Britain's top international ski and snowboard race teams are on the road courtesy of Audi UK. The UK importer of the German prestige car manufacturer has become the official vehicle supporter of Snowsport GB, The British Ski and Snowboard Federation, the governing body for snowsports in the UK, for the next three years.

Snowsport GB's athletes and support personnel will utilise nine Audi A6 Avant quattros throughout Europe during the team's demanding 10-month training and race season. Audi UKšs partnership with the BSSF extends through until the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin.

Additionally, Audi UK has become co-sponsor of the British Land Alpine Ski Team while rising British ski racing star Chemmy Alcott will receive personal sponsorship from Milton Keynes-based Audi UK.

Chemmy (21), enjoying her fifth season with the British Land Alpine ski team, will get an ultra fuel-efficient Audi A3 2.0 FSI for her personal use. The Twickenham-based athlete, who skies all four disciplines, recorded the best British Women's Downhill result at World Cup level for almost 32 years when she finished ninth in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, recently.

Audi UK's David George commented: "Our main sporting interest has historically been motorsport, but skiing is an exciting and dynamic sport which also reflects Audi's sporting credentials, and provides the perfect environment to communicate the advanced nature of our quattro technology.

"This marks a much bigger commitment than our first sponsorship association with Britain's ski governing body for the1999-2000 season. We are delighted to be part of the team's build-up to the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin."

"Team members are reassured by the safety aspects of Audi's legendary four-wheel-drive quattro transmission," commented Mark Tilston, Snowsport GB's Performance Director. "Audi's unique system, originally pioneered for rallying, offers phenomenal levels of grip on all types of road surface and in the severest of weather conditions.

"Performance, reliability and safety are absolutely vital. Each Audi will cover over 20,000-miles a season and many of our routes feature severe mountain passes undertaken in a variety of winter weather conditions."

AUDI AG was a sponsor of the Alpine Ski World Championships in St. Moritz and the Nordic Ski World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy, last year and continues as title sponsor of the Alpine Ski World Cup "Audi FIS Ski World Cup" until the 2004/2005-winter season.

Furthermore AUDI AG is the main sponsor of the German Ski Association (DSV) and also the Swedish, Finnish and Swiss national Alpine Ski Teams. It will be the presenting sponsor of the 2005 Alpine Ski World Championships in Bormio, Italy, and one of the main sponsors of the 2005 Nordic Ski World Championships in Oberstdorf.

[Snowsport GB Press Release]