British Cycling launch Twinings Pro-Am Tour

British Cycling will launch the Twinings Pro-Am Tour this morning, an exciting new two-day event that it believes could become a key part of the domestic calendar.

Set in Salisbury, the race will be sponsored by the iconic tea maker, and takes place over the August bank holiday weekend.

A sportive will be run on the Saturday (August 27), and offers an 18-mile family ride, along with a 60 or 100-mile routes for the more enthusiastic rider, before the seventh round of the Premier Calendar is held 24 hours later.

Along with the sportive and race, corporate teams can also take part, with a two-day challenge incorporating Saturday's 100-mile route and a team time trial on the Sunday that utilises parts of the road race course.

Similar events, labelled Corporate Chasers, have become commonplace in other sports, and BC are rightfully seeking to take advantage of the growing appetite for cycling among the business world by adding this element of friendly competition between companies and their clients.

Jonny Clay, British Cycling's cycle sport director, welcomed the event as an exciting new venture.

"It's been in the pipeline for a year or two, and thankfully we've found a willing partner in Twinings," said Clay, who admitted the event could have been held back until August 2012.

"It's a great opportunity and we didn't want to wait 15 or 16 months to bring this life."

CW welcomes the fact that the Pro-Am Tour has been designed with riders from grass-roots to elite level in mind.

Also, we hope that this will be the start of new and exciting initiatives from British Cycling.

Although the full details of both the sportive and race are being finalised, further information will be available at the event's website.