LIMPOPO – The four-day stage race will start in the capital city of Polokwane heading east to the town of Tzaneen where riders will stay for three nights before heading back to the City of Stars from Sunday, 22 April until Thursday, 26 April.
Ladies and gentlemen this is the big reveal in partnership with @Cycling_SA which will be hosted from 22 – 26 April 2018 #MoreToEnjoy @adipela10 @sontondlovu @BafedileMa @SampadaCycling @EuphoriaGolfEst @mikesmaverick pic.twitter.com/BVbv4hILXy
— Limpopo Tourism Agency (@golimpopo) February 1, 2018
The tour will consist of two races, the UCI Africa tour 2.2 stage race and the veterans tour.
The objective of the event is to showcase the diversity of Limpopo as a premier cycling destination.
The platform will provide yet another opportunity for the LTA to showcase the beauty of the attractions within the province such as Magoebaskloof, Moria Zion City, Modjadjiskloof, the Sunland Big Tree and the Dibengeni Falls.
Addressing attendees during the media launch, LTA board Chairperson Andrew Dipela explained that he has no doubts on this upcoming event as he believes it will benefit the entire tourism sector as well as the small, medium and micro-enterprises who are at this stage, new entrants in the tourism industry.
"We have vowed to makeTour de Limpopo an annual event over the next three years but most importantly,we want to see it grow for the people this Province to benefit, while participants and their families also gain from the tourism offerings" @adipela10 #TourDeLimpopo
— Limpopo Tourism Agency (@golimpopo) February 1, 2018
“The purpose for LTA to participate in this partnership is to ensure that tourism grows and benefits small players in the process. The partnership will also see skills transfer in the cycling business value chain to have bicycle mechanics and cyclists emerging from the formerly disadvantaged communities. We have vowed to make Tour de Limpopo an annual event over the next three years but most importantly, we want to see it grow for the people of this province to benefit, while participants and their families also gain from the tourism offerings,” Dipela explained.
Dipela also added that this will in turn continue to boost the tourism potential and growth given the landscape and scenic beauty of the province.
“It is my hope that none of you can deny the fact that adventure tourism is another fast growing segment in Limpopo. Cycling attracts high volumes of cyclists for mountain biking and 4×4 off-road enthusiasts from all over South Africa and beyond,” he added.
According to Cycling South Africa President William Newman, having an event such as this will better showcase cycling as a sport. “What we are hoping to get out of this is to inspire the youth of the province to also be a part of this sport of cycling. We want the youth to think of cycling as a sport and we want to take this sport to the communities. There is no reason not to get a champion from Limpopo. I can foresee that when the event continues there will be riders from Limpopo that will make the national team because that is what this sport is all about. Cycling can help the LTA and the province achieve a lot of objectives from economic prospective and social cohesion,” Newman concluded.
