Tobago International Cycling Classic 2018 begins

SIX DAYS of world class cycling comes to Tobago, as the 2018 Tobago International Cycling Classic (TICC) rolls off with another gruelling edition from today until Sunday.

After today’s opening ceremony and race briefing at the Cycling Village Compound at Crown Point at 4 pm, stage one will be held tomorrow with the Shirvan Road/Carnbee Circuit Race from 8 am. Stage two will be held on Thursday, followed by the Classic Rum Punch Beach Picnic.

The Tour of Tobago 2018 Gran Fondo, a new event, will be held on Friday for non-competitive cyclists. Stage three will also be held on Friday, followed by stage four on Saturday and the challenging stage five Tour of Tobago will close the 2018 calendar on Sunday. The cyclists and organisers will cool down with the prize presentation and farewell lime on Sunday night.

The event has the full backing of the International Cycling Union, the world governing body for cycling.

The TICC will celebrate its 32nd anniversary in 2018, which is a significant milestone, validating the prominence and sustainability of this event. On this momentous occasion, the TICC organisers will be staging an event it says will be unsurpassed in terms of competition, participation and viewer ship.

Despite the challenges in terms of reduced sponsorship funding in this year’s event, the TICC says it continues to deliver in its ability to outpace and outperform other local and Caribbean sporting events on the international forum. The number of visitors to Tobago as a result of the TICC augurs well for the development of the island’s sport tourism thrust and provides an impressive return on investment for corporate brands and products. The organisers thanked all the race and service providers, who willingly agreed to significantly reduce their cost to compensate for the shortfall in sponsorship.

Cyclists from 22 countries will compete at the event. Some of the countries that will be represented are Germany, France, USA, Canada, Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, Antigua, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and TT.

What makes this event so popular among the foreign participants is the unique forum, where there is an atmosphere of friendly rivalry, sportsmanship and social bonding among competitors, support groups, media, sponsors and the locals. The Classic Rum Punch Beach Picnic is a highlight of the week’s activities, with a variety of exciting water sports and entertainment provided by DJ music, pan and special appearances by soca artistes.

The six-day calendar will consist of races that cater to pro and elite cyclists and also casual and rookie bikers. The organisers say interest in the event continues to grow, with the circuit races around Plymouth Village and Scarborough appealing to larger groups of supporters.