This week marks the eighth year of the Nelson Mandela Legacy Ride4Hope, with its first Soweto finish. The four-day ride begins at the Nelson Mandela capture site in Howick, KwaZulu-Natal, on Wednesday.

For four days, cyclists will experience life on the road, make memories, chase personal best times, and contribute to creating a legacy in each town they pass through.

The cyclists will stay in Standerton overnight on their way to Soweto. The Ride4Hope tour is an all-inclusive and fully supported event.

There will be two groups on the road for the four days, and the event director may allow for a third intermediate group to meet everyone halfway. This is based on rider ability, traffic management considerations, and rider safety.

Group 1 will be the fastest cyclists, and Group 2 will focus less on speed, and more on group riding and overall achievement.

The third group will be assembled when needed.

The route:

• Day 1 (September 3): Cyclists will set off on a 144km stretch from Howick to Ladysmith. This route has an elevation of 1 541m.
• Day 2 (September 4): Riders will leave Ladysmith early in the morning for Newcastle, covering a distance of 122km with a 1446m elevation.
• Day 3 (September 5): The cyclists will cover the 155km from Newcastle to Standerton, where they will stay at the Appledew Guest House.
• Day 4 (September 6): Group 1 will have a more strenuous ride of 185km to Soweto, while group 2 will drive to Balfour, from where they will set off for Soweto. This will be a distance of 110km.