The race organisers have changed the day of the time-trial to bring a fresh element to the Takealot Tour of Good Hope when the five-day cycle road race takes place next month.
Having being held on the second stage in recent years, the time-trial was set to kick off the race in the Cape Winelands on March 4. However, ASG Events chief executive Erick Oosthuizen has confirmed that it will now be held on the third stage – Wednesday.
South Africa’s premier road cycle race takes place in the Drakenstein Municipality March 4 to 8, covering 490km of cloverleaf racing.
Jayde Julius works hard to set the pace in the time-trial on the second stage of the Tour of Good Hope last year. This year, the 26.5km time-trial will be held on the third day, starting and finishing at the Boland Landbou school. Photo: Robert Ward
Besides the time-trial switch, there are a number of other changes which have been introduced this year, one of them being a new start and finish venue.
“We have moved our host venue to the Boland Landbou school,” said Oosthuizen.
“The clover-leaf system has been positively received as the logistics for riders of getting to the start and finish venues have been greatly reduced.
“Apart from the value of starting and finishing in the same location every day, the venue is also secure and spacious for parking.
“It’s close to all the backroads we want to use, which improves the safety aspect.”
The only change to that is on the final stage, which will again finish with the climb to the Taal Monument, just outside Paarl.
He added that the time-trial would see the cyclists riding a distance of 26.5km.
“We felt that by holding the time-trial on the Wednesday it would help to keep things interesting,” he said.
“If a strong rider or team rides a couple of minutes into the rest in the time-trial [on the first day], the race is virtually over.
“We have a story to tell over five days of racing and this will be one chapter midway through that story.”
Looking at the rest of the route, Oosthuizen said the riders would experience a slightly flatter profile this year, but he was confident it would still provide a proper examination of the competitors’ credentials.
He outlined a number of changes they had been forced to make.
“The N1 tunnel on Du Toitskloof Pass is undergoing a period of maintenance, with work being done to tunnel number two.
“We have consulted with the traffic authorities, as well as Sanral, and subsequently ruled out the mountain stage over Du Toitskloof.
Oosthuizen said the queen stage on the fourth day would offer a major test for the riders.
“That covers a total of 149km and takes them over Bainskloof Pass and Bothmaskloof Pass,” he added.
