Helping SA's cyclists out

The event attracted 2000 riders last year to become the biggest winter ride in the country in its inaugural edition.

Peter Cronjé, Outsurance head of marketing, says the intention is to not merely be another cycling sponsor. “We want to work with the organisers to build this race into one of the highlights on the South African cycling calendar.

Family day

“It should be a family day in the true sense of the word, with mom, dad and the kids all taking part. And those who are not on their bikes will have an awesome day coming along and supporting the riders in front of the spectacular Union Buildings”

“What excites us about the format of the race is that it consists of laps through some of the most historic and beautiful parts of Tshwane, which makes it a truly inclusive and attractive event for the whole family. It won't be a case of cyclists riding off into the distance, leaving keen spectators standing around waiting for the riders to return a couple of hours later,” Cronjé adds.

He feels it is fitting that the OUTride will take place on the same day as the last stage of the Tour de France. “We could create a whole cycling extravaganza,” he enthuses

The reason behind Outsurance deciding to get involved in a cycling event is that it is in keeping with the Outsurance policy of giving back something to the community that supports them, according to Cronje.

Community involvement

“Cycling is mass-participation sport. So it's a great way to get involved in the community. The message we want to bring across is that this is Outsurance country and that we as Outsurance are proud to be part of the community. Marketing is not always about establishing a presence in new areas, but also about ensuring that our presence is maintained in areas where we do already have strong brand awareness.”

The sponsorship deal kicks off this year for a period of three years, but if Cronjé sees that the event lives up to his expectations, Outsurance will be there as a sponsor for a lot longer than that.

“One needs time to ensure the race becomes the must-ride on every cyclist's racing calendar. It is important to us to ensure that the top professionals will compete in the race. The people should see our cycling heroes in action.”

Also helping South Africa out on race day will be celebrity couple Joost van der Westhuizen and Amore Vittone. Both keen sporting enthusiasts, the Van der Westhuizens will be cycling for charity on race day and will no doubt be doing some entertaining of their own on 29 July.

The OUTride consists of 10.5km laps to make up either the 35km race or 77km event. The OUTride starts and finishes outside the State Theatre. One of the many highlights is the climb to the Union Buildings, which will again be lined with spectators.

Entries are open on www.cyclelab.com. All online entrants in the 77km ride receive a free water bottle, a quality t-shirt and the August issue of Cyclingnews magazine in a stacked goody bag.