THE Race of Dreams, Gauteng’s ever-popular Emperors Palace Classic, has been rerouted for its ninth edition on Sunday, April 10. With entries now open and high numbers of cyclists expected to roll out from Kempton Park, the organisers have opted to put safety first and exclude some high-traffic sections on Rondebult Road. According to race director Wynand de Villiers of ASG Events, the planned route change will affect both the 98km feature race and 40km short course. “Entries for this event have grown exponentially over the last two years, which is fantastic, but this has also made a route change unavoidable,” said de Villiers.
He said the major change to the feature race would come after the traditional right turn at Carnival City. “Instead of turning towards Nigel and Dunnotar, the race carries on towards Heidelberg before making a right turn to come back on the R103.”
After taking the R554 and rejoining Rondebult Road, cyclists will only stay on it for 7km before taking the Pretoria Road slipway en route back to Emperors Palace.
De Villiers said improved safety measures, such as warning signage, more than 200 marshals and 150 traffic officers, will create peace of mind for organisers and participants alike. He said more than 8 000 cyclists are expected for the weekend festival, which starts with the 20km and 40km mountain biking events on the Saturday.
Also on the Sunday is the Emperors Palace Kids Classic, which is open to children in the three to five, and six to eight year age groups.
Entries for the Emperors Palace races, which are presented by OR Tambo International Airport, are open. “It certainly gives cyclists motivation to keep the wheels turning throughout the season,” said de Villiers.
For more information go to www.emperorsclassic.co.za
