Great new route for Tour Durban
16 February 2006
The 2006 Mr Price Tour Durban cycle race has unveiled a brand new tour route of the city that provides cyclists, both recreational and professional, the perfect excuse to see Durban by bike this autumn!
Endorsed by the city of Durban, the event, on 23 April, forms part of the hugely successful Easter Festival in KZN, which lures a flood of tourists annually to the sunny east coast city.
South Africa is home to some of the world's largest mass participation cycling events, with Cape Town hosting the Cape Argus Pick 'n Pay Cycle Tour, Johannesburg hosting the Pick 'n Pay 94.7 Cycle Challenge, and Durban and Pietermaritzburg sharing the Pick 'n Pay Amashovashova National Classic.
The Mr Price Tour Durban is one of a number of events that is threatening to break into the category of abovementioned races at which more than 10 000 cyclists participate.
In 2005, almost 5 000 cyclists descended on the city during the tour weekend, with
100 percent participation from South Africa’s top teams.
Fun races
A range of fun races for kids will take place at the Gateway Theatre of Shopping on Saturday, 22 April, while the thrilling Grand-Prix-style Kermesse (30 minutes plus one lap sprint race) hurtles off the start line at Gateway Boulevard on the evening of Friday, 21 April!
The 2006 Mr Price Tour Durban features the premier Champion Chip Race Timing Transponder System, first used in the event eight years ago.
Aside from the professional and recreational aspects of the 2006 tour, the Tour Durban has significant impact on the local community through the Rotary Club of Durban, which uses the event as a major fund-raising scheme. Over the past five years, more than R1-million has been raised for projects carried out by the Rotary for underprivileged communities.
The last ride of summer
Known as an easier ride when compared with the Pick 'n
Pay Amashovashova, the Mr Price Tour Durban is possibly the best way to celebrate the last ride of summer in the sub-tropical paradise of Surf City!
The event sponsors include retail clothing giant, Mr Price, the Rotary Club of Durban, Energade, Sibaya Casino and Enertainment Kingdom, Gateway Theatre of Shopping, Durban Africa; the eThekwini Municipality, and Sterling Light Lager.
The new route
The new route starts at the Cyril Geoghegan Cycle Stadium on NMR Avenue. From there, cyclists head north, turning right into Athlone Drive, and then left onto Lagoon Drive under the M4. Turning onto the Snell Parade, they head down towards Battery Beach, turning into Battery Beach Road and then left into NMR Avenue until they reach Ordinance Road.
Turning left into Aliwal Street, riders travel contra flow, making a left into the Victoria Embankment, and another left at Sydney Road where the road splits, into Edwin Swales Drive.
The route
continues straight along Edwin Swales Drive under the N3, which eventually becomes the N7. Continuing along St Johns Road through Pinetown, this leads into the M19.
The route carries on along the M19 until the Inanda Road turn off, into Springfield Park, where riders continue all the way to the North Coast Road.
Joining the North Coast Road, they travel contra flow until Riverside Road. Then, it is right on to Prospect Hall and right again on to the M4 until Desainager Circle.
The final stretch is marked by a 180-degree turn back along the M4 South, just before the Umhlanga on-ramp, where riders swap to contra flow on the M4, turning right and then on to the Walter Gilbert/ Durban Country Club off-ramp, right into NMR Avenue, finishing at the NMR Avenue entrance to the stadium.
A broad spectrum of categories ensures there is something for everyone!
Sunday 23 April
Elite and U23 licensed men
U16's and juniors
Licensed women
Vets from 30-plus
For further information, please visit the Mr Price Tour Durban website
Or contact Annie and Melissa on 031 312 8896
Or by E-mail
SouthAfrica.info reporter
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