OCBC Cycle rolls out in hybrid format, in-person rides subject to limit

OCBC CYCLE, offering competitive and non-competitive rides, will be rolled out in a hybrid format, having taken place virtually in the past 2 years due to the pandemic.

The OCBC Cycle Speedway Championships and a new 20 km City Ride will open to a limited number of participants taking part in person over 2 days on May 7 and 8 at the Singapore Sports Hub.

For the Speedway Championships, 4 cyclists and a reserve would make up a team to vie for the pole position in the 3 categories of club, corporate and women, with participation slots limited to 28 teams only.

The city ride will cap its intake at 2,000 participants, who will be flagged off in waves of 100, with 5 cyclists moving off every 5 seconds.

Only those who are fully vaccinated, or certified to be medically ineligible for vaccination or have recovered from the coronavirus within the last 180 days from the day of the ride are eligible to take part in the in-person rides.

There are 5 virtual ride categories: Mighty Savers Kids Virtual Ride (5 km), The Straits Times 60 km Virtual Ride, the 100 km Virtual Ride, the 200 km Virtual Ride, Team Challenge Virtual Ride. Team Challenge Virtual Ride and a new indoor rhythmic cycling category were not available in past editions.

All virtual rides and the rhythmic cycling will take place from May 7 to Jun 6.

OCBC Bank's head of group brand and communications Koh Ching Ching said: "Virtual formats, which had to be introduced during the pandemic, gave us fresh perspectives on how mass sporting events can be held. We could be a lot more creative and rides with much longer distances of 100 km and 200 km as well as the Team Challenge were developed as a result.

"Hybrid sporting events are here to stay, and we will be able to support and energise many more people by organising in-person as well as virtual rides."

Online registration has commenced and closes on Apr 25 or when all slots are taken up.