I know that a word of thanks and gratitude usually follows after an event, but I would like to thank a few people for their involvement in the annual Kremetart Cycling Races and give you a bit of insight into this great event.

Did you know that this will be the 26th consecutive Kremetart Race? I remember when the Soutpansberg Athletics Club used to present the race, many moons ago. The whole club was involved with food preparation, route layout, marshalling and all the various duties concerning the race. Spirits were high and everyone worked together to present an awesome event. During the years, word of mouth caused the event to turn into the biggest cycling race in the Limpopo Province. Cape Town has the Argus, Gauteng has the 94.7, Durban has the Amashova and Comrades and every cyclist in South Africa knows about the Kremetart 175km One-Day Four-Stage Race.

This is the only one of its kind in our country, and perhaps in the world, and it is happening right here in our town. But we don’t stop there. No, we cater for all ages. The Total Kremetart 70km Road Race is specifically aimed at teenagers who would like to get involved in cycling. The KFC 10km Fun Ride is set out for primary school kids, with lots of fun and safety, and the KFC Kiddies Race is there for the “wee ones”, so that they can also have a turn on a bicycle. On Sunday, the Total MTB XCO (Mountain Bike Cross Country Olympic) is presented at Komatiland Forest, where mountain bikers get a taste of the technical single tracks on the slopes of our beautiful Soutpansberg. So you can see that we aim to create a weekend filled with all the different cycling disciplines for the whole family to enjoy.

How many other festivals, sport events or community-driven projects bring 10 000 people to our district? How many of these events generate over R30 million worth of income for our residents? Yes, the figures are correct. From accommodation, food and petrol to clothing or any other consumable item, you have to agree that money is spent during the Kremetart weekend. Especially the non-profit organisations, churches and charities benefit greatly from this annual event. Flea market stalls at the Info Centre get booked a year in advance in order to scoop up valuable funds needed for various organisations.

With the back-up from local businesses at the water points, and sponsors from close by and abroad, the organisers and P&L Cycling Club can create a bushveld vibe that people cannot wait to get back to next year.

You cannot believe how many new entries we receive every year. People who have never attempted a stage race before grab the training programme and send me updates on their training up to the event. And then the feedback afterwards! “We will definitely see you again / thanks for an awesome event / the best ever!” This is what keeps us going and give us the motivation to start planning for next year’s event already - always aiming to make improvements and seeing every bit of criticism as a motivation to do things better.

Did you know that the Kremetart Stage Race is famous for its breakfast soup? Yes! We are the only organisers in the world who serve soup to the contestants at breakfast. At other, far-off races, you hear the cyclists commenting and longing for winter and Kobie’s soup at Waterpoort, or our famous Round Table Potjiekos, food stalls and Vivo lunch. The amount of work that goes into all the food preparation for cyclists, marshals and officials is enormous.  Thank you to all those who are involved in this part of the race.

The amount of hard labour, hours and hours of administration, phone calls, e-mails, meetings and paperwork is transformed into creating an event that we hope will be successful every year. With 36 departments who all need hands-on attention all the time, this is a full-time job and the club members and management of P&L Cycling Club do all this work, mostly without any pay, in their free time, with spirit and a smile on their faces.

From marketing, medics, physiotherapy, supporters, safety, traffic control, cleaning, maintenance, route layout, branding, timing, sweep and back-up vehicles to transport, electrical and venue layout, - the logistics in arranging such an event are enormous.

The general public in our town usually see the road closures, filled-up parking and restaurant spaces and might be a bit irritated with a change in the normal Saturday routine, but we are committed to creating opportunities for each and every person to benefit from the Kremetart weekend and ask everyone to see the other side – our side of creating an event that will keep on bringing tourists and commerce back to our town while promoting cycling as a sport.

Without the dedication of all the people who work tirelessly to present this prestigeous event, it would definitely not be possible and we salute each and every one of you. Even your supporting smile and vote of confidence create an environment where we are driven to work harder and give our heart and soul for three days filled with laughter, fun and festivities.

I hope and pray that each and every person touched by the Kremetart Weekend will be as excited as I am in seeing the possibilities to do even better, help a bit more and create an awareness that cycling is a family sport that can be enjoyed by everyone in our safe town.

- Renda Alexander, Kremetart Cycling Organiser (Louis Trichardt).