Taking the strain in last year's Cycle Challenge

RELATED LINKS: When the going gets tough… Cyclists from far and wide drew on every last ounce of stamina to conquer the Pick 'n Pay 94.7 Cycle Challenge on Sunday; 25 000 people took part, making it the second biggest timed cycle event in the world. Read more Joburg Cycle Challenge a huge success The annual Pick 'n Pay 94.7 Cycle Challenge cemented its place on the city's sporting calendar on Sunday, with 25 000 people taking part. Read more Township cyclists driven by passion A group of passionate cyclists from the dusty streets of Ivory Park is set to join 24 000 other cyclists from across the country - and the world - in Joburg's Pick 'n Pay 94.7 Cycle Challenge this Sunday. Ronald Ndlovu vows that by 2008, he is going to be number one. He is one of 32 cycling enthusiasts who, three years ago, formed their own cycling club and business, the Shova Lula, or Pedal Easy, cycle co-operative. Read more Cycle Challenge expects record number of entries More than 17 000 cyclists have already registered for the eighth annual Pick 'n Pay 94.7 Cycle Challenge, which is set to take place on Sunday, 21 November. Read more Cycle Challenge moves into high gear With careful planning and efficient administration by the City of Johannesburg, the Gauteng Transport Department and race organisers, this year's Pick 'n Pay 94.7 Cycle Challenge is well on the way to becoming the world's largest timed mass participation cycling event. Read more

Cycle Challenge is back on the road ENTRIES will be opening on 9 March for this year's Pick 'n Pay 94.7 Cycle Challenge, which gives you just over seven months to get back into the saddle. March 8, 2005 By Lucky Sindane ORGANISERS are expecting a traffic-stopping 30 000 cyclists for the ninth annual Pick 'n Pay 94.7 Cycle Challenge this year. Online entries open on Wednesday, 9 March for the event, which will take place on Sunday, 20 November 2005. The Cycle Challenge, known as Joburg's toughest race, is endorsed by the City of Johannesburg and the Gauteng government. The steady - though rapid - growth from 4 500 cyclists in the first Cycle Challenge in 1997 to 26 500 last year has been attributed by the organisers to their commitment to offering every participant value for money, and asking cyclists each year what they can do better. Tanya Harford, a race organiser, says, "We want every cyclist to finish the ride knowing that he has had value for money and a good day out. Every year we try to make things better for the cyclist, from ensuring that there is total road closure, to the expo before the race and the beer garden afterwards. It's the safest race in Johannesburg, but we also take pride that it is still a tough race with enough of a challenge." The Cycle Challenge route will remain the same as last year. The 94.7km race will start in Woodmead, next to Megawatt Park, run through Houghton Estate, over the Nelson Mandela Bridge in Braamfontein, up Jan Smuts Avenue, along Hans Strijdom Drive, through Diepsloot and finish at the AA Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in Midrand. The only change will be in the highly competitive veterans' category. There will be six specific veterans starting groups, each split into a five-year age category to make the groups more manageable and safer. "Our philosophy behind the Cycle Challenge has been 'Crawl, walk, then run,'" says Harford. "Although our ambition is to build the event into the largest cycling race in the country and the world, we are deliberately growing it cautiously. However, we predict that the entry figure will reach more than 35 000 in the next few years." The Children's Cycle Challenge will take place on Saturday, 19 November at the Kyalami racetrack. All entries received before the end of March will qualify to win a Bianchi bicycle worth R30 000. To enter online log on to www.highveld.co.za or call 011 463 2743 for more details. Permission to use web site material Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as: Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website (www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency (www.joburg.org.za)"; If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original article on this website; The name of the article's author is acknowledged; The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill in this brief online form). Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 Print this Page E-mail this article to a friend Help using Joburg.org.za