EXCITEMENT BUILDS: Standard Bank are excited to host riders and clients at The Herald Cycle Tour Standard Bank VIP Lounge next year. VIP guests can enjoy premium start and finish line viewing as well as comfortable lounge seating, canapes, complimentary drinks and VIP parking. Standard Bank clients have until December 31 to register to stand a chance to win a VIP experience. Image: WERNER HILLS

Entries have opened for one of the most anticipated cycling events in the country and a firm favourite on the local cycling calendar: The Herald Cycle Tour.

Whether you are a professional cyclist, fun rider, or spectator, The Herald Cycle Tour, hosted by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, is recommended to be one of the first firm commitments in your 2024 diary.

Staged over two weekends, the event includes both mountain bike races at the Addo Polo Club on February 11 and road races at Pollok Beach on February 17 and 18.

Standard Bank will again support The Herald Cycle Tour by creating a welcoming hospitality area for riders and their families at the road race events at Pollok Beach.

Riders who register online before December 31 (those who are Standard Bank clients), stand a chance to win access to the Standard Bank VIP Lounge at Pollok Beach on Sunday February 18.

Standard Bank provincial head: consumer client coverage in the Eastern Cape, Unathi Maqalekane, said he was personally looking forward to the cycling action followed by great conversations and delicious cuisine in the VIP Lounge.

“The Standard Bank VIP Lounge will provide the riders an opportunity to enjoy the event in maximum comfort while indulging in food and drinks of their choice in the company of their loved ones and friends,” Maqalekane said.

He said The Herald Cycle Tour aligned with Standard Bank's values as Africa’s largest bank in assets, and being committed to helping the continent realise its potential.

“We will achieve this through supporting sporting events such as The Herald Cycle Tour that enables us to work with partners who share our commitment to connecting with clients, staff, stakeholders, communities and societies to drive Africa’s sustainable growth.

“This lies at the core of our purpose — Africa is our home; we drive her growth”.

Maqalekane, who will personally be entering The Herald Cycle Tour as a rider, encouraged his fellow Standard Bank colleagues to do the same.

“We recognise the fundamental role that sport plays in driving social and economic development.

“For this reason, we continue to support sporting events such as The Herald Cycle Tour with the goal of ensuring transformation and inclusivity across all sectors of the community, as in the words of Nelson Mandela, ‘Sport has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does’.”

Cyclists can enter a special Charity Rider category this year to support The Herald’s three official beneficiaries: uThando Youth Cycle Academy, the Smile Foundation and Reach for a Dream Foundation.

Online registration for charity entries closes at midday on Sunday December 31. All other entries close at midday on February 5 2024.

Enter online at www.heraldcycletour.co.za

For more information, contact cycletour@theherald.co.za

Doing good while doing what you love sounds like a win-win situation for prospective participants of The Herald Cycle Tour in 2024.

A personalised charity drive, where participants can enter the Charity Rider category to support the event’s beneficiaries – the Uthando Youth Cycle Academy, Smile Foundation and Reach for a Dream – forms part of this year’s event.

The Herald Cycle Tour, hosted by Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, consists of the mountain bike races starting and finishing at the Addo Polo Club on February 11 and the road events at Pollok Beach on February 17 and 18.

The Moving Miles for Charity initiative is a new addition to The Herald’s CSI programme.

“We’d like to encourage as many riders as possible to participate in the charity leg of the event,” The Herald’s marketing manager Berna Ulay-Walters said.

“Not only does this benefit the charities; it also enhances the sense of community and upliftment, which are two integral pillars of the race.”

A charity entry includes participation in any one of the mountain bike or road events, a dedicated start group for 106km riders and a branded Velotex cycle tour jersey.

All funds raised will be donated to the three charities and the Charity Rider entrant with the highest total will win a Trek Marlin 5 bicycle valued at R9 000.

The person riding for charity can approach friends, family, colleagues or corporates to assist in the fundraising drive.

Charity entrants would receive a unique link to action the fundraising process, Ulay-Walters said.

Uthando Youth Cycle Academy co-founder Luthando Fatyi said the donations would assist its development programme – and specifically aid in sending riders to races around the country.

Reach for a Dream Foundation’s Eastern Cape manager Lwanele Mpeta appreciated the organisation’s long-standing relationship with the event.

She said the initiative was a great way for participants to combine their passion for cycling with social responsibility.

