SINGAPORE, Jan 16  — The rebranding of the Cycle Asia series, which includes Cycle Singapore Asia — previously known as the OCBC Cycle Singapore — will see a renewed focus on increasing community participation to grow the sport of cycling in the region.

Bringing back the tagline of “Anyone Can Ride” — last used in 2009 — for the event’s seventh edition (April 10-12), organiser Spectrum Worldwide said OCBC’s decision to organise its own cycling event has presented it “the opportunity to take stock and review the direction” of its event.

Spectrum Worldwide and homegrown bank OCBC mutually ended their partnership in July last year.

Spectrum Worldwide chief executive officer Chris Robb said it hopes to announce a new title sponsor before its April event, which will boast three new sponsors in Yakult, Boost, and SpiceRoads.

“Financial-wise, we are definitely coping. In an ideal world, we would love to have a title sponsor across Cycle Asia … Our main objective is to have a brand that is across the region with us,” said Robb yesterday.

“OCBC is in Singapore and Malaysia, but they don’t have a presence in many of the countries that we aspire to go to. So, to be in a position where we might be able to work with a brand that can expand across the rest of Asia, presents an opportunity.”

As for OCBC, whose OCBC Cycle 2015 will be held Aug 29-30 and run by a new partner in Pich Event Management, the opportunity has opened up for it to work with more than 15 companies to create a series of activities in the lead-up.

“The companies, most of which will partner OCBC Bank on an exclusive basis, hail from industries ranging from health and hospitality to imagery and transport, and from payment and retail to drinks,” said Koh Ching Ching, OCBC’s head of group corporate communications, who added that more details will be released next month.

At yesterday’s media conference, Robb shared Spectrum Worldwide’s vision to increase its digital footprint with a revamped Cycle Asia website which will have a group of regular writers contributing to it, and will also welcome user-generated content from cyclists sharing tips on cycling equipment and routes.

A new community initiative was also announced for the rebranded Cycle Asia, which will promote recycling, as Spectrum Worldwide joined hands with Singapore Police Force and the Tanglin Cairnhill Constituency Grassroots organisation in their pilot project announced earlier this month to recycle old donated bicycles to benefit youths in the Henderson estate.

Six events have been confirmed for this year’s calendar so far, with two each in Australia and Philippines, and one each in Singapore and Malaysia. Spectrum Worldwide is also targeting new events in Thailand and Vietnam, as well as one more in Malaysia, to bring the number of events up to 10.

While another of Spectrum Worldwide’s events last month — the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore — drew comments after runners who were redirected to a shorter route for safety reasons still received the finisher’s prizes, the company is confident its cycling event will not court similar controversy.

Said Thibaut Vellard, the newly-appointed race director for the Cycle Asia Singapore: “Cycle Singapore is a bit different — it is not a race, it is a ride. There is no prize money, or prize ceremony, and cyclists won’t be redirected to a shorter route.

“For the 59km Super Challenge, for example, instead of asking cyclists to do a second loop, we will ask those who cannot make the cut-off time to go back to the F1 pit building (start point). This is for safety reasons as roads will re-open.”

*Registration for Cycle Asia Singapore is now open. For more information, visit www.cycleasia.com. — Today