With excellent weather forecast for the aQuellé Tour Durban this weekend, organisers are bracing themselves for a flurry of late entries at the race registration, particularly for the 45km Fun Race.
East Coast Radio breakfast show presenter Darren Maule (third from left) and his co-presenter Sky Tshabalala (right) will be doing the 45km Fun Ride at the aQuellé Tour Durban 2016 on Sunday 24 April, with Sifiso Hlongwa (second from left), the head of the Domino Foundation team, here receiving a brand new bike for the race from Cyclesphere’s Greg Albert (left). Michael Zuma/ Gameplan Media
Aimed at the part-time or recreational cyclist, the 45km route takes riders from the Moses Mabhida stadium up the M4 to Mdloti and back, using the recently resurfaced coastal freeway that offers stunning sea views along almost its entire route.
The race organisers have confirmed that while the entry for this year’s race was up on the same time last year, bucking the general trend of shrinking participation in mass endurance events, it was the 45km race that had caught the imagination of the KwaZulu-Natal public and was showing the biggest growth.
With its easy, largely flat route profile, this race attracts entrants on a wide variety of bicycles apart from the traditional road bikes, including tandems, mountain bikes, single speeds, monocycles as well as the hand cycles used by para-athletes and quad-cyclists.
The easy and accessible nature of the route for the 45km Fun Ride at the aQuellé Tour Durban ensures that a wide variety of unusual bikes are seen on the course. Anthony Grote/ Gameplan Media
East Coast Radio DJ Darren Maule and his Breakfast Show co-presenter Sky Tshabalala will be taking part in the 45km Fun Ride, riding under the #Heartstuff banner, accompanied by the head of the Domino Foundation’s development team Sifiso Hlongwa.
Hlongwa was bowled over this week when he was presented with a new mountain bike from Cycleshephere to enable him to take part in the race and encouraged any eager riders to join him in the #Heartstuff batch in the 45km Fun Race.
The Domino Foundation is a non-profit organisation based in the Amaoti area north of Durban that believes in the power of a changed life. They have a range of community outreach programmes that focus on the individual, to empower, uplift and transform their lives so they too can impact the nation and others around them. They currently assist over 4000 individuals every single day, ranging up to 18 years of age.
The aQuellé Tour Durban is unique in that all its proceeds are ploughed into the ground-breaking Domino Foundation project.
Maule welcomed listeners to join their #Heartstuff batch, and stressed that the 45km ride was easily within the reach of recreational cyclists.
A group of keen hand cyclists is always a feature of the 45km Fun Ride at the aQuellé Tour Durban. Closest to camera former Sharks winger Cedric Mkhize is one of the regulars. Dave Macleod/ Gameplan Media
“We will definitely be opting for the 45km ride,” said Maule. Tshabalala added that he would be on hand to help his less fit colleague up the hills if he shows any signs of fading on the 45km outing.
The Domino Foundation will be providing seconding points manned by volunteers and also inviting corporate teams to ride as “Domino Riders” that entitles them to a Domino Foundation cap, and hospitality at the Domino Foundation gazebo after the event, as an added fundraiser for their Foundation.
The 45km race is a markedly less competitive category, characterised by friendly banter and riders slowing to help others that might be struggling.
The latest weather forecast for Sunday points to ideal riding conditions with no wind, clear skies and a forecast high of 24 degrees in the early afternoon.
Tandems are proving to be a popular choice for the 45km Fun Ride at the aQuellé Tour Durban 2016 on Sunday 24 April. Anthony Grote/ Gameplan Media
The distinctive group of cyclists riding in their cows suits will also be hosting their supporters in a charity batch in the 45km race to highlight their ongoing efforts to raise awareness for the Childhood Cancer Foundation CHOC. Any rider that has entered is welcome to joining their batch by purchasing one of The Cows t-shirts at registration.
Organisers of the race have been inundated with requests for late entries for the event and have confirmed that entries for the 105km road race classic, the 55km cyclocross race and 45km Fun Ride will be taken at the race registration at Suncoast Casino and Entertainment World on Friday from 10 am to 6pm and Saturday from 10am to 5pm.
The 105km road race, 45km fun race and 55km cyclocross race take place on Sunday 24 April 2016. Late entries will be taken at registration at Suncoast Casino & Entertainment World from 10h00-18h00 on Friday, 22 and from 10am to 17h00 on Saturday, 23 April. More information can be found at www.tourdurban.co.za
