Trek Bicycle Corporation signed a long-term licensing agreement with Greg LeMond, the 3-time Tour de France champion and the first American to win the Tour—to design, build, and distribute LeMond Racing Cycles. 1995 was also the year Trek opened a state-of-the-art assembly facility in Whitewater, Wisconsin, leaving the Waterloo location free to focus solely on frame production. In 1997, Trek helped sign former world road race champion (1993) Lance Armstrong to the Trek-sponsored United States Postal Service Pro Cycling Team. Armstrong won his first Tour de France in 1999 aboard a Trek 5500, becoming the first American to win the Tour on an
Giant Bicycles the 2017 Tour de France. In off-road cycling, Giant sponsors the Giant Factory Off-Road Team. Cyclists include Marcelo Gutierrez, 5 time Colombian downhill national champion, and Jacob Dickson, 4 time Irish junior downhill champion. Giant also sponsors individual athletes, including Tim van Berkel, Ben Dijkstra, and Matt Bottrill. Giant Bicycles Giant Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (commonly known as Giant) is a Taiwanese bicycle manufacturer that is recognized as the world's largest bicycle manufacturer. Giant has manufacturing facilities in Taiwan, the Netherlands, and China. Giant was established in 1972 in Dajia, Taichung County (now part of Taichung City), by King Liu and