Emperors Classic now a Cape Town tour seeding race
The route change in 2016 served the event well for both the 98km feature race and the 40km short course
THE Emperors Palace Classic has been appointed as an official premier seeding event for the Cape Town Cycle Tour.
The historic tenth edition of “the race of dreams” takes place on April 22 and 23 and the organisers are expecting an increased uptake following the cancellation of the cycle tour this weekend.
With high numbers of cyclists expected to roll out from the Kempton Park casino resort, the organisers are again placing a major focus on safety.
According to race director Darren Herbst of ASG Events, the route change in 2016 served the event well for both the 98km feature race and the 40km short course. “Entries for the race have almost doubled in the past three years, which is fantastic – but it also made the route change in 2016 inevitable,” said Herbst.
“Rider feedback on the new road race route was good and the route will serve the event well for the foreseeable future. The road routes remain fast and flat with good surfaces throughout and riders can look forward to a smooth-flowing experience.”
Herbst said the new route, coupled with improved safety measures such as warning signage, more than 250 marshals and 150 traffic officers, created peace of mind for organisers and participants alike.
More than 8 000 cyclists are again expected for the weekend festival, which starts with the 25km and 50km mountain biking events on the Saturday.
Also on the Sunday is the Emperors Palace Kids Classic, which is open to children in the three-to-five, and six-to-eight years age groups.
