We have made a strategic call to move KZN Road Champs from its traditional time slot in January prior to SA Champs to a fixed time slot in the first week of July. KZN Champs 2024 will be moved to 6&7 July 2024, using the same venue Hay Barn and Hebron Haven with the racing on Dargle Road.
Entries are still open via the CSA entry portal. Current entries will be maintained to the new date of 6&7 July 2024.
Current uptake in entries is sluggish. In retrospect this is a call that should have been made some time back. There are so many reasons why it is better to have our event in July that I anticipate will favour an increase in rider participation.
I am really excited about this call and look forward to a successful Road Championship in July.
The KZN Road and Time Trial Championships will take place from Glencairn Weddings, just outside Himeville (Underberg) on the weekend of 20 – 22 January 2023.
FAST FACTS When: Friday 20th – Sunday 22nd January 2023 Where: Glencairn Weddings, Himeville (near Underberg) What: Friday 20th January – Hill Climb Championships Saturday 21st January – Time Trial Championships Sunday 22nd January – Road Championships Entries: Go to www.cyclingsa.com Closing date: Monday 16th January 2023
The venue at Glencairn Weddings is well known to mountain bikers and trail runners (host to sani2c, JoBerg2c and the Glencairn Trail Run – amongst many other events and gatherings) and provides a range of accommodation options to suit all pockets. There are also plenty of other nearby accommodation options in the area. Whilst the venue requires some travel to get there, participants (and supporters) will be well-rewarded with a beautiful setting and the opportunity to make a full weekend of cycling festivities in a pristine environment.
Both the Time Trial and the Road Race will make use of the Sani Pass road, over a 10km stretch, starting just outside the entrance to Glencairn and heading towards Sani Pass Hotel. The tarmac is in excellent condition and provides a smooth and fast surface with undulating hills which will make for some testing racing.
For the first time ever, a Hill Climb has been introduced and this will add a new element to the Championships, especially as the ‘real King & Queen’ in each category will be determined from a combination of all three events ! The Hill Climb starts just past the Sani Pass Hotel and covers a distance of 11km to the SA Border Post. This stretch of road has only recently been tarred and is spectacular. The gradient is steep in places but there are several flat and downhill sections and will make for a really special addition to the weekend of racing
EVENT SCHEDULE & INFO
Friday 20 January HILL CLIMB CHAMPIONSHIPS Entry fee R180 Open to all age-groups (U11 – 70+) Start times: 10h00: U11 Boys & Girls, U13 Boys & Girls, U15 Girls 10h30: U15 Boys, U17 Girls, Women 40+, Men 70+ 11h00: Women U19, U23, Elite, 30-39, Boys U17, Men 50-69 11h30: Men U19, U23, Elite, 30-39, 40-49.
Start times (per age-group): Will be sent to all entrants once entries have closed (after 17 Jan) Elite & U23 Men: TT distance to be confirmed – 34km / 47km.
Medal Presentation: Will take place at Glencairn once all the age-groups have finished and the results have been verified (approx. 13h00)
Saturday 21 January ROAD CHAMPIONSHIPS Entry fees / Distances / Age-Group 20km – R250 (U11 Boys & Girls / U13 Boys & Girls / U15 Girls)
Start time: 15h00
Sunday 22 January ROAD CHAMPIONSHIPS Entry fees / Distances / Age-Group 60km – R300 (U15 Boys / U17 Girls / Men 70+ / Women 40-49, 50-59, 60-69) 80km – R300 (Women Junior, U23, Elite, 30-39 / U17 Boys, Men 50-59, 60-69) 120km – R350 (Men Junior, U23, Elite, 30-39, 40-49)
Start times: 06h00 – Men Junior, U23, Elite, 30-49 08h00 – Boys U17, Men 50-59, 60-69 08h30 – Women U19, U23, Elite, 30-39 08h45 – Girls U17, Women 40+, Boys U15, Men 70+
Final Awards Presentations: Will take place at Glencairn once the results have been verified – times to be confirmed but no later than 12h00.
