Engen announced a series of criterium style cycling festivals which will be a first of its kind in South Africa. Originating in the USA, these festivals will now also take place in iconic South African cities later this year, sure to spice up your Saturday afternoon. Criterium racing is a short course cycling format designed to bring hard hitting action to the spectators. The focus of these events will not only be on the fast and furious elite racing categories but also focus on fun and family participation. The festival environment with good local market food, entertainment and the celebration of cycling will see each race take place between 20 – 40 minutes with the highlight of the evening being our professional’s race for an hour under the city lights. The Engen Cycle in the City events will be blending the excitement of short circuit racing with festival type entertainment whilst also promoting road safety. Taking place from midday into the evenings, spectators can expect some fun at spectacular settings in the various cities. Race categories will also incorporate a “Suit & Tie Corporate Relay” which will raise funds for regional Children’s Hospitals, whilst a unique event will be the “Fam Glam”, a dress-up event aimed at non-competitive families. A kiddie’s dash for the young riders aged between 5 to 10 years old will satisfy the whole family. This is cycling in its most exciting format which will not only appeal to road cycling enthusiasts, but with the inclusion of a Mountain Bike Elimination Race as well as a Fixie Flat-box, there will be opportunity for all to race for some of the R55 000 prize money on offer on the day. Other racing categories will include the Elite Women, Junior Men and not forgetting our Vets and Vintage riders. Participants can feel good while having fun, knowing that 50% of all entrance fees will be donated to selected children’s charities in the respective regions being, Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital Trust in Johannesburg, Red Cross Children’s Hospital Special Burns Unit in Cape Town and The KwaZulu-Natal Children’s Hospital Trust in Durban. A Twilight mass for the crowd will bring the evening’s festivities at each city to a close in a splurge of cycling and city lights. The Engen Cycle in the City events will travel to Pretoria (4 October), Cape Town (25 October) and to Durban (8 November). Engen will be kicking off the series of criterium cycling festivals with three launch events running simultaneously from the 27th – 29th of June at Canal Walk in Cape Town, Gateway Theatre of Shopping in Durban and Menlyn Park Shopping Centre in Pretoria. The launch invites the public, media, and celebrities to participate in spinning challenges with the opportunity to win great prizes.
