West Rand to host major cycling race

Excitement is building up for the 2017 Bestmed Berge en Dale Championship to be held in Krugersdorp on Saturday, 4 February.

This is a premier seeding event for the Cape Town Cycle Tour, presenting distance options over 102km and 55km.

The event kicks off at Cradlestone Mall on 4 February. The shopping mall on the R28 provides a user-friendly experience with ample parking and lots to do once the race finishes.

Darren Herbst, ASG events route director said that in 2016 the event attracted 4 000 cyclists. This year the venue and route remain unchanged as they did not want to “mess with a winning recipe”.

• Distances: 102km or 55km
• Start time: 6am (102km); 7.30am (55km)
• Entry fee: R390 (102km); R250 (55km)

Cradlestone Mall will once again offer various fun activities leading up to the race. A cycling expo will run from Friday, 3 February, where bikes and products will be on display during registration.

Last year’s Berge en Dale saw a podium lock-out by Road Cover when Gustav Basson won ahead of Clint Hendricks and Bradley Potgieter. Clint finished in third place in the elite men’s race at the nationals. Darren said the event has been extended to a second day this year to include a mountain-biking component on the day of the road races.

“We have had a lot of requests over the years and feel this will broaden the appeal of the weekend. We’re fortunate to be in an area where there are beautiful mountain-bike trails and we have joined hands with Hero Adventure Hobby Park in Krugersdorp to make this happen.

“With areas such as the Walter Sisulu Botanical Garden to work with, there are amazing trails with many features, so it was a no-brainer.” Darren said there are 40km and 15km options for mountain bikers.

He described the longer route as “intermediate with some undulations and a bit of a kick to it”, with the short option aimed at families and social riders. Entries close on Thursday, 26 January. For more info, visit www.asgevents.co.za

• Details: Contact Kat via email at info@cradlestone.co.za

Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at randfonteinherald@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 693 3671.

Also read: 

R’fontein cyclists represent town at big race

Randmark Club honours their athletes

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