Pedal power hit Jozi streets

18 November 2016

 

The City of Johannesburg will on Sunday November 20 shut down some of its busiest roads to make way for the 20th anniversary of the 947 Cycle Challenge.

 

The second-largest mass-participation timed cycling event in the world, the iconic Telkom Cycle Challenge sees more than 30 000 cyclists from all over the country every year take over the streets of Johannesburg and explore the city.

This is not only to raise funds for charity but also to promote a healthy lifestyle, which resonates with the City of Johannesburg’s Health Lifestyle Programme. The race, which gives cyclists the opportunity to run for a purpose or cause, has helped to raise more than R50-million for charity over the past 20 years. Celebrity cyclists expected to take part in this year’s race, which starts and finishes at the Riversands Commercial Park, include former Johannesburg Executive Mayor Cllr Mpho Parks Tau, Gauteng MEC for Health Qedani Mahlangu, 947 Producer Brad and Dali and Rachel Tambo.

The Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) will deploy dozens of officers along the route to ensure the safety of the cyclists at all times.

“It’s our responsibility to make sure that everyone is safe and we’d like to ask motorists to be patient and use alternative routes as some of the major roads will be closed,” said JMPD’s Superintendent Wayne Minnaar.

He said the roads would be closed for as short a time as possible. The roads to be affected include Summit Road, Jan Smuts Avenue, Witkoppen Road, Cedar Road, Steyn City Boulevard and Riversands Boulevard. There will be a number of dedicated supporter zones this year. These include the Telkom spectator zones along Jan Smuts Avenue in Witkoppen and the 947-Telkom power zone in Dunkeld. Residents have been encouraged to come out in numbers to support the cyclists and soak up the atmosphere.
Free parking will be available at the Riversands Commercial Park for those who want to watch the start and finish of the race. GPS coordinates can be found on the 947 app.

Said 947 Station Manager Ravi Naidoo: “We’re always acutely aware of the impact the race has on our residents. We strive to do everything possible to minimise the impact on those who need to move around on Cycle Challenge Sunday.”