The EF Pro Cycling organization announced today that it has added NIPPO Corporation as co-title sponsor and that the U.S.-based world team will race as EF Education-NIPPO in 2021.

The Japanese construction and asphalt company has three previous naming rights projects supporting European continental-level professional cycling teams, most recently Nippo Delko One Provence. The company has also sponsored the NIPPO-Vini Fantini-Faizanè team, which has competed in the Giro d'Italia three times since 2012. This is their first foray into the business at the World Tour level of professional cycling.

"Our team comes from far and wide, and so do the families of our partners. We all come from different parts of the world, so there is a freedom and freshness in the way of thinking among registered players and partners. I am very proud of this fact," team CEO Jonathan Vaughters said in a team press release.

"The addition of NIPPO CORPORATION as title sponsor next season will further deepen our global approach to professional cycling and exploration."

On Tuesday, EF Pro signed its third rider from the Nippo Delco One Provence team, with Frenchman Julien El Fares joining the Japanese duo of Fumiyuki Beppu and Hideto Nakane on the 2021 roster. Both El Fares and Beppu have Grand Tour experience; in November, EF Pro renewed a two-year contract with team leader Rigoberto Urán, who finished eighth overall in the 2020 Tour de France.

In the team announcement, it was noted that part of NIPPO Corporation's business is building velodromes and other race tracks. While 90% of Japan's track tracks are built by NIPPO, NIPPO is not involved in the wooden indoor track in Izu, where the track events for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be held.

Hiroshi Daimon, sports director of NIPPO Corporation, said, "We hope that Japanese riders, mechanics, soigneurs, and other technical staff will join the team to gain more experience and contribute to the development of cycling in Japan."

The Japanese company announced that it would continue to support the developing Continental team Nippon-Provence-PTS after severing its relationship with the Delco-One Provence team, for which the UCI initiated a bank guarantee procedure after several complaints of unpaid wages during the 2020 season The team will continue to support the developing Continental team, Nippo-Provence-PTS. Nippo-Provence-PTS Conti, a Swiss-based Continental team also co-sponsored by EF Education First and Cannondale, recently announced that it will consist of 12 riders in 2021.