OCBC Cycle Singapore beefs up

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The fifth edition of OCBC Cycle Singapore will take place over three days from 26 to 28 April - and will include several new additions to the event.

This year's event will feature a new ride category, two additional beneficiaries under its extended charity programme, as well as a host of enhanced sideline activities.

The Foldies Community Ride (24km) has been introduced to cater to the growing population of folding bike enthusiasts in Singapore and across the region. This addition is a result of feedback from enthusiasts who shared that they would like the opportunity to ride at the event.

In line with Sporting Singapore's Vision 2030 goal to use sport as a force for social good, OCBC Cycle Singapore 2013 has extended its charity partnership programme, Cycle of Hope, to two new charities. They are SingHealth Transplant and the Singapore Sports Council's SportCares. They join Dover Park Hospice and Singapore Children's Society to form the event's four official charities.

Through Cycle of Hope, participants can raise funds and increase awareness of these charity causes through a slew of activities at OCBC Cycle Singapore 2013. Cyclists can register for the Business Times Charity Challenge (39km) on Sunday, 28 April, a new ride category in which cyclists can choose to sign up in teams of four or as individuals and make donations to the selected charities.

Teams of four are required to make a minimum donation of SGD 3000 alongside their registration fees, while the minimum donation for individual entry is SGD 750. They will enjoy special on-site hospitality before and after their rides, while a number of prizes will also be up for grabs.

Teams and individuals who would like to take part in The Business Times Charity Challenge (39km) can do so by signing up via the event website and the fundraising platform www.simplygiving.com. All other individuals to register for OCBC Cycle Singapore 2013 can also raise funds through the same platform.

In another new addition to the charity programme, up to 200 cyclists from the four charities will take part in a ceremonial ride to raise awareness for their cause. Titled The Parade of Hope, the cyclists will take a leisurely 30-minute ride around the F1 Pit Building on Friday, 26 April as the large crowds gather to watch the OCBC Cycle Singapore Professional Criterium.

This year will once again see more than 60 local and international professional riders pit their skills on a 1.6km flood-lit route around the F1 Pit Building. As well as the host of international cyclists, the OCBC Cycle Singapore Professional Criterium will also include home-grown talent from the OCBC Singapore Continental Cycling Team.

Registration for OCBC Cycle Singapore 2013 opened on Tuesday.