The 2018 Dis-Chem Ride for Sight will be an extra special event this year.
This is the 30th edition of the popular and enduring road cycling event which is being hosted by the City of Ekurhuleni on February 18 at the Boksburg City Stadium.
Entries are now open at www.cycleevents.co.za.
Those with online entries can order an anniversary edition T-Shirt. Entries close at midnight on February 4th. All pre-entries will receive a superior Dis-Chem goodie bag.
Registration will take place at Cycle Lab in Lynwood, Pretoria on February 15th, at the Cyclelab Fourways on February 16th as well as at the venue on Saturday and Sunday.
The route profile, map and sponsors’ details are all available on the entry website.
Retina South Africa stages the event in partnership with Dis-Chem, the City of Ekurhuleni, Springs Wheelers, Hamnet Emergency Communications, ASM Safety Consultants, Benoni Red Cross, BestMed Road Rangers, East Rand Cycling and dozens of specialist volunteers.
The 116km Super Classic is a seeding event for the Cape Town Cycle Tour (2019) and the 62km Vita-thion Challenge allows novice cyclists to experience the thrill of a major cycling event.
Over the last 30 years, the event has raised over R10-million for research to find treatments for inherited retinal blindness such as Retinitis Pigmentosa, Usher Syndrome, Macular Dystrophies and related retinal conditions. To thank cyclists for their support, Retina South Africa will award one lucky online pre-entry a cash prize of R30 000.
Other lucky draw prizes to the value of R100 000 will be drawn at the event.
Cycling South Africa racing category winners get a slice of R82 000 worth of prizes and the donation draw prizes are a fantastic seven-night holiday at Sugar Beach, Mauritius – with airfares – or a seven-night stay at Michamvi Sunset Bay resort in Zanzibar. (Ts and Cs apply to both).
All donations in this competition will be matched by the Dis-Chem Foundation and the proceeds go to assisting needy families with children affected by retinal blinding conditions.
The Dis-Chem Ride for Sight is one of the few events catering for the CSA licensed juveniles in the u-15 and u-17 categories in the 62 km event.
All licensed categories are under the control of CSA registered referees and the chief commissar is the experienced Koos van Tonder. Organisers are making every effort to ensure a safe and pleasant ride for all the participants. MySOS, a dynamic safety app, ensures that the location of every cyclist can be pinpointed by the safety crew with dozens of sweeps, paramedics and race officials only minutes away from any emergency.
Although there is only partial road closure, the majority of the route is on double-lane provincial roads or on quiet, tarred country back roads, which are all in excellent condition.
Ekurhuleni Metro will ensure that all roads are in good condition with excellent traffic control. The route co-ordinators report the best road surface in years for the outlying areas. Over 140 foot marshals will be out in force and the BestMed Road Rangers’ motorbike marshals will ensure that cyclists obey the rules of the road.
So for a safe, enjoyable ride enter the Dis-Chem Ride for Sight now and cycle for one of the noblest causes in the world to restore the gift of sight.
For more information, visit www.retinasa.org.za or www.dischem.co.za or call Cycle Events race office at 087 820 4210. – @SabeloBoksburg
