Gauteng gets another Classic cycling race
Due to various reasons, the participation of cyclists from Gauteng in the Cape Town Cycle Tour is shrinking, which is why the organizers of the Tshwane Classic decided to start another Classic cycling race for Gauteng early this year.
The organisers of the inaugural Joburg Classic have confirmed the date for Joburg’s new mass participation cycling race.
The event will take place on 29 March 2020.
Explaining the date, race organiser, Mauritz Meyer, said they felt the need had arisen for Joburg to host its own mass participation race in the first half of the season as a result of the dwindling numbers of Gauteng participants in the Cape Town Cycle Tour.
“Our research has shown that Gauteng based participation in the Cycle Tour had declined to such an extent that Joburg was ready for its own big event over this time. I can still remember a time, not so long ago when Joburg boasted events back to back in February and March that each attracted in excess of 5000 riders. They were the Emperors Palace Classic, Ride4Sight and Carnival City Macsteel Classic,” Meyer explained.
According to Meyer, Gauteng cyclists love riding their bikes over this time and with the decline in the Cape Town traveling contingent they feel the time is right to introduce a new big Joburg race in the first half of the season.
“The date of 29 March for the Joburg Classic also makes sense because it falls two weeks after the Cape Town Cycle Tour, so it will also accommodate cyclists who also take part in the Cape Town Cycle Tour. The route through the Cradle is well thought out; it’s nicely balanced and safe. We look forward to establishing this wonderful bike race, which will add immense value to the Joburg Metro and its residents in the same way the Tshwane Classic has done in the Tshwane Metro,” said Meyer.
The venue for the Joburg Classic is the entertaining GOG Lifestyle Park just off Malibongwe Drive in Lanseria and the route offers distances over 95km, 45km and 20km.
The venue is central for riders from both Joburg and Pretoria. It sits on the corner of the first intersection towards Honeydew from the Malibongwe off-ramp off the N14 Krugersdorp Freeway.
GOG Lifestyle Park presents ample parking, ablutions and catering facilities to accommodate a mass participation cycling event.
It also boasts a wide array of adventure activities which will keep families entertained throughout the day. Riders and families receive free entry into the park.
The Joburg Classic signature 95km distance offers a well-balanced route with 1100 metres of vertical ascent. It’s challenging and interesting throughout and the climb back to Malibongwe Drive on the Elandsdrift Road presents the final major obstacle before the finish.
For most of the way the route meanders through the Cradle and has been designed to offer two shorter distances as well over 45km and 20km.
The starting times for these distances have been worked out nicely so that the short distance riders join after the fast groups in the 95km at the joining points.
Riders will be familiar with some sections of the route, which also form part of the Berge en Dale race, but the Joburg Classic doesn’t include the Hillsnacks or Sterkfontein climbs and it cuts out the Brandvlei Road.
For more info on the venue go to https://gog.co.za/lifestyle-parks/
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