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South African Team to Compete for $150,000 in Tour of Pennsylvania
http://www.tourofpa.com/websitepublisher/articles/19/1/South-African-Team-to-Compete-for-150000-in-Tour-of-Pennsylvania/Page1.html
By Super Admin
Published on 06/12/2008
 

PITTSBURGH, June 6, 2008 – South Africa’s Konica Minolta Continental Cycling Team will compete in a six-day stage race in the United States, offering a prize of $150,000, the world’s largest-ever purse for cyclists under age 25.


Westinghouse to Host Konica Minolta Continental Cycling Team in Race With Largest-Ever Prize for You

PITTSBURGH, June 6, 2008 – South Africa’s Konica Minolta Continental Cycling Team will compete in a six-day stage race in the United States, offering a prize of $150,000, the world’s largest-ever purse for cyclists under age 25.

 Pittsburgh-based Westinghouse Electric Company will host the South African team as it competes in the American Eagle Outfitters® Tour of Pennsylvania, presented by Highmark Healthy High 5®. The Tour of Pennsylvania is a six-day stage race covering approximately 420 miles of Pennsylvania’s rolling hills and city streets from June 24 – June 29, 2008. The International Cycling Union has sanctioned the race.

 The race will feature world-class cyclists under 25 years old, who are expected to participate in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games. Twenty teams of six riders each from Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Netherlands, South Africa, Sweden and the United States will compete.

 The Tour of Pennsylvania is a signature event of Pittsburgh 250, the yearlong celebration of the 250th anniversary of the naming of Pittsburgh.

 In addition to the race, Highmark Healthy High 5 Finish Line Festivals are planned in five of the six stage stops. The festivals, which are free and open to the community, are designed to provide fun and engaging activities for kids that promote health and wellness.

 “Westinghouse is proud to sponsor the South African team,” said Dr. Rita Bowser, Regional Vice President – South Africa. “With some of the world’s best young talent competing, the Tour of Pennsylvania is going to be an exciting race. With the finish line in Pittsburgh, it is also a wonderful opportunity for southwestern Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh to show the world why it is a global leader in arts, science and quality of life.  Our sponsorship is also symbolic of our support for the strong relationship that Westinghouse has with the nuclear industry in South Africa.”

 “Pittsburgh 250 is the perfect backdrop for the Tour of Pennsylvania,” said Jim Rohr, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the PNC Financial Services Group and Chairman of the Pittsburgh 250th Commission. “The race provides a unique occasion to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Bedford, Ligonier and Pittsburgh, all communities through which the race will run and all of which were founded in a single year during the Forbes Campaign of the French and Indian War of 1758.”