The UCI status for the Takealot Tour of Good Hope was officially confirmed by the international cycling body last week, strengthening interest in one of South Africa’s premier road races.
The tour takes place in the Cape Winelands from March 4 to 8 and its UCI 2.2 status will ensure a strong field of local and overseas riders.
ASG Events chief executive Erick Oosthuizen said they were delighted to have been officially given the green light.
The UCI status of the Takealot Tour of Good Hope road cycling race in the Cape Winelands from March 4 to 8 was officially confirmed by the international body last week. Photo: Robert Ward
“We set the process in motion last year and it was really just a matter of waiting for the next UCI management meeting for confirmation, which we received on Friday,” he said.
“Since it was announced my inbox has been flooded with teams wanting to participate, so we are just scrutinising them at the moment.
“We have had interest from teams in France, Germany, United Arab Emirates and Mauritius, as well as quite a few African nations.”
Cycling SA general manager Mike Bradley said they were focused on creating more opportunities for South African riders to earn UCI points.
“The higher our riders rank internationally, the more we will have to qualify for the 2020 Olympics,” he said.
The 2020 Olympic Games take place in Tokyo from July 24 to August 9 and this year acts as a qualification period until October.
He added that it was exciting to have the Tour of Good Hope’s UCI status officially confirmed.
“It gives a lot of our riders the chance to race against international riders on our home turf.
“Earning UCI points is very important for professional teams such as Dimension Data, TEG ProCycling and ProTouch. Their goal is to get to the No 1 ranking in Africa, which opens up plenty of opportunities for them.”
