More than 9000 riders will saddle up for OCBC Cycle Singapore 2010!

The second edition of OCBC Cycle Singapore will see a staggering 9,100 participants riding in the two day event on 6 and 7 March 2010. Almost doubling the number of riders from 2009, there will be 70 nationalities represented in an action-packed weekend of cycling for all ages and abilities.

Headlining the weekend is the professional criterium which flags off at 12.30pm on Sunday, featuring some of the world’s best professional cyclists – 65 in total. Two of Britain’s top riders, Rob Hayles and Kristian House are expected to set the pace in a line-up of 18 teams and 15 nationalities.

Kristian House is the 2009 British Road Race Champion and will be riding for the Rapha Condor team. Born in the United Kingdom, he grew up and started racing in Texas then moved to Belgium to take part in both track and road events. Focusing solely on road-racing from 2006, House has won 10 races across Europe and Australia including Ireland's 2006 FBD Insurance Rás and the Points Competition Tour of Tasmania in 2007.

Another Brit, Rob Hayles, represented the UK in the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games, winning silver in the pursuit in Sydney. He also won the 2008 National Road Championships.

Hayles will be racing in Singapore for the first time and is looking forward to the race saying, “This will be my first OCBC Cycle Singapore but I have heard lots of good things about the race and I am looking forward to getting onto the start line on Sunday. There is a strong field so I hope my team-mates and I can work together to produce a top result.”

Joining Hayles in the four-man line up for the Endura Racing team is James McCallum – Scottish Commonwealth Games Medalist in 2006; 20 year old Scott Thwaites who was crowned 2010 British Universities and Colleges national champions for Cyclo-Cross; and 18 year old Alexander King who is currently part of the British Cycling Olympic Development Programme.

Jaan Kirsipuu of Team CKT TMIT - Champion System is another exciting rider to look out for. He is one of Estonia’s top athletes and has won multiple stages of the Tour de France and wore the yellow jersey for six days in 1999.

Managing Director of Spectrum Worldwide, Chris Robb, is delighted by the array of talent riding this week. He said, “OCBC Cycle Singapore is fast becoming a top event on the professional riders’ racing calendar and we are very excited about the action that will unfold during the pro criterium on Sunday. The number of participants across the two days of the event has surpassed our expectations and it shows how popular the sport of cycling is here in Singapore.”

Two of Singapore’s very own riders, Ho Jun Rong and Junaidi Hashim will represent the OCBC Cycle Singapore team and push themselves to the limits over the 90 minute pro criterium. This tactical battle includes three special sprints to find the Schick King of the Sprints, so there is plenty of action and drama to entertain the spectators at the F1 Pit Building.

Of the 9,100 entrants in the mass participation events, the most popular ride is The Challenge – 40km with 5,400 entrants. The largest corporate group taking part comes from title sponsor OCBC with 433 staff getting on their bikes to join in the fun. Riders from the age of two to 70 will fasten their helmets and take part in Singapore’s biggest cycling event on fully closed roads.