Cyclists go Whoosh

The inaugural Tour of South Africa, an international professional cycle race taking place 19-26 February 2011, has announced that Cell C will be its title sponsor. Known as the Cell C Tour of South Africa 2011, it is a International Cycling Union (UCI) sanctioned 2.2 category, eight-day, seven-stage road race that starts in Pretoria and ends in Paarl, a 1200 km race.

"Having a major brand as our title sponsor is what the brand needs. We look forward to staging a successful international event," said Barry Mocke, CEO Cycling South Africa.

As part of its recent re-launch, the mobile network was looking for something innovative, on a national level and that benefits the community. "The timing was perfect. We were looking for something on a national level that aligns to our new strategy and will appeal to our wide customer base. It is all about speed and offering a world-class experience. The potential that exists between the brands is remarkable - we could not decline the opportunity," says Simon Camerer, Cell C's executive head of marketing.

The association of the brand with international bodies such as the UCI, through its sanctioning of the tour and the international teams that will be participating, also adds to the stature of the brand and takes it to a new level.

"2010 was a big year for the country and, with no world cup events happening in South Africa this year, this is the closest we, as a country, will get to igniting our national pride once again. We have a large number of customers who enjoy and participate in cycling and the growth of the sport is high. It's important for us to support what our customers do, and one way to do that is through sport sponsorship," Camerer concludes.

For more information, go to www.tourofsa.co.za, Twitter: @CellCToSA2011 or Facebook: Tour of South Africa 2011.