Cape Town – The Cape Argus Pick n Pay Momentum Cycle Tour was officially renamed the Cape Town Cycle Tour at a launch event held in Cape Town on Tuesday evening.
The event's organisers and owners – the Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust (CTCTT) – said they, in association with the tour's three sponsors, had introduced the name change and logo in celebration of its “iconic status and increasing global appeal”.
Steve Hayward, chairman of the CTCTT, said: “The event has enjoyed a remarkable journey over the past 37 years, and the new name and logo ... (are) testament to our coming of age as we move into the next phase to becoming one of the world's most desirable participation sporting events.”
Bill Mylrea and John Stegmann are credited with being the visionaries behind the first Cycle Tour. The inaugural event took place in 1978 and inspired the idea for a longer ride around the peninsula.
Only 525 riders participated in the first race.
Today, 35 000 local and international cyclists are drawn to the Mother City on the second Sunday in March each year to tackle the spectacular 109km route.
The new brand incorporates traditional aspects that have always been associated with the event: iconic Table Mountain and a cyclist pedalling the route which wraps around the peninsula.
“We wanted to uphold the event's rich heritage, while aligning with other international tours,” said the CTCTT's marketing and communications director, David Bellairs.
“The new Cape Town Cycle Tour name and logo (are) a logical next step to achieving our ambitious goal of positioning the tour globally as an iconic bucket list event and use our growing international appeal to attract a wider audience to not only participate but also spend time in Cape Town and South Africa.”
The tour will take place on Sunday, March 8, 2015, and entries open on Friday. – Sapa