Organisers of Gauteng\u2019s ever-popular Emperors Palace Classic have rerouted \u201cthe race of dreams\u201d for its ninth edition on April 10, 2016.<\/p>\n
With entries now open on www.asgevents.co.za and high numbers of cyclists expected to roll out from the Kempton Park casino resort, the organisers have opted to put safety first and exclude some high-traffic sections on Rondebult Road.<\/p>
According to race director, Wynand de Villiers, of ASG Events, the planned route change will affect both the 98km feature race and 40km short course.<\/p>\n
\u201cEntries for this event have grown exponentially over the past two years, which is fantastic, but this has also made a route change unavoidable,\u201d said de Villiers.<\/p>
De Villiers also said the major change to the feature race would come after the traditional right turn at Carnival City.<\/p>\n
\u201cInstead of turning towards Nigel and Dunnotar, the race carries on towards Heidelberg before making a right turn to come back on the R103,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter taking the R554 and re-joining Rondebult Road, cyclists would only stay on it for 7km before taking the Pretoria Road slipway en-route back to Emperors Palace.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne thing that hasn\u2019t changed is the general character of the race.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe road routes are still fast and flat with good surfaces throughout and riders can look forward to a smooth-flowing experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
De Villiers said improved safety measures, such as warning signage, more than 200 marshals and 150 traffic officers, would create peace of mind for organisers and participants alike.<\/p>\n
\u201cMore than 8 000 cyclists are expected for the weekend festival, which starts with the 20km and 40km mountain biking events on the Saturday,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Also on the Sunday is the Emperors Palace Kids Classic, which is open to children from ages three to eight years.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Circuit Spectacular brings the weekend to a close.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs the name suggests, this 30-minute criterium race is a spectacular display of speed and skill by some of South Africa\u2019s top riders,\u201d explained De Villiers.<\/p>\n
Entries for the races, which are presented by OR Tambo International Airport, have already opened.<\/p>\n
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