belief is that this will be the first year of a long-term collaboration, says Johan.
– Above all, it feels important to be a race sponsor for Minivättern, with children and young people in motion. In this context, bananas feel synonymous with a good and natural source of energy.
As part of the collaboration, Dole will continue to work with activations and communication, with the aim of providing insight into both the partnership and the journey fruit takes to Sweden, from cultivation to finished product.
Among other things, a film is being produced that tells the story of the banana’s journey from the plantation in Ecuador to the participants’ feed bags and energy refuelling during Bike Week.
The question everyone has an opinion on: when does a banana taste best?
– The ‘right’ colour of a banana is a constant topic of conversation. Some people want to eat it when it is more yellow and richly sweet, while others, myself included, prefer it when it is more green-yellow, so you can feel the fibres, says Johan.
– During Bike Week, there were bananas for every taste. We sent bananas in two separate shipments so that they would ripen nicely in time for the different races.