HAMILTON, ON – In an interesting example of selective local branding, CHCH TV and the National Cycling Centre Hamilton (NCCH) have teamed up to promote the sport of high performance cycling.
A new long-term partnership between the two will see the centre re-named as CHCH National Cycling Centre Hamilton, and the creation of Team CHCH which will look to showcase locally-developed talent at road, track and mountain bike competitions and races held in Ontario, Quebec and the Northern U.S. CHCH also pledged to air programs, competitions, and other cycling-related stories.
“This is a great opportunity for CHCH to strengthen its connection to the community by promoting the sport of cycling at the grassroots level through the very unique NCCH schools program”, said Channel Zero president, Cal Millar, in the announcement. “We are also very excited to play a role in providing meaningful support to athletes who will represent Hamilton and Canada at the 2015 Pan Am Games, and future Olympic and Commonwealth Games. CHCH has a forged a 60-year legacy in Hamilton and the Golden Horseshoe, and our new partnership with the NCCH ensures we will be part of a future legacy for cycling champions.”
The centre, one of five nationally recognized cycling centres in Canada, is responsible for identifying, recruiting, testing, coaching and training high performance and development athletes in Ontario.
“The partnership between CHCH and the National Cycling Centre Hamilton is potentially the most exciting news to hit the sport of Canadian cycling in decades”, said executive director Andrew Iler. “With the future 2015 Pan Am Games velodrome coming to Hamilton, along with the partnership with a major media broadcaster, the sport of cycling is coming of age in Canada, and Hamilton is well on its way to becoming the ‘Cycling Capital of Canada’.”