Team Joburg takes on Cycle Challenge

A team of cyclists comprising City officials and Metro Police members will be hitting Johannesburg's streets in the annual Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge.
ATEAM of cyclists from the City will be hitting the streets with about 25 000 other competitors on Sunday to prove that they have what it takes to cycle almost 100 kilometres.

They will be participating in the 15th annual Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge, which covers a gruelling 97.4kms through some of Johannesburg’s best scenery. They will use the improved route that was introduced in 2010, which highlights regenerated areas in the inner city as well as landmarks such as Gandhi Square.

Led by member of the mayoral committee for community development, Chris Vondo, the team will comprise 47 City officials and representatives from the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD).

Ben Mashego from the JMPD, who is also the team co-ordinator, explains that this is the third year in which a City team will be participating in the race. Previously there was only a team from the JMPD who took part in the race, but it has since grown to include riders from across the whole spectrum of the City.

Team numbers have since grown each year. “Fifty people registered for last year’s race, and 35 completed it,” he says. His aim is to eventually have 100 City cyclists competing in the challenge.

Members of this year’s team have been training since July, and he has high hopes that all the members of the City's team will finish the race on Sunday.

There are a number of highlights of having a City team participate in the race, according to Mashego. “You get all City departments, municipal-owned entities and regions coming together and presenting a unified team,” he says. “It also highlights the importance of cycling as a sporting code and shows that the City supports it as one of the major sponsors of the race.

“It proves that it truly is Joburg’s safest race too,” he says.