New route for Cycle Challenge

If you’ve always wanted to take part in the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge but have been put off by the distance, the new 40km route may be more to your liking.
JOBURG’S best-loved race, the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge, has added a new 40km route to its racing options to encourage more people to get in the saddle.

Entries for the 40 km Challenge are limitedA limited number of cyclists will enter the 40km ride“If you have always longed for an opportunity to cycle with your family, your friends or your colleagues, or if you have just thought that you are not quite ready for the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge, then the 40km ride is just for you,” says Tshiamo Ndlovu from Primedia Broadcasting, under which sponsor 94.7 Highveld Stereo falls.

The new route is on an 8km loop track inside and around Waterfall Country Estate, which is the permanent home of the Cycle Challenge. Cyclists can ride as many loops of the track as they like.

“[It] is part of the exciting festival of cycling that occurs the weekend before the Cycle Challenge, taking place on Saturday, 10 November – the same day as the Momentum 94.7 kiddies ride and a day before the Momentum 94.7 mountain bike challenge,” Ndlovu says.

All of those who enter the 40km race will stand the chance of winning a Raleigh bicycle in the Bike a day for the month of May competition being run by 94.7 Highveld Stereo.

Entries for the 40km race are limited, so if you are interested in participating, get your entry in as quickly as possible.

The main event – the Cycle Challenge – will take place on 18 November, with approximately 25 000 cyclists this year, which will mark the 15th anniversary of the race. It is now ranked as the second largest annual cycling event of its kind and the biggest mass-participation, timed sporting event.

It will start and end on the R55 between the Buccleuch Interchange and Waterfall Country Estate in Kyalami.

At its heart, the Cycle Challenge is for a good cause. A defining feature is its Ride for a Purpose campaign, which was introduced in 2010. This campaign encourages signing up for the race with a greater goal in mind: to raise funds, support a cause or remember a loved one. Charities ranging from Choc (Childhood Cancer Foundation of South Africa) and Afrika Tikkun to MAD (Make a Difference) and Pink Drive are supported by those people riding for a purpose.

It also showcases the best of Johannesburg on the 97.4km route, which was first ridden in 2010 and which meanders through the regenerated areas of the inner city. Cyclists now get to ride over the majestic Nelson Mandela Bridge in Braamfontein, as well as appreciate the bustling Gandhi Square.

For more information and to enter any of the races, visit the Cycle Challenge website or contact the race office on 011 017 2700.