The 2018 Forever Resort Swadini cycle tour for veterans and juniors started in earnest on Friday morning.
The three-stage event celebrates the lives of cyclists who are over the age of 30 and for their stellar work over the years in the sport.
From the start, the riders headed to the Ndlovumzi nature reserve in the Blyde River Wilderness in Swadini near Hoedspruit in Limpopo.
