Cycling extravaganza for Kopong

FREDERDICK KEBADIRETSE
Staff Writer | Friday June 14, 2013 00:00

The event takes off tomorrow with the road race subdivided into distances of 30 kilometres, 50 kilometres and the main challenge of 90 kilometres. It will get tougher and interesting on Sunday as riders take to the for the mountain bike (MTB) challenge. The mountain bikers will battle it out in the 30km and 60 kilometres distances.All events will have various age categories ranging from juniors to veterans.The annual event, organised by the Gaborone Cycling Club (GCC), is expected to attract close to 300 riders this year.  Speaking to Mmegi Sport yesterday, Peter Sekwale of GCC said they are confident to surpass last year's record entry of 250 participants. He said the event has grown by leaps and bounds over the years and now stands out as one of the best events on the cycling calendar.

Trellidor/Aluminium 2000 is sponsoring the event with P10, 000, which has gone entirely to prizes for winners. The road race route remains the same while the MTB route has changed. The endurance race will take riders from Kopong Filling Station towards Molepolole main road, then back past Kopong to Lentsweletau and back to Kopong filling station, which is the finish point. Sekwale said the MTB race has become more challenging because they have added three more climbing phases instead of only one that had been used in the past. There will also be a 5 kilometres kiddies' mountain bike race to spice up events of the final day.