The TransCape mountain bike race for 2018 has been given a massive lift by landing Liberty as the title sponsor for the event in February.
Following its recognition last month by the international cycling body when it received UCI status, this new deal is tipped to take the seven-stage race to another level.
The main outcome of the new partnership is that the 614km challenge from Knysna to La Couronne Wine Farm in Franschhoek will become the third leg of the Liberty Encounter Series.
The Liberty TransCape MTB Encounter, which received UCI status recently, will form part of the Liberty Encounter Series from next year. Photo: Ewald Sadie
Operating under race organisers ASG Events, the event will join the three-day Winelands and Waterberg Encounters as part of their offering to mountain biking enthusiasts.
The race will now be known as the Liberty TransCape MTB Encounter, with STANLIB and Volvo as the presenting sponsors.
ASG Events chief Wynand de Villiers said they had “an amazing relationship” with Liberty through the two three-day races and felt the TransCape would add an exciting dimension to their overall package.
“With the growth of TransCape since 2015, we felt this was the way to go instead of trying to create a brand-new event.”
He said the partnership elevated the Encounter Series to what they had set out to do a few years ago – to create SA’s signature multi-stage mountain biking series.
Liberty’s chief marketing officer, Sydney Mbhele, said they were delighted to be associated with the race, comparing the challenges the riders faced to their business principles.
“The journey to financial freedom takes preparation, dedication and team work, very similar to the characteristics needed to tackle a mountain bike race of this nature,” he said.
“As a proudly South African company with a rich heritage, we are excited to be a partner in the Encounter Series.”
The fourth Liberty TransCape MTB Encounter gets under way on February 4 next year.
