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aQuellé Tour Durban – Inaugural KZN Cycling Club Championships

Greetings to all club reps As the year starts drawing to a close, it’s great to be able to share some information with you relative to two exciting new initiatives aimed specifically at clubs, and their registered members, that will be in place at the 2025 edition of the aQuellé Tour Durban.The inaugural KZN Cycling Club Championships will be staged on 27th April 2025 – our road race day – and this new competition allows all registered clubs of all sizes and rider depth to be able to compete and to walk away with some prizes, and the bragging rights that go with the title….!!The KZN Cycling Participation Trophy competition will be linked to both days of competition at the event and will require very little effort from all concerned…The basis of the KZN Cycling Club Championships competition is outlined below. •The Championships is based on competition across three different road race distances – 42km, 68km and 110km •The cumulative results of the top three finishers from each club in each of these distances will be taken to determine the overall winning club •Therefore, the results are determined by nine riders from the club •The finishing time of each rider will be taken and added to determine the overall club time •All entrants from your club will be eligible to be one of the top finishers – ie. the clubs will not need to designate which riders will be making up their official team •All riders in the competition must be an official club member and need to have a valid CSA Membership •Entrants will just need to enter the event in the normal manner, in their chosen distance and indicate their club on the entry portal as one of the required fields. The event organisers will then manage all timing and results collation etc •Riders can be male or female – there is no specific designation •Unfortunately, the competition will not allow for entrants on e-bikes… Benefits that will accrue to the participating and winning clubs and riders are as follows: •All participating clubs can set up a team area in the clubs section in finish area for free •All participating clubs will be able to have support staff in the designated clubs technical zones on the course to be able to provide additional feeding and mechanical support etc •Trophies will be awarded to the top three clubs, and the nine riders from each of the top three clubs will receive presentation medals and product hampers Presentation medals will be given to the top 3 x finishers in each distance so these individual efforts can be recognised as well •The winning club will receive free registration with KZN Cycling for the following year •The winning club will be able to use the term “2025 KZN Cycling Club Champions” on all official correspondence and communication mechanics such as websites, social media platforms, newsletters etc for the period until the following year’s competition is staged •Additional prizes for the competition are being sourced at present and when pertinent, more information will be given as to these benefits Apart from the KZN Cycling Club Championships competition that allows for an outlet for the more competitive members from the clubs, there is another competition linked to the event for those club members that that don’t necessarily want to race, but just wish to be part of the event. The parameters of the KZN Cycling Particiption Trophy competition are as follows: •The competition is open to entrants in both the mountain bike and road elements of the event •Riders on e-bikes will contribute towards the winning totals •Just by entering the event(s), club members will add to their club’s chances of success… •The winning club will be the club that enters the highest percentage of their registered members into the aQuellé Tour Durban events relative to the total number of club members. •By way of explanation, if a club has 100 members and 50 people enter the event, they will receive a score of 50%. Although a club may have more members, eg. 200 members in total, if 90 members enter, that club will receive a score of 45%. •This will mean that the first club will finish in a higher position than the second club •This allows all clubs registered with KZN Cycling – irrespective of size – an opportunity to have success at the event. •If a club member enters both the MTB and Road race, the club will receive an additional entry to add towards their total – i.e.. 3 x entries instead of 2. Trophies will be awarded to the top three clubs in this competition, and the winning club will receive free registration with KZN Cycling for the following year. I trust this information makes sense in the first instance, but more importantly, is of interest. We are working closely with KZN Cycling in a bid to boost the club initiatives and to have more people on more bikes more regularly – this being very much one of the cornerstones of the aQuellé Tour Durban. We are an event of participation and recreational bike riding as opposed to hardcore racing, but it is acknowledged that there are people that enjoy riding their bikes as hard and as fast as possible, and some that just wish to ride more sedately, and these new initiatives allow for all members of a club to be accommodated. Clubs, riders, the federation and organisers are all important cogs in the machine to allow for the sport to grow and to flourish, and the more we can all work together in order to assist each other, the better… To this end, it would be greatly appreciated if the event information and these competitions can be shared with your club members, and that your club members be encouraged to compete.Should there be any queries about these initiatives, please do not hesitate to contact me directly. Thanks, and kind regardsAlec LenfernaEvent DirectoraQuellé Tour Durban+27 82 909

Wentworth, Greater Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal

Go Durban Academy, Pump for Peace Descriptions: This Velosolutions Pump Track in Wentworth is a Pump for Peace Project and offers plenty of fun for all ages! Some Facts: Total Area 1574m2 Track Length 121m Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/1FGmE4GPGBUXtTyJ9 Opening Hours; Monday – Friday 8am – 5pm Saturdays – 8am – 1pm Sundays – Closed Site: https://pumptrack.com/track/Wentworth-South-Africa-01GEEYTX8E78B3G1WDPY56X0XV

