Tour de Limpopo to boost Lim tourism

The inaugural Tour de Limpopo Cycling race, an initiative by Limpopo Tourism Agency (LTA) and Cycling South Africa (CSA), will boost the province’s tourism potential and impact on the sector as a whole.
LTA Chairperson Andrew Dipela during the launch of the event in the Waterberg area last Thursday said he believed the event has the potential to boost the province’s tourism growth. Dipela said the race resonates with LTA’s Marketing Strategy, particularly with regard to the tourism special interest cluster that encapsulates cycling.
“Because of the scenic beauty provided by its topography, the province continues to attract a lot of adventure tourists which adds to the province’s tourism growth. Cycling attracts high volumes of cyclists for mountain biking and 4×4 off- road enthusiasts from all over South Africa and beyond,” he said.
He also stated that there was no doubt in his mind that the event will also benefit small medium and micro enterprises who are new entrants in the tourism industry. “The purpose for LTA to participate in this partnership is to ensure that tourism grows and benefits small players in the process,” he said.
The four stage race, set to take place from 23 to 26 April, is to cover over 400 km which will attain an 2.2 Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) category. UCI, the world governing body for sports cycling oversees international competitive cycling events, issues racing licenses to riders and enforces disciplinary rules, such as in matters of doping. The UCI also manages the classification of races and the points ranking system in various cycling disciplines.
The Tour de Limpopo will take place over four days and four stages. Stage one will span almost 100 km from Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane to Tzaneen and feature the coveted King of the Mountains (KOM) hotspot. Stage two, the ‘Queen stage’, will cover 175 km with a total 2 700 m of ascent and ample opportunity to gather KOM points. The third stage will comprise a 39 km team time trial. The fourth and final stage will see riders set off from Tzaneen back to Polokwane on a 96 km route.
About 1 000 professional cyclists from all parts of the world are expected to enter and contest for the R330 000 in prize money.
“We are expecting 30 international teams and each team will comprise of nine cyclists and we have also invited 80 local clubs so we are expecting more cyclists for the event,” an LTA official stated.
Dipela said the agency’s partnership with CSA will also see skills transfer in the cycling business value chain to have bicycle mechanics and cyclists emerging from the formerly disadvantaged communities.
“The agency will evaluate the event’s impact in promoting domestic and adventure tourism but also to have the social and economic impact at the areas along the route of race. We have vowed to make Tour de Limpopo an annual event over the next three years but most importantly, we want to see it grow for the people of this province to benefit, while participants and their families also gain from the tourism offerings,” he concluded.

Story: Herbert Rachuene
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