Strong Sponsorship and Fan Support

Prompts 2013 Planning for

Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah

Source:  Cision   SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – A dozen top-tier sponsors have been confirmed for the 2012 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah, August 7-12, prompting plans for an expanded 2013 event. Wasatch Front Subaru Dealers have recently increased their sponsorship investment of the international cycling event, currently held across six cities in northern Utah, by extending their agreement for an additional two years.  Along with a commitment from title sponsor Larry H. Miller Group of Companies, organizers of the Tour of Utah have started developing the new route for 2013, with tentative talks to include southern Utah communities for the first time. “The Tour of Utah continues to draw not only the best athletes from the world of professional road cycling, but it also attracts a fantastic group of who’s who from corporate America. With this continued support, we have formed an exploratory committee to look at expanding the geographic reach of the event to southern Utah. We’ve had a staggering amount of interest from race fans to move south, as well as our corporate partners. We will know more after our race next month,” said Steve Miller, president of the Tour of Utah. The title sponsor for the event for a fifth consecutive year is Larry H. Miller Group of Companies. The Utah-based company, now with 80 businesses and properties primarily in the western United States, retains the naming rights for the event. The company name has been incorporated in the new brand identity for the Tour of Utah, created by TWIO Brand in January. In addition, the naming rights for the prestigious yellow jersey worn by the overall top athlete (rider with lowest cumulative time) will continue for a second year as the Larry H. Miller Dealerships leader’s jersey.  Wasatch Front Subaru Dealers, which participated in 2011, have confirmed a two-year deal with the Tour for 2012 and 2013. Subaru will serve as the Official Vehicle of the Tour of Utah, providing more than 80 vehicles during race week for race officials, communications support, teams and medical staff. All Subaru owners will have access to special parking at all host venues of the Tour. The Wasatch Front Subaru Dealers will provide free test rides at Miller Motor sports Park on Wednesday, August 8 for race fans at the track. Each dealer will be giving away a VIP Tour of Utah package that includes two hospitality passes for the week and a photo opportunity with one of the professional teams during the KJZZ 14 Team Presentation ceremonies on August 6 in Ogden. Subaru will also return as the sponsor of the Subaru Best Young Rider award jersey. This jersey is presented each day to the rider, under the age of 25, with the lowest cumulative time.  The Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah is a six-day, professional bicycle stage race along the Rocky Mountain’s Wasatch Range. Known as “America’s Toughest Stage Race TM,” the race covers 545 miles of racing with 38,500 vertical feet of climbing through some of Utah’s most beautiful and challenging terrain. Now in its eighth year, the Tour of Utah is a UCI 2.1-rated stage race for the best professional cyclists in the world. The event is owned and operated by the Utah Cycling Partnership. Larry H. Miller Group of Companies continues as the title sponsor.

Related articles

• Strong Sponsorship and Fan Support Prompts 2013 Planning Process for Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah (virtual-strategy.com)
• 2012 Tour of Utah course announced (cyclingnews.com)

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Hail Gladiator!  Become a Roman at Wroxeter Roman City

Source:  Cision

There’s no better way of learning about history than actually stepping into it – and that is precisely what visitors can do this summer at Wroxeter Roman City, near Shrewsbury. Every Tuesday and Wednesday from 31 July to 22 August, they are invited to come and join the Roman army or try their hand at gladiatorial combat as English Heritage’s Time Travelers Go… Roman!

Angry Roman

Titus the Centurion and his Optio (second in command) Valens will be recruiting soldiers to join history’s most impressive army as part of Wroxeter Roman City’s summer of interactive fun, learning about the strategy, offensive and defensive combat techniques that made the Romans such a powerful military force.  Working as part of a team practicing the tortoise formation, or honing their skills with sword or shield against the ‘pylof’, a stout wooden post driven into the ground that was used as a mock enemy!

Each day, parents and children alike will be invited to participate in a recreation of a gladiatorial combat event. With the audience taking the roles of everyone, from the Roman Emperor himself to the lions and tigers that are released into the arena, visitors will get a taste of life at the Coliseum and a better understanding of how these major spectacles played an important part in Roman society.

“Gladiatorial combat was an event that would last all day, and which would be attended by citizens from every walk of life, from political leaders to humble traders – if you had the vote, you could come along,” explains English Heritage’s events manager, Charlie Evans. “They would start in the morning with a procession into the amphitheatre, and then would follow round after round of fighting involving soldiers, slaves and animals – from lions to flamingos!”

Even younger children will be able to play a role in the arena event, donning foam helmets and taking up foam swords in a modern nod to ‘dwarf fighting’ which was used as an entertaining interlude by the Romans between more serious bouts!

The Time Travelers Go… Romans runs from 11.00am to 5.00pm each day, with Wroxeter Roman City itself, including the newly-furnished Roman Town House, open daily from 10.00am to 5.00pm. Admission prices are £5.00 for adults, £4.50 for concessions and £3.00 for children, with a family ticket (two adults and up to three children) available for £13.00. There is an additional £1 charge per child (member and non-member) to help fund the Time Travelers activities.

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