Winning recipe for cycle tour
ORGANISERS of The Herald VW Cycle Tour will follow last year's winning recipe for the 30th edition of the Port Elizabeth road race on February 1.
Race director Julie Briggs, of Mountain Events, said the overwhelmingly positive response from participants had cemented the decision to continue using this year's route for the 106km Classic.
"The changes, which included the introduction of the new Lake Farm climb, were really well received by the riders," she said.
"From a safety point of view, it's absolutely the best option. The same stunning views and great racing, but without dual traffic on the Seaview road."
She said The Herald VW Cycle Tour was now an institution on the national racing calendar.
"Cyclists are very loyal to our brand, so we have a big responsibility to deliver another awesome event."
Briggs said commemorative cycling shirts bearing the 30th anniversary logo would be on sale to riders.
"It's also one of the premier seeding events for the Cape Town Cycle Tour, so it's a great opportunity for locals and out-of-town riders to improve their seeding ahead of the 2016 race."
Many top pro teams are expected to descend on the Friendly City for South Africa's second-oldest national classic, won this year by three-time champion Nolan Hoffman of Team Abantu.
Bay pro Anriette Schoeman of Africa Silks-Bestmed secured her 15th title in the women's race.
Briggs said she hoped the public would turn out in their numbers at the start/finish venue opposite Hobie Beach to witness top national racing and support family and friends.
"Riders can also sign up for the Ultimate Quest – the challenge is to complete the road and mountain bike feature races in the shortest aggregate time.
"It's really quite an achievement to do the double, so I'd encourage those who are fit enough to give it a go."
The road component of the event starts with shorter races on the Saturday. Sponsored by Powerade, these include the 21km Leisure Ride, 10km Sprint, 2km Kiddies' Ride and 500m Toddlers' Dash.
The mountain bike events run concurrently from the Addo Polo Club in Addo.
On the Sunday, the 55km Pursuit and 106km Classic bring the weekend festival of cycling to a close.
For more information, or to enter, visit www.heraldcycletour.co.za
