Young cyclists under the age of 18 from the northern provincial regions of South Africa will get the opportunity to compete in the third annual Badplaas Youth Festival, which takes place at Forever Resort Badplaas, Mpumalanga, from 2-5 July 2015. And for each and every competitor, race entry is free!
All young riders under the age of 18 will be able to take part with no entry fee at the Badplaas Youth Festival, which takes place at Forever Resort Badplaas, Mpumalanga, from 2-5 July 2015. // Photo: Darryl Stedman.
Designed to accommodate its neighbouring provinces, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, North West and Limpopo will compete with host province Mpumalanga in four days of mountain bike and road cycling to encourage cross-pollination between the disciplines that caters for the u10, u12, u14, u16 and junior age categories.
KwaZulu-Natal Cycling has already confirmed their participation in order to defend their array of titles that they claimed last year.
All neighbouring provinces, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, North West and Limpopo will be encouraged to compete in the Badplaas Youth Festival, which takes place at Forever Resort Badplaas, Mpumalanga, from 2-5 July 2015. // Photo: Darryl Stedman.
Event organiser, Hendrik Wagener, is pleased with the visible year-on-year growth of the event. “In 2013 we had 52 entries, 2014 there were 117. This year it is already looking close to the 200 mark. KZN Cycling have confirmed a large team and Mpumalanga Cycling will rise to the challenge. Limpopo will be bringing 60 children, and Gauteng North and Central Gauteng have expressed interest, so we’re expecting a bigger event again this year.
“It is important to have an event just for the kids. In this way, we promote cycling skills development and encourage teamwork. And every race for every participant is free!”
The format will run the same as last year’s event with a cross-country (XCO) mountain bike race kicking off the festival on Thursday 2 July. This will be followed by a road race on Friday 3 July, with a Team Time Trial and Individual Hillclimb scheduled for Saturday 4 July. On Sunday 5 July, Criterium racing will close off the festival of cycling events.
Forever Resort Badplaas is located approximately 200km from Johannesburg, and this holiday destination is well known for their warm baths as well as their range of leisure activities for the family, such as game drives, and more. The resort has offered a 20% discount on accommodation to all competitors and their families connected to the Youth Festival event. When booking your reservation, please clearly state that you are there for the Baadplas Youth Festival to claim your discounted rate.
For more information or to enter, contact Hendrik Wagener on hendrik@hatoere.co.za or call 082 741 1514.
This is really a fantastic event it's about more than just the racing. There is an amazing atmosphere with the kids making new friends and being able to play around in the safety of the resort. If you have young kids this is the ideal way to get them into cycling as the routes are safe. Unfortunately I won't be there this year but I'll put you in contact with some of the team organisers in Gauteng if you are interested.