The Limpopo Tourism Agency (LTA) has encouraged cyclists to come and take part in the 24th annual PPC Kremetart Cycling Race during a special media launch held on Monday.

The race will be held from 7 to 9 June, and with less than five weeks to go, cycling fever is mounting in Makhado (Louis Trichardt), who will host more than a thousand cyclists, their families and supporters.

LTA's chief executive officer, Mr Nocks Seabi, said during the launch that they were excited to be part of such an important tourism driver in the province. The LTA head office in the province, the Makhado Info Centre on the corner of Songozwi Street and the N1, will once again be the starting and finishing point for the cycling race.

Also speaking at the media launch was the race organiser from the P&L Cycling Club, Ms Renda Alexander. She confirmed that cycling entries for the 175km four-stage race will be limited to 1 500 entries. Entries that they have received since entries opened in February had already passed the 600 mark on Monday.

For cyclists, the PPC Kremetart Race will afford the opportunity to participate in South Africa’s only one-day stage race, with some of the country’s top cyclists and teams participating. Alexander also said that the club had already received bookings from cyclists as far as Namibia and Belgium. The tandem category, she said, had also elicited a record number of entries. 

This year, the race organisers have also arranged more than one spectator bus to accommodate supporters of the race. There will also be lots of entertainment for family and friends of cyclists in the family fun village. For the less adventurous, there is a 70km road race, a kid’s race and a 10km fun race. For mountain bikers, there will be a cross-country race on the Sunday, which will also be a qualifying race for Limpopo colours.

For more information, readers can log on to www.kremetartcycling.co.za