“It’s a direct and tangible way to make a difference in the lives of dreamers. It helps them experience moments of happiness and regain a part of their childhood that may be lost due to illness.

“Some riders may have a personal connection with us; whether knowing a child who has faced a life-threatening illness or having been inspired by stories of dream fulfilment,” Mpeta said.

“This connection can be a powerful motivator to support us.”

The Smile Foundation’s Eastern Cape hospital co-ordinator Tanya Jackson said the organisation was extremely grateful to be one of the supported charities. She welcomed the initiative and described it as “innovative”.

In addition to the Charity Rider category, entrants can again support the Helmet Heroes initiative to encourage safe cycling in the region. They can donate when entering or drop off preloved helmets at registration.

Helmet donations will be distributed to local cyclists and the Uthando academy.

To ride and raise funds for charity, go to www.heraldcycletour.co.za and select the Charity Rider entry option at R1 800 apiece.

Registration for charity entries close at midday on Sunday, December 31.

For more information, send an email to cycletour@theherald.co.za.

SPEEDING AHEAD: Entries have opened for the 2024 Herald Cycle Tour, one of the Eastern Cape's most iconic cycling festivals. Photo: Richard Pearce

With entries for the 38th edition opening today, The Herald Cycle Tour again stakes its claim as one of South Africa’s most iconic cycling festivals.

The event will be staged over two weekends early next year. The MTB races at the Addo Polo Club are penned in for February 11 and the road events at Pollok Beach in Gqeberha for February 17 and 18.

The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality is returning as title sponsor for a third consecutive year.

The Herald and Weekend Post editor Rochelle de Kock invited cyclists and their families to join the festivities.

“At the 2023 event we encouraged families to come out in numbers and it was a big success,” she said.

“We are hoping that next year will be even better and are calling on the Bay community to come out to not only support the riders, but also to enjoy a fun- filled day.”

The Herald Cycle Tour had a positive economic impact on the city, benefiting both the hospitality sector and small businesses that formed part of the organising team, she added.

It is also a vehicle to raise funds for charities and foundations. This year’s beneficiaries are The Herald Christmas Cheer Fund, Smile Foundation, Reach for a Dream and Uthando Youth Cycling Academy.

Charmaine Williams, the municipality’s director for sports, recreation, arts and culture, said the City would ensure that traffic, metro police and other related services would work together to deliver a successful event.

“It is the second-oldest cycling classic [in the country], having started in 1986 and boasting a longstanding tradition of delivering a memorable cycling experience for all riders,” she said, adding that it drew participants from across the country.

“Our unique tourism attractions in the form of our cultural and heritage assets, as well as our beaches, natural environment and services offered to event organisers, make Gqeberha and the province a preferred destination to host sporting events.”

The Herald Cycle Tour traditionally attracts some 3 000 participants.

The 80km Extreme is the feature event on the off-road programme. Riders can also compete in the 60km Adventure, 30km Leisure, 5km Kiddies’ Ride and 500m Toddlers’ Dash.

The road events are noted for the 106km Classic on the Sunday. It is supported by the 55km Adventure, which is aimed at age-group riders and tandems.

The 2km Kiddies’ Ride and 500m Toddlers’ Dash take place the previous day.

Those who tackle both the MTB and road feature races will compete for the Ultimate Quest title.

The race village will offer a range of stalls and activities, including family picnic zones, family tent, beer garden, kids’ play park, live entertainment and the Standard Bank VIP lounges.

Numerous businesses are supporting the 2024 event, including the Eastern Cape Motors Group, Standard Bank, Powerade, Town Lodge Group, Relay EMS, Talisman Hire & K&W, Trek and Cyclo Pro, Thule, Wayne Pheiffer Cycles, Coimbra Cycle Centre and Goshawk.

Entrants can support Helmet Heroes, which is a safety programme designed for those who commute by bicycle in the Walmer Township area. They can make a token donation on entry or drop off a preloved helmet at registration.

Entries close at midday on February 5. To enter and for more information, visit www.heraldcycletour.co.za.

For other queries, email The Herald’s marketing manager Berna Ulay-Walters at ulayb@theherald.co.za.

Theuns van der Bank won the 106km men's race at The Herald Cycle Tour, hosted by Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, after breaking away in the latter stages of the race on Sunday. Photo: Richard Pearce

Cape Town riders took the honours in both the men's and women's races at the Herald Cycle Tour road race at Pollok Beach in Summerstrand on Sunday.

