Road users are warned to be on the alert for the upcoming 3rd Annual Mpumalanga Cycle Tour for this season.
Hendrik Wagener, the event organizer, says cycling will begin around 09:00 until 13:00. He said motorists should expect road closures on the Long Tom route and other parts of the province to give way for the cyclists to safely pass through.
More than 100 cyclists are expected to take part in the tour.
“We are also expecting a few international riders including five professional teams from Namibia and women road champs from Mauritius as well as our national riders,” explained Hendrik.
This year’s tour will also see the participation of 10 junior cyclists from the province, the High Q fighting team which is a developmental team for this program.
“We expect a better and interesting cycling team this year,“ he said.
Spokesperson for the department of culture, sport and recreation, Sibongile Nkosi said the province is ready and ecstatic to host the tour for the third time.
“We are excited to yet again host the Mpumalanga Cycle Tour, which brings together top cyclists. This event acts as an opener of the road cycling season in the country,” she says.
“The tour has already attracted some of the big cycling teams in the country and overseas riders. As a department, we are also pleased that cyclists of colour are taking part in the tour,” adds Nkosi
.
The tour will be in the following stages:
Stage 1 (January 13)
Blyde Canyon – Swadini (84kms),
Stage 2, (January 14)
Swadini – Mount Sheba (128kms),
Stage 3 (January 15)
Mount Sheba – Mbombela Stadium (170kms)
Stage 4 (January 16)
White River – Mbombela (140kms)
Stage 5 (January 17)
Mbombela Stadium – Badplaas (97kms) and
Stage 6 (January 18)
Badplaas – Loskopdam (197kms
