For Team Saxo-Tinkoff Rider Takashi Miyazawa, a Dream has Come True

HELLERUP, Denmark, May 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Not many people outside of Japan will usually associate the country with cycling. However, the sport has increased in popularity in recent years and today when we think of cycling in Japan the name Takashi Miyazawa is synonymous.

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130515/613646 )

Hailing from Nagano, Japan, Takashi Miyazawa was instantly drawn to cycling through watching Tour de France like many other riders. However, Takashi Miyazawa is unlike most riders and he quickly realised that if he was to become a professional rider, he would have to relocate to Europe. Living in Europe, so far from his home country and family, had its sacrifices, but Miyazawa was ready to forego the familiarity of home, embrace a new culture and put in the hard work to achieve his dream and ride in the peleton.

In the latest video on http://www.saxocycling.com, Takashi Miyazawa says:

"Professional cyclists make many sacrifices. That's what makes us professional cyclists really".

In 2001, Takashi Miyazawa demonstrated a true display of dedication and love for his family when he donated half his liver to his Mother, putting his dream temporarily on hold. In spite of this, Takashi Miyazawa's determination and commitment to cycling continued. Today, he lives in Italy and rides for Team Saxo-Tinkoff, the UCI World cycling team he joined in 2012.

Romain Witomski, Head of Marketing at Saxo Bank, the online trading and investment specialist, says:

"With this integrated marketing campaign, we wanted to do something different, accessible for all. Our clients are typically technology-savvy and show active interest and usage of social media and we believed that an international selection of the team's profiles, representing the coverage of Saxo Bank's 25 offices around the world, introduced through a set of stunning films and broadcasted through social media would be an interesting proposition.

"Takashi Miyazawa is an important rider for us. We have a great office in Japan and have seen strong growth in the APAC region. He is a rider that both our employees and clients like to follow closely and we have this used the launch of this video to also introduce a new version of the saxocycling.com website."

The new saxocycling.com website is launched on Wednesday 15^th of May and does not only include all the essential information you need to start trading, but as a cycling fan you will also have the chance to enter a Tour de France competition to win two tickets to the final stage in Paris of the Tour de France 100.

The Saxo Cycling Film Project consists of 10 short films shot by photographer Fredrik Clement, who has worked with Team Saxo-Tinkoff for a number of years. Seven of the films highlight one rider each, describing their passion for cycling, taking risks and building confidence in their abilities as well as life as a rider on Team Saxo-Tinkoff. Two videos feature prominent personnel from the Team Squad. The final video before the Tour de France is a summary of everyone featured and will be launched when the Tour de France kicks off.

Watch the film at: http://www.saxocycling.com

About Saxo Bank

Saxo Bank is a leading online trading and investment specialist, offering private investors and institutional clients a complete set of tools for their trading and investment strategies. A fully licensed and regulated European bank, Saxo Bank enables clients to trade FX, CFDs, ETFs, Stocks, Futures, Options and other derivatives via three specialised and fully integrated multi-asset trading platforms; the browser-based SaxoWebTrader, the downloadable SaxoTrader and the SaxoTrader app. The platforms are available in over 20 languages and are white-labelled by more than 100 major financial institutions worldwide. Saxo Bank also offers professional portfolio and fund management as well as traditional banking services through Saxo Privatbank. Founded in 1992, the Saxo Bank Group is headquartered in Copenhagen with 23 local offices throughout Europe, Asia, Middle East, Latin America, Africa and Australia.

Media enquiries

Kasper Elbjørn
Head of Group Public Relations
Saxo Bank
+45-3065-4300
[email protected]

MHP Communications
+44(0)203-128-8560
[email protected]

SOURCE Saxo Bank