Realty Dynamix rider Theuns van der Bank sprinted his way to the finish line, coming in at two hours, 35 minutes and 21 seconds to capture his first-ever Herald Cycle Tour victory.

The 37-year-old from Cape Town was followed by Nolan Hoffman in 2:35:36 in second, with Wynand Hofmeyr third in 2:35:37.

Capetonians took first and second place in the women's race as Hayley Preen bagged her second Herald Cycle Tour gold medal in a time of 3:01:09.

The battle for second was between Maroesjka Matthee (3:03:16), also from Cape Town, and local rider Juanita Mackenzie (3:03:17), with the Cape cyclist edging home by a split second.

Van der Bank said he first competed in the Herald Cycle Tour 20 years ago, but had been inconsistent.

The full-time teacher said he was happy to finally break his podium duck.

"The event was well-organised and tough," he said.

"It was quite a flat course.

"I knew it was just one climb that can split the race but, unfortunately, there was a rider [Daniel Loubser] ahead so we could not split up, we needed to keep the numbers strong in the bunch.

"So one rider got away and the numbers stayed together over the climb.

"Luckily it was not very windy so it counted in favour of the bunch.

"The rider had two minutes on us.

"We had to work quite hard to bring Cronje back but we did with 20 minutes to go.

"After coming here for years, I've at last got onto the podium.

"This is probably my ninth or 10th one and my first time on the podium.

"I am glad I can tick that box at least," he said.

Preen, 24, of Team Freewheel Cycology, said she was happy to be back on top after finishing in fourth place in 2022.

"The race was really good, and the weather this year was much better than last year when we were pretty much being blown off our bikes.

Hayley Preen took an imposing solo victory in the 106km women's event at The Herald Cycle Tour, hosted by Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, on Sunday. Photo: Richard Pearce

"I went solo from about 15km into the race so I was on my own until the end, which was about 90km.

"It was a hard race — I am tired now but I am very happy to take the win," she said.

"This is my second Herald Cycle Tour win.

"The course was good.

"There were some rolling hills in the beginning, which is where I got away, and then it was pretty flat.

"There was one climb 40km from the end, and it was just flat until the finish."

Uthando Youth Cycling Academy members, who are beneficiaries of the Herald Cycle Tour, had the opportunity to rub shoulders with and gain some words of advice from former SA cricketer Makhaya Ntini, SA and multi-Herald Cycle Tour winner Hoffman and former EP Rugby life coach Brad Verreynne, among others.

During the pop-up motivational session which took place at Pollok Beach on Saturday, Standard Bank provincial head, consumer client coverage Eastern Cape, Unathi Maqalekane, also provided some encouragement.

"In our understanding as a bank, the youth is our future as a country.

"[They are] getting involved in a whole lot of things outside the values we want to see just because they have less to do that is inspiring them, keeping them safe and away from what we do see in the country in teams of crime, and so on.

"So where you find a foundation like Uthando really doing the best they know how in terms of taking these kids out of the streets and really investing in their future and identifying them as talent, we can only back them up," he said.

Clint Hendricks will be hunting down a second The Herald Cycle Tour title on Sunday. The Team Enza rider won the race in 2018.

Team Enza cyclist Clint Hendricks will be looking to reclaim the title he won five years ago when he lines up for the 37th edition of The Herald Cycle Tour road race in Gqeberha on Sunday.

After suffering a mechanical issue that forced him out of last year's contest, the Paarl-based rider will be going all out for a podium finish in 2023.

Sunday's road programme, hosted by the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality, is anchored by the 106km Classic for various racing categories, with the 55km Adventure for age groups and tandems completing the action-packed day.

The 2km Kiddies' Ride and 500m Toddlers' Dash are scheduled for Saturday.

"I always look forward to coming back to race here in Gqeberha, and it is certainly one of my favourite races on the calendar," Hendricks, the 2018 Classic winner, said.

The 31-year-old said preparations leading up to the event had been a bit of a rollercoaster, with many ups and downs along the way.

"I have got some racing in the legs, so hopefully everything comes together on the day.

"If it comes down to a sprint finish, hopefully I can do something, because I can see myself getting onto the podium, as that is always the first goal of the team.

