KUALA LUMPUR, 2 October 2019 – The inaugural Tour of Peninsular (ToP) today welcomed on board Opimax Holdings Sdn Bhd as its biggest sponsor to date.

The excitement continues to grow as we are now just two weeks away from the start of ToP and Opimax Holdings’ strong support, via its role as major sponsor, will go a long way towards making the race a success.

ToP, which is Malaysia’s first ever UCI 2.1 status race, will run from October 15-19.

The sponsorship event today also witnessed ToP race organiser Motoshoot Event Sdn Bhd handing over a prize money cheque of RM329,500 to Malaysia National Cycling Federation (MNCF) President Datuk Haji Abu Samah Abdul Wahab.

The prize money will be disbursed to all the winners in each category in the form of cold, hard cash on the final day of the race.

This is not only to reward the winners by allowing them to enjoy their winnings immediately after the race but to also create a positive impression in Malaysian cycling and encourage bigger teams to compete in ToP in the future.

The Youth and Sports Ministry and MNCF can breathe a sigh of relief as they do not have to worry about prize money issues that have troubled Malaysian cycling stage races in the past.

MNCF President Datuk Abu Samah praised ToP for the way they are handling the race’s prize money.”The efforts Motoshoot Event have taken in honouring the payment of prize money should be emulated by other races because it can help build trust and encourage top teams from around the world to compete in Malaysia,” said Abu Samah.

“Initiatives such as this will help to change the negative perception that cycling races are often troubled by unpaid prize money issues.”

Motoshoot Event also presented work contracts to all the contractors involved in organising ToP this year as well as an 80 per cent payment of their respective contract values.

This payment is to appreciate their important roles in organising the event as well as to motivate them to deliver their best and help make the race a resounding success.

Motoshoot Event Executive Chairman Dato’ Haji Muhd Opandi Che Wook said “In addition to being grateful for the sponsorship we have received, we also appreciate all the other sponsors who expressed their interest but unable to join us this year due to the limited time frame. I would also like to congratulate all the contractors who are committed to working together with us,” said Muhd Opandi.

ToP will feature five stages this year. It’s UCI 2.1 status places it a cut above tours such as Jelajah Malaysia and Tour of Johor, which are both rated as UCI 2.2 races.