LONDON, November 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Saxo Bank, the trading and investment specialist, will take over the full title sponsorship of Riis Cycling in 2012. In 2011 the sponsorship was held jointly with SunGard, one of the world's leading software and technology services companies, but Saxo Bank has now decided to exercise an option to step up and become the sole title sponsor. All three parties have agreed that the timing is now right for a smooth transition, where SunGard will discontinue its sponsorship.

Saxo Bank has sponsored Riis Cycling since 2008, and Saxo Bank's decision to once again become sole title sponsor of the team is based on a genuine wish to support the team and a commercial decision to further build on the advantages that Saxo Bank believes are extended through this additional commitment to Riis Cycling.

Team owner Bjarne Riis said: "Since 2008 Saxo Bank and Riis Cycling have proven to be a great match. I am proud that a truly professional company such as Saxo Bank not only continues to see the commercial benefits in sponsoring our teams, but also shows its commitment and faith in our work by stepping up to become the sole title sponsor. This is evidence of a great partnership, and I'm convinced there are many more gains to be realized from this relationship in the future."

In a joint statement, Kim Fournais and Lars Seier Christensen, co-CEOs and co-founders of Saxo Bank, said: "Saxo Bank was offered an option to become the sole title sponsor of Riis Cycling, which was an offer we could not turn down. From the outset, we have sincerely wanted to support Bjarne Riis and his team and with our continued geographical expansion, the sponsorship also makes good sense commercially. While the decision to continue as full title sponsor is a strategic one, our past collaboration with the team has been fantastic, and we are looking forward to watching Team Saxo Bank race across the streets of the world in 2012."

SunGard became a sponsor of Riis Cycling below title level in 2010. This paved the way for SunGard to announce the co-title sponsorship deal for 2011 and 2012 during the 2010 Tour de France.

Bjarne Riis says: "We have had a great partnership with SunGard, and I'm forever grateful for SunGard believing in us and stepping up to sponsoring the team at title level at what was a very difficult moment for the team, but SunGard did never hide that this wasn't part of their long-term strategy."

With Saxo Bank ready to take over the full title sponsorship again, the parties have agreed for SunGard to step down and terminate SunGard's deal for next year. The agreement has no influence on the 2012 team budget.

George Thomas, SunGard's vice president of communications said: "We have had a successful partnership with Riis Cycling over the past two years and we are pleased that we were part of the team's success. The decision to end our sponsorship was a business decision and not related to the team.  We know we are leaving them with a great sponsor in Saxo Bank and we wish them much continued success."

In 2012 the name of the professional cycling team will be "Team Saxo Bank Professional Cycling Team."

About Saxo Bank:

Saxo Bank is a leading online trading and investment specialist, assisting clients in forex trading, CFDs, Stocks, Futures, Options and other derivatives. The three specialised and fully integrated trading platforms; the browser-based SaxoWebTrader, the downloadable SaxoTrader and the SaxoMobileTrader application are available in over 20 languages. Saxo Asset Management accommodates high-net worth private clients and institutional investors. In 2011 Saxo Bank continued the diversification of its business and launched Saxo Privatbank. The Saxo Bank Group is headquartered in Copenhagen with offices throughout Europe, Asia, Middle East and Australia.

About SunGard

SunGard is one of the world's leading software and technology services companies. SunGard has more than 20,000 employees and serves over 25,000 customers in more than 70 countries. SunGard provides software and processing solutions for financial services, education and the public sector. SunGard also provides disaster recovery services, managed IT services, information availability consulting services and business continuity management software. With annual revenue of about $5 billion, SunGard is ranked 434 on the Fortune 500 and is the largest privately held business software and IT services company.  Look for us wherever the mission is critical.  For more information, visit http://www.sungard.com.

Trademark Information: SunGard and the SunGard logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of SunGard Data Systems Inc. or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and other countries.  All other trade names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

PR Contact:
Kasper Elbjørn
Head of Group Public Relations
Saxo Bank
40 Bank Street
Canary Wharf
London
E14 5DA
+45-3065-4300
http://www.saxobank.com

SOURCE Saxo Bank