The Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team will be among the major players in the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour set to take place on March 11th in Cape Town, South Africa. Two of the team's promising talents, Guillaume Van Keirsbulck and Julien Vermote, will be at the starting line for the Cycle Tour, an event that brings 35,000 two-wheel enthusiasts to Cape Town every year. Over 35 years, the Cycle Tour has emerged as one of the greatest cycling events on the planet, thanks to impeccable organization and a 110-kilometer route that passes through fascinating places. Starting and finishing in Cape Town, the Cycle Tour loops around the Cape Peninsula, providing magnificent views of the Cape of Good Hope and the Atlantic Ocean."It's going to be a unique experience," said Van Keirsbulck. "Julien and I will be leaving for South Africa next Monday so we can also get in some good training sessions. The Velits brothers know these places well and they've already given us some good tips. Also, I rode the Junior World Championships here and I have some great memories of this country. The race will also be incredible. Personally, I've never seen so many riders lining up all together at the start; it's going to be a thrill."
The South African transfer will represent a further step in a continuous development process for the Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team. It will also serve as a means to discover the potential of an event that anually involves 35,000 cyclists from all over the world.
"This race is a unique mass phenomenon," explains the team's Business Development Director Marnix Drysdale. "It will be important for our team to experience the event and assess any future commercial opportunities tied to our organization."
The team's representation in South Africa will not be limited to the presence of Van Keirsbulck and Vermote. In fact, the team board will also participate in the event.
"We accepted the invitation of one of our board members, Mr. Auret van Zyl, and we decided to meet up in Cape Town and take advantage of the occasion to get a close-up look at this world class event," explained team manager Patrick Lefevere. "The world of cycling is evolving continually and we think it's important to analyse an event of this magnitude, which among other things plays an important role in raising funds for good causes as well as the event's its two charitable beneficiaries. Enthusiasm for cycling is also contagious, so much so that some of our Board members will participate in Sunday's race. The Cycle Tour could also provide us with interesting ideas to develop in the near future. We're thinking about an annual event that will involve the Board with the purpose of developing the team's business relations. In this sense, this type of event could become a regular fixture on our calendar."