Chesterville, Greater Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal

Go Durban Academy, Pump for Peace Descriptions: The second Velosolutions Pump Track to be built by the GO! Durban Cycle Academy in Durban, South Africa, is based at the Chesterville Sports Grounds, near the popular Pavilion Shopping Centre. The multi-sport facilities are a hub for local sporting talent and the addition of the new Velosolutions 1000m2 pump track in March 2019 has attracted many young cyclists and skaters to the site. Cycling is a new sport for the community and has been welcomed by the local authorities as an opportunity to engage more youth in positive activities and keep them off the streets. The pump track forms  the base of the GO!Durban Cycle Academy which has extended its bike programme to the community of Chesterville, and includes weekly cycling classes and academic support sessions by tutors to ensure a holistic youth empowerment approach.. Some Facts: Total Area 1000m2 Track Length 184m Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/gnt3Li47aPJUj2Pw6 Opening Hours; Monday to Saturday from 8am – 5pm (or sunset) Sundays – Open to the Public at no cost. Donations are welcome. Site: https://pumptrack.com/track/Chesterville-Durban-South-Africa-01GAAYVQ42P6NHJG6Q6QNDDHTE

KwaDabeka, Greater Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal

Go Durban Academy, Pump for Peace Descriptions: The pump track in the township of KwaDabeka on the outskirts of Durban, KwaZulu Natal is probably one of the most picturesque settings for this 165m long pump track with 10 berms and the first bridge and tunnel in the Velosolutions family of tracks. It was specially designed for exciting head to head racing. In 2018 and  2024 the Velosolutions UCI Pump Track World Championship used this track the last chance qualifier for the world championships and The Township Series. Some Facts: Total Area 1140m2 Track Length 165m Curves 10 Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/yxF23YY7Rs6r3G7t7 Opening Hours; Monday to Saturday from 8am – 5pm (or sunset) Sundays – Open to the Public at no cost . Donations are welcome. Site: https://pumptrack.com/track/KwaDabeka-South-Africa-01GEEXDDF4XJJM4VN59B61AZPN

Cornubia, Greater Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal

Go Durban Academy, Pump for Peace Descriptions: This Velosolutions Pump Track in Cornubia offers plenty of fun for all ages! Located just 8min  from Central Umhlanga. Some Facts: Total Area 920m2 Track Length 127m Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/wsfBpXRh2VFUE3Xy9 Opening Hours; 24/7 Site: https://pumptrack.com/track/Cornubia-South-Africa-01GEEYNJXNFBA47Z13KFT9JPX8

KwaMashu, Greater Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal

Go Durban Academy, Pump for Peace Descriptions: The KwaMashu Velosolutions Pump Track is situated within GO!Durban Cycle Academy bike park in KwaMashu. KwaMashu is a township 12 kilometres  north of Durban, South Africa, and has a population of approximately 200 000. The cycle academy has been operating since 2016 and has moved in 2019 to a new, bigger bike park in KwaMashu to offer more space for youth to participate in cycling and other sports. The 1200m2 pump track is the largest one to be built in Durban to date. In 2024 the Velosolutions UCI Pump Track World Championship used this track for the world championships Event. This has given the local community great insight as to what the sport is all about.  Some Facts: Total Area 1200m2 Track Length 191m Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/BwzUn1mBjQviLz8aA Opening Hours; Monday to Saturday from 8am – 6pm (or sunset) Sundays – Open to the Public at no cost. Donations are welcome. Site: https://pumptrack.com/track/KwaMashu-South-Africa-01GEEXM6HN97WYRD9XW7E43MNQ

BMX SA Cup and SA Champions in Cape town

Whilst the weather conditions weren’t on our side on Sunday, the riders rode like champions in the rainy, windy weather. Our young athletes have returned with impressive results: Sanele Shozi secured the title of SA Champ, Ntuthuko Shozi finished 5th, Asanda placed 4th among the fastest 12-year-olds, Nzama took 2nd in the 17 and over category, and Bayanda finished 4th in the boys’ 15 years class. Under the guidance of their dedicated coach, Mvelo “Cheesy” Ntombela, the team not only achieved remarkable results but also had a fantastic experience exploring Cape Town. We also engaged with the Velokhaya and Songo teams, emphasizing that BMX is inclusive for all. We look forward to your support and collaboration in the future.

M4 Ruth First Highway

It has been brought to my attention that cyclists are using the section of M4 Ruth First Highway that we have agreed is out of bounds to cyclists.