The organisers of the 2013 Msunduzi Road Challenge have closed the entry for the 29km time trial this Saturday 26 October after the entry hit its peak number of entrants, but with a steady stream of late entries being processed for the road races on Sunday, the organisers have extended the entries for the Road Race on Sunday until midnight on Wednesday.
Image credit: Nick Tatham/Gameplan Media
Both Cycling South Africa and ROAG entry points showed what is now a typical last minute flurry of entries, prompting the decision to move out the road race deadline by 48 hours.
The races in Noodsberg takes place on one of the busier sugar cane transporting routes and the organisers are adamant about sticking to their commitment to the local community to minimise inconvenience caused by the total road closure, and not taking any further entries for the individual time trial.
The organisers have stressed that extra entries for the road race will not result in extensions to the timing of the re-opening of the roads, and have welcomed late entries until midnight on Wednesday. Entries cost R100 for either an 80km or 109km ride on a closed route on what training riders describe as an enjoyable yet challenging lap course.
The race is both a UCI World Cycling Tour final qualifier as well as a fun ride for riders of all different abilities and this is something that the organisers have highlighted and it seems that riders are taking this on board and many different riders have taken the opportunity to enter the race.
Catering for the road cycling community means that safety is paramount and having a race on a road that is closed is vital in attracting all riders from your top UWCT final hopefuls to your ‘weekend warriors’ and the Msunduzi Road Challenge provides riders with the safety and securing of a closed road with marshals all along the course.
The race does offer riders the opportunity to qualify for the UWCT Final that is going to be held in Slovenia next year and there are a number of riders that will be riding in the Msunduzi Road Challenge with this goal in mind but it was also important to add another race to the Kwa-Zulu Natal road cycling calendar and this was the ideal opportunity.
The 2013 edition of the race has included tandems as a category for riders to enter in and this idea goes along with the image shift of the race. The attempt by organisers to change the perception of the race from that of a world championships qualifier to a race that anyone can ride in.
With the hype of the Amashova having subsided a number of riders could have been at a loose end in deciding where their next ride would be and that lead them to the Msunduzi Road Challenge. The race is situated in the sugarcane belt of the Kwa-Zulu Natal Midlands and provides a scenic route that the riders can enjoy.
The late flurry of entries for the race suggest that the cycling fraternity has awoken from its post-Amashova slumber and riders are now taking the chance to ride in what should be a smoothly-run, entertaining ride for all.
With varying distances it provides the riders with the perfect opportunity to prepare for the 94.7 in Johannesburg and other big one-day classics that are around the corner.
The town of Wartburg has brought into the race whole-heartedly with local role players getting behind the race and offering their warm hospitality to all the riders that enter their streets. A number of the local business owners are embracing the race and are excited at the prospect of showing off their small town to the cycling community.
To enter please visit www.cyclingsa.com and www.roag.co.za. More information can be found at www.msunduziroadchallenge.co.za