"In terms of my conditioning, I wouldn't say I am at my peak just yet, but I think I can pull off something special."

Meanwhile, 2020 women's winner, Hayley Preen, will be looking for a big return to the podium after coming home in fourth at last year's event.

The 24-year-old, who will be racing as an individual under the banner of Team Freewheel Cycology, was feeling good ahead of her third appearance at the race.

"Having raced and won it in 2020, it was the first big win of my career, so it will always be a special race for me and hopefully I can manage to get back to the podium again," she told HeraldLIVE.

Preen felt the race could come down to a sprint, but added that a number of factors could play a role in the final outcome.

"It will obviously be a bit more tricky racing as an individual, especially with a team like Reach for Rainbows, because they are quite a strong team.

"I think the faster and harder we race, the better it will be for me in the end."

At the SA Cycling championships last weekend, she won the criterium before placing well in the road race.

"I raced the crit, time trial, and the road race, and in the crit, I won the sprint and beat Maroeskja [Mathee], so that has given me some confidence," she said.

The cycle tour, which traditionally attracts about 3,000 entrants, is positioned as a festival with options for the whole family.

The race village will offer a bigger and better family experience, with family picnic zones where fans are encouraged to bring their own food baskets. Also on offer are a family tent, a beer garden, a kids' play park, onstage live entertainment and VIP lounges.

The event has drawn support from a wide range of businesses, including Eastern Cape Motors Group, Standard Bank, Powerade, Radisson Blu Hotel, Relay EMS, Talisman Hire & K&W, Trek and Cyclo Pro, Thule, Wayne Pheiffer and Coimbra and Goshawk.

The cycling extravaganza also generates funds for the Smile Foundation, Reach for a Dream, The Herald Christmas Cheer Fund and Uthando Youth Cycling Academy.

Entrants can also support the Helmet Heroes initiative, introduced for the first time this year, which is aimed at educating and providing protection for those who commute by bicycle.

Organisers have set themselves the target of distributing 100 helmets to people on the race route.

Rogan Smart on his way to victory in sweltering weather during the 80km Extreme MTB Challenge at Addo on Sunday. Photo: Richard Pearce

It was a case of third time's a charm as Plettenberg Bay's Rogan Smart sprinted to the finish line to win his first Herald Cycle Tour Mountain Bike race in his third attempt at the Addo Polo Club on Sunday.

The event, held in association with the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality, saw the 25-year-old professional, who finished third in 2022, cross the line in a time of three hours, 20 minutes and 12 seconds to claim his best result in the popular event.

He was followed closely by Stuart Marais, who came in at 3:20:18, while Adriaan Oosthuizen was third with a time of 3:20:27.

Meanwhile, in the women's race, Karla Stumpf made an impressive debut at the Herald Cycle Tour by beating Gqeberha's star veteran and multiple Herald Cycle Tour winner Anriette Schoeman, cruising to the finish line in 3:44:58.

Schoeman settled for second place (3:53:59), while Olivia Read claimed third (4:06:08).

Smart fell behind after suffering a puncture just 40km into the race but battled his way to the front to eventually win.

"This is my third Herald Cycle Tour race," Smart said.

"The route is always similar but different every year as well. There are always new single tracks, but it's hard because they took out the one big climb in the middle which was supposed to make it easier.

"The race is still hard, it's just flat, fast and there are lots of hard grass patch sections.

"It also has nice open roads so it does lean well to group riding.

"There were three of us for the last 30km, and then it was a sprint.

"I had no plan coming into the race.

"I haven't felt very well lately so I was happy to just come here and train a little bit but it worked out all right."

Smart said the Herald Cycle Tour would help put him in competitive shape for the PE to Plett race taking place at the end of February.

Claiming her first Herald Cycle Tour win, Stellenbosch's Stumpf, 21, said she would definitely be back in 2024 to defend her title.

"I didn't expect it [the win] but felt good and I just went with it.

"The weather was very humid. I am not quite used to it but I am just glad that I am finished now.

"The course was super cool. I love all the single tracks and the climbs were also really nice.

"My highlight of the race was the single track coming down from the Zuurberg Mountain Village.

"There was some stiff competition in the race. There were two women in front of me at the start and then somehow I caught them.

"I will definitely come back next year, this race is so cool. I am excited already for next year," she said.

The Herald Cycle Tour road race takes place this coming weekend.