Tshwane Diamond Cycle Classic
A Brand New National Road Cycling Race for Pretoria!
2019-02-01: Pretoria boasts a brand new National Classic road cycling race following announcement today of the inaugural staging of the Tshwane Diamond Classic on 26 May this year. The Diamond Classic offers 110km and 50km route options which start and finish at the Baviaanspoort Correctional Facility.
The race is presented by Hectic Promotions (NPC), the company that also organises the big Tshwane Classic, presented by Jacaranda FM and Sun Time Square, as well as the Bestmed Cycle4CANSA, presented by the Optimum Group at Sun City.
Cullinan and its surrounds represent the perfect route option for a mass participation road cycling event with delightfully quiet roads with good road surfaces, and it’s all very adjacent to Pretoria.
“The Diamond Classic has been in the making for a while now and by utilising the organising infrastructure of our company and our current good standing and relationships with the Tshwane Metro we will create a safe cycling environment,” said Hectic Promotions director Mauritz Meyer.
The event starts and finishes at the impressive Baviaanspoort Correctional Facility, which presents ample parking, lots of shade, neat ablutions and impressive catering facilities – all crucial elements for accommodating a mass participation cycling event.
“We are hosting the event on 26 May 2019. The date falls within a wonderful climate time on the Highveld when Fall temperatures are mild and the chances of rain slim, ensuring that the race optimises the potential participant base.
Meyer believes the traction of the Tshwane Diamond Classic is locked into the delightful and quiet Sunday morning road conditions around Cullinan, Rayton and Bronkhorstspruit, as well as the Tshwane Metro’s support and the race’s vicinity to the major cycling catchment area represented by Johannesburg and Pretoria.
“With the Tshwane Metro’s support to create the race we are launching a concerted effort to vest this as a major sporting event in South Africa.
“A major focus of the marketing platform is to entice riders and families to the area to visit the various tourist attractions, including the Big 5.
“A cycling race is a perfect tourist enabler as one gets a wonderful feel for your surroundings from the back of a bicycle and you get to see places you normally wouldn’t,” he said.
The 110km route presents 1030 metres of elevation gain and is mildly undulating, except for a sharp climb on the outskirts of Cullinan at the Petra Diamond Mine up to the 18km mark, which is set to stretch the bunches early on.
The route starts on Zambezi Drive (R513) towards Cullinan from the Baviaanspoort Correctional Facility and runs from Cullinan towards Rayton and Bronkhorstspruit.
From Bronkhortspruit it loops back to Cullinan anti-clockwise to ensure predominantly left turns and then does a final loop around Cullinan before joining up with Zambezi Drive again to finish in the opposite direction to the start.
The 50km route presents 561metres of vertical ascent and cuts out the long-distance loop towards Bronkhorstspruit and back.
A kids’ race (3-4-year-olds and 5-7-year-olds) and 5km fun walk for the entire family is presented in conjunction with the road race inside the grounds of the Baviaanspoort Correctional Facility. Participants can enter on the morning at the Rugby Stadium Race Office for a R10 donation towards the upkeep of the facility.
The kids race and 5km fun walk will start at 08h00.
“It is a stated aim of the event to incorporate the entire family, and the kids’ races are always very popular at our events. It is the highlight for many families. Everyone is a winner with every child receiving a medal and goody bag,” said Meyer.
Ample drinks and eats will be on sale at the venue – the catering is done masterfully by Correctional Services – while ample ablutions and parking are available at the facility’s rugby stadium. Clubs can also erect gazebos on the rugby field from early morning.
Baviaanspoort Correctional boasts beautifully shaded braai facilities surrounding the adjacent dam and riders can bring their “dop en tjop” along to braai on the banks of the dam. Entrance to the dam is a donation of R20 towards the upkeep of the facility.
2019 TSHWANE DIAMOND ROAD CLASSIC – QUICK FACTS
Date: 26 May 2019
Time: 07h00
Venue: Baviaanspoort Correctional Facility (Zambezi Drive off-ramp R513 off N1 towards Cullinan)
Distances: 110km, 50km
Kids Rides (2-4-year-olds and 5-7-year-olds) and 5km Fun Walk: 08h00 (enter with a R10 donation at Rugby Stadium Race Office on the morning)
On-line entry fees:
110km: R350 / 50km: R250
Timed by RaceTec
To access the 110km Strava Route go to https://www.strava.com/routes/16875005
To access the 50km Strava Route go to https://www.strava.com/routes/16874877
The event caters for all categories of licensed CSA cyclists as well as open/seeded riders. Riders will be seeded in bunches according to the Cycle Events National Seeding Ladder.
Number collection:
Number collection will take place at the following venues:
Thursday 23 May 2019: 10h00 – 16h00 Cycle Lab Fourways (Nicol Grove)
Friday 24 May 2019: 10h00 – 16h00 The Bicycle Company Centurion (8 Larch St, Zwartkop, Centurion Tel: 012 663 2645
Saturday 25 May 2019: 09h00 – 13h00 Solomons Cycles Pretoria North (529 Gerrit Maritz Street) Tel: 012 546 0243
Sunday 26 May 2019: From 05h30 at Baviaanspoort Correctional Facility Rugby Stadium where the Race Office is set up.
Entries for kids rides and Fun Walk at the Rugby Stadium on the morning – R10 donation.
More information and entries:
www.cycleevents.co.za | Phone: 083 534 7979 | Email: hecticpromotions101@gmail.com
Released by De Villiers Cycling Events, on behalf of the Tshwane Diamond Classic
For Media Enquiries Phone 083 269 7659 or email devillierscycling@mweb.co.za
