Demi Vollering Inks Major Deal with Nike
In a classic satin jacket with the ubiquitous Jumpman logo on one side and the initials “M.J.” on the other, Demi Vollering signed a deal to become Nike’s newest sponsored athlete.
Via her Instagram account, Vollering announced that she signed the personal sponsorship deal with the megabrand this past Sunday. The photo showed the 27-year-old Dutch superstar presumably signing her contract with a caption that read:
“I am proud and grateful to have signed a partnership with Nike. With Nike’s support, I will pursue the dreams and goals I have set for the coming years. Furthermore, I am aware of my role within women’s cycling and women’s sports in general, and the opportunities it presents. Together with Nike, I can achieve common goals and effectively spread my message. We want to inspire many people to start moving, and together, we will make dreams come true.”
The details of the deal remain scarce, but Nike’s sponsorship of Vollering speaks volumes about the leaps and bounds women’s cycling has made over the last few seasons. And, after winning last year’s Tour de France Femmes and rumors about where she’ll land next season when her SD Worx-Protime contract runs out, Vollering is arguably the hottest property in women’s cycling.
From a wider perspective, Vollering’s deal with one of the biggest brands on the planet feels like yet another piece falling into place for women in sports. Just a few weeks ago, the brand signed young basketball superstar Caitlin Clark to a $28 million deal that includes a signature shoe. Women’s soccer around the world is booming. And interest in women’s cycling is at an all-time high.
On their surface, these connections might feel tenuous at best, but when approached from the perspective of marketing angles, they make a lot more sense. After all, young women around the world are seeing the results of years of efforts to build and grow women’s sports, whether it is cycling, basketball, or soccer. With Clark’s runaway success in America, the coming summer Olympics, and the booming popularity of women’s cycling, it feels like we’re standing at a watershed moment in women’s sports.
Nike had a major foray into cycling during the Lance Armstrong era. However, that relationship ended abruptly when the American’s doping tactics were revealed. Since then, Nike has mostly stayed out of the sport at large, though they do currently sponsor a few cyclists across a variety of disciplines. The most notable is Mark Cavendish, who wears Nike-branded cycling shoes.
Cav’s shoes are wholly custom and manufactured by a third party, however, as Nike’s only consumer cycling offerings currently are for indoor riding.
As Vollering’s SD Worx team is sponsored by Specialized, she’ll need to be granted special permission to wear Nikes in the peloton. The same will apply next year, with whichever team she ends up riding for.
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