Leading hotel and entertainment group joins race’s sponsor family.
One is a leading hotels, gaming and entertainment company and the other the Untamed African mountain bike stage race. Now Tsogo Sun has joined the Absa Cape Epic as its official accommodation partner until 2019. Tsogo Sun also has partnerships with the Springboks, the Cape Town Cycle Tour, Cape Town Marathon and the Tsogo Sun Amashova Durban Classic, amongst others.
“It is wonderful to have Tsogo Sun join our sponsor family,” said Absa Cape Epic CEO Lynn Naudé. “They are a pioneer in the hotel and entertainment industry. In addition to the support of their national footprint, we look forward to working together to welcome riders from all over South Africa and the world to the Mother City – this partnership will add real value to the Absa Cape Epic experience.”
“We are very excited at the opportunity to be the Official Accommodation Partner for the Absa Cape Epic,” said John van Rooyen, Tsogo Sun’s Operations Director for the Cape region. “We have always recognised the value of sport and sporting events, and it was natural to align Tsogo Sun with the world’s premier mountain biking race. We look forward to hosting guests at our hotels during the functions and events leading up to the race, as well as to providing an exceptional accommodation experience for both riders and their supporters,” said Van Rooyen.
Among the offerings that Tsogo Sun will provide to the event are pre- and post-event accommodation packages, the hosting of the annual Route Launch function, hosting the annual Absa Cape Epic Around The World Party and supporting the race with venues for other functions.
Tsogo Sun has a significant and growing Western Cape footprint, with 10 hotels and three casinos in the region. Its flagship property in the province is the elegant Southern Sun The Cullinan hotel on the Cape Town foreshore. It is also a driver of tourism to the region and plays a prominent role in various industry forums
“We are proud to be associated with Tsogo Sun and with over 75% of our riders travelling from abroad or outside of the Western Cape, I believe the association will be of benefit to the race and to the region,” said Naudé.
The group’s hospitality interests offer a wide distribution of hotels, providing world-class accommodation across all markets, including elegant, individually branded luxury hotels and well-known trusted market leaders in the premier through budget segments, including Southern Sun Hotels, Garden Court, SunSquare, StayEasy and SUN1 hotels. Their exciting urban and resort casino portfolio includes the most popular entertainment destinations, including the group’s flagship property, Montecasino in Fourways, which features, amongst other attractions, the award-winning Teatro; Gold Reef City Casino and Theme Park in Southern Johannesburg; Silverstar Casino to the West in Krugersdorp; and the jewel on Durban’s Golden Mile, Suncoast Casino, Hotels and Entertainment.
Its portfolio also includes a variety of theatres, cinemas, restaurants and bars, and over 250 conference and banqueting facilities.
The Absa Cape Epic is the world’s premier mountain bike stage race. The route changes every year, leading aspiring amateur and professional mountain bikers from around the world through roughly 700km of unspoilt scenery and 15 000m of accumulated climbing, over some of the most magnificent mountain passes in Western Cape in South Africa. The Absa Cape Epic is the most televised mountain bike stage race in the world and the only eight-day mountain bike stage race classed as hors catégorie by the Union Cycliste Interacionale (UCI). This official UCI status makes it a highlight on the professional racer’s calendar. The Absa Cape Epic also attracts aspiring amateur riders wanting to test themselves against the best. It is a full-service race, meaning that everything is taken care of from the start – all riders need to think about is riding.
