MAKHADO (LOUIS TRICHARDT) – After four years of spectacular growth, the Kremetart One-day Stage Race is expected to grow more modestly this year and attract about 1 750 cyclists to all three of the cycling events on June 4.

To date, almost 700 cyclists have already entered the race and many more have booked their accommodation for the weekend. Last year, 1600 cyclists competed in the Kremetart.

Almost all of the increase will come from local cyclists and day visitors to the town, as the biggest factor limiting the growth of the event, the availability of accommodation in the region, remains much the same as last year. Many of the cyclists come with their families, so at least two beds are required for each cyclist who takes part. Last year, quite a few of the last-minute entries did not arrive for the race as they were unable to find accommodation when almost all of the accommodation was fully booked, despite squeezing 800 people into the municipal caravan park.

The middle distance race, now a 100km Cape Argus qualifying and seeding event (as is the main 175km race), is expected to show a sharp growth from 270 cyclists last year to about 700 cyclists as cyclists will use it to qualify for the 2006 Argus. Some 200 cyclists have already entered for the 100km race. Much of this growth will be at the expense of participation in the main event, the 175km 4-Stage Kremetart, as more of the limited available accommodation is being taken up by the participants of the middle-distance race.

The short race, now a 30km fun ride, is likely to remain at about 100 participants.

The 4-Stage Race, with about 950 entrants this year, should be more pleasant for the participants with less congestion on the roads, especially at the Vivo and Schoemansdal stops, as the middle- and short-distance races no longer start from these points but start and finish in Louis Trichardt in the morning. This change alone will take about 200 cars off the road at the lunch stop at Vivo. The planned supporters’ buses and the smaller field will reduce the traffic problem further.

Accommodation establishments should notify the official Kremetart accommodation coordinator, Ms Willie Botha, on Tel 082 957 0102 of available space and participants can check with her first to find accommodation.