ROUTE PROFILES Road / Time Trial Course (20km lap) NOTE: the below is the full stretch of road between the turn-off to Sani Pass (off the Himeville road) to the turn point (past the Sani Pass Hotel) – there are variations of the route distance depending on each category and event (ITT / RR).
Hill Climb: 11km
CYCLING CLUBS Should encourage their members to take part ! This is not just about the medal contenders – the weekend is the perfect opportunity for riders to take part in a unique road cycling event, challenge themselves and enjoy road cycling at its best. Not to mention, it’s a worthwhile goal to ‘lift your game’ over the festive season and get some training done ! Clubs will be able to put up their gazebo’s at the start / finish venue at Glencairn and make use of the facilities provided (toilets and showers).
KING / QUEEN OF THE CHAMPIONS ! A unique inclusion to the KZN Road Cycling Championships. Participants who compete in all three events (Hill Climb, Time Trial and Road Race) will be eligible for the award of ‘King / Queen of the Champions’. This award has been created to encourage participation in all three events and the winners will certainly be worthy Champions !
The age-groups will be per below: U11 Boys & Girls U13 Boys & Girls U15 Boys & Girls U17 Boys & Girls Junior Men & Women Elite & U23 Men & Women Masters 30-39 Men & Women Masters 40-49 Men & Women Masters 50-59 Men & Women Masters 60+ Men & Women
GENERAL
ACCOMMODATION / FACILITIES Glencairn Weddings (www.glencairnweddings.co.za) offer a wide range of accommodation options from tents to dormitory style to chalets. They are also offering a discount to all riders taking part in the KZN Champs weekend. Use this link to log in to the booking system: https://computicket-boxoffice.com/e/kzn-road-champs-0J1aaw The venue offers hot showers and plenty of toilets. There will be coffee vendors and catering on site. Google search for plenty of other accommodation options in the Himeville / Underberg / Sani Pass area.
ENTRIES A valid CSA membership is required to enter. Entries are open on www.cyclingsa.com (log into your profile to see the entry portal)
ENQUIRIES Event Director Angus McFarlane 082 820 4490 Admin Rebecca van der Linde 082 896 6864 E-mail gm@kzncycling.co.za
After much hard work and a stellar year thus far, Frances Janse van Rensburg will be embarking on a new exciting challenge from next week when she leaves SA to take up a slot earned at the World Cycling Centre in Switzerland. Apart from receiving top quality training from the UCI coaches throughout the year, she will also be riding for the WCC Continental Women’s Team that competes in all the premier races across Europe. The opportunity is a massive one for Frances and certainly well deserved and testimony to her efforts as well as the guidance given by Johann Wykerd who has been coaching her throughout. The farewell function held saw many of the people that have supported Frances over the years, including KZN Cycling President, Sean Lucien. We all wish her well in her journey ahead.
Due to her youth, we won’t refer to Frances Janse van Rensburg as the Queen of the Desert, but rather as the Princess. This is despite the fact that our KZN U23 rider ruled over all comers this past week at the African Continental Road Championships in Cairo winning a total of five medals – four golds and a silver – and having the accolade of winning the most medals at the Champs. A fantastic effort and more good things are sure to be on the horizon.
Absolute Motion in partnership with KZN Cycling is proud to present to you the 2021 KZN Road Champs at an all new venue – Sani Pass Hotel. Come smash some personal goals as we head into an exciting new year of racing.
Time Trial: 16 January 2021
Venue: Sani Pass Hotel
Road Race: 17 January 2021
Venue: Sani Pass Hotel
Registration and Late Entries: Absolute Moon 14 January
Sani Pass Hotel: 15 January
Registration Only: Sani Pass Hotel 16 January
Enter on: https://www.cyclingsa-events.co.za/app_v2/
