As part of its commitment to support healthy lifestyles and events that make a difference, Bank of The Bahamas (BOB) announced today it has rolled out a new sponsorship — the Cycling Tour of The Bahamas set for January 28-29.
“Tour of The Bahamas is an exciting event, attracting many of the best cyclists from around the world, providing excellent exposure for The Bahamas and offering an opportunity for our young athletes to compete at home against world-class cyclists,” said Vaughn Delaney, Deputy Managing Director. “Imagine the impact of the setting alone as people in the dead of winter elsewhere are watching cyclists tour with the Bahamian landscape and Nassau harbour as a backdrop.”
This will be the eighth running of the Tour of The Bahamas, but the first time the award-winning bank has joined Holowesko Partners and the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism as a sponsor. Holowesko Partners Cycling Team ranked #1 in the world after team member Caleb Fairly’s first place finish in a cycling event in upstate New York.
“The cycling community is thrilled to once again host some of the best riders in the world at this year’s event and our company is excited to be a part of the race,” said Holowesko. “Mr. Major has successfully hosted this event for numerous years and it has become a favourite race among riders to test their early season conditioning.”
“We cannot thank Mark Holowesko and his team enough. They, along with the Ministry of Tourism, have been behind us since the beginning,” said Jeff Major, event organiser and president of JAR Cycling.
“Now, with Bank of The Bahamas lending its support and bringing additional prestige to the event, the Tour has reached a new level and we are extremely grateful. Not only does the bank’s participation mean strong financial support, but affiliation with the BOB brand solidifies our standing as a serious sporting event. They are a world-recognised institution so this raises the bar for us and we’re extremely grateful.”
According to Delaney, it was the Junior Circuit’s involvement that sparked the award-winning bank’s interest.
“What really inspired us was the ability to support the Junior Circuit,” said Delaney. “When we learned that one of our own, young Jay Major, was the reigning Caribbean champion and that some of these young kids are outpedalling their parents and setting stunning records, we wanted to do all we could to lend support.”
More than 100 cyclists from as far away as Europe are expected to participate. Registration for the three-stage event will be held on Friday, January 28 at 3pm. The first phase of the tour begins at 7am Saturday with a three-mile time trial, followed by a six-mile circuit race with laps ranging from three to seven depending on the category. Sunday, the road courses will begin at 8am with the juniors, covering a 24-mile race, followed by the men, women and masters in a 57-mile race. The pros will start at 9:30 am in a 76-mile competition.
In December, the bank with branches throughout The Bahamas and a financial services centre in South Florida, was named Best Bank in the Country by the Banker magazine for the third time. The bank has also won the Euromoney magazine Award for Excellence three times and was named the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year in 2007. Its community outreach program is comprehensive, touching thousands of lives every year.
“This is really a fantastic opportunity, particularly for our young cyclists, to compete at home against international athletes,” said Tim Munnings, Director of Sports, Ministry of Youth, Sports & Culture. “We are always pleased when a corporate partner joins with an athletic event and we are proud that BOB has decided to help develop our young cyclists.”
Diane Phillips & Associates
