Gauteng cyclists had until Monday (March 30) to get their entries in for the eighth instalment of the Emperors Palace Classic.
Taking place from Kempton Park on April 11 and 12, and billed as “The race of dreams”, the event has been expanded in recent years, to include both road riders and mountain bikers.
Racing starts with the 20km and 40km off-road races on the Saturday (April 11), followed by the 50km and 102km road races, the following day.
The Sunday includes the ever-popular Emperors Palace Children’s Classic, which caters for youngsters aged between two and eight.
The Circuit Spectacular will again bring the curtain down on the weekend’s racing programme.
Organiser Wynand de Villiers, of ASG Events, said the public can look forward to witnessing top-class, European-style racing, which was rarely seen on South African soil.
“It is a real crowd-pleaser, so we have moved the Circuit Spectacular and the children’s races to a more visible and accessible spot, to allow more spectators to get in on the action,” he said.
De Villiers added that, as far as the average rider is concerned, the line-up offers the perfect autumn challenge for riders of all fitness levels and technical abilities.
“The event is nicely nestled at a time of year when temperatures are becoming milder and the chances of rain are slim,” he explained.
The road routes offer fast and flat circuits with good surfaces throughout.
“From a safety perspective, we will be focusing on creating a lot more awareness and visibility,” said de Villiers.
“We will be erecting signage along the route to alert motorists to the event ahead of race day.
“On the day, more than 200 marshals and 150 traffic officers will be on duty.”
Sweat & Gears’ Lee Stockenstrom, who designed the mountain bike courses, said riders will once again get to experience the excitement of riding in the shadow of the aircraft on the grounds of OR Tambo International Airport.
“It is urban mountain biking at its best and it is so close for East Rand cyclists, it’s practically in their backyard,” he added.
Stockenstrom, who has been responsible for the mountain bike routes since the discipline was added four years ago, said the course would remain largely unchanged.
“It is very user-friendly and slightly undulating, with some tar work thrown in as well,” he said.
There is just one technical drop-off on the 22km track, where riders have the option to either walk down or use the chicken run on the side.
“The track is essentially made up of three sections; the first bit is through a forest, then round the dam and suburbs and, finally, there is a 7km flat section, right next to the runway, all interlinked by pavement rides,” explained Stockenstrom.
“The tree section is my best, 6km of winding forest, more than enough room to overtake and slightly downhill, so it is nice and fast.”
Stockenstrom concluded that the trails will be open every Wednesday evening for training rides, and also on weekends.
De Villiers added that the nearby casino resort offers convenient and safe parking, as well as a variety of family entertainment options once the racing is done.
“Emperors Palace put in a massive amount of effort to ensure a hassle-free experience for riders at the venue, which is perfectly suited to hosting the more than 8 000 participants expected over that weekend,” he said.
For more information, e-mail to eventsupport@asgworld.co.za.
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