Tour Durban changes it up

THE dates of the aQuellé Tour Durban have been confirmed for 2020, alongside a few bold innovations to the local cycle classic.

The road races will be held on Sunday, 26 April 2020 and will again coincide with the Freedom Day long weekend.

The event will include a new 115km elite classic and a new 90km race that will go with the popular 45km ride on the M4, with full road closure.

The cyclocross event has been replaced with two new MTB races held on Saturday, 25 April and they will start and finish at Cornubia Mall.

Another addition to Saturday’s programme is a race for athletes from each district training centre run by the KwaZulu-Natal Cycling Development programme. A junior race and a children’s race at Cornubia Mall have also been added to the Saturday roster.

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The revised programme is aimed at offering an expanded choice of rides for cyclists who have supported this popular event in the past. The event director, Alec Lenferna, said the 115km route is aimed at providing a challenge for the elite men’s field that supports the Durban classic, as well as for the fitter cyclists. He added that the route, designed in close conjunction with the city’s traffic management team, would take riders into a new section of the city.

The new 90km race will create an option for riders who comfortably finished the 45km race in the past and want to tackle a new challenge. Both the 45km and 90km races will use the popular M4 lap from Moses Mabhida to uMdloti and back.

The race will raise money for the Domino Foundation which runs a variety of programmes aimed at supporting, uplifting and empowering the Amaoti community, north of the city.

“That is what makes this race special,” said Alec. “It is a chance for Durbanites to join cyclists from around the country to enjoy riding the roads under full road closure on a long weekend and in the reliably good autumn weather, knowing they are making a massive difference to the lives of the people supported by the Domino Foundation.”

Entries for the road race are now open at www.cycleevents.co.za/road-events/aquelle-tour-durban-2020/ and the new MTB races can be entered at www.cycleevents.co.za/mtb-events/aquelle-tour-durban-mtb-challenge-2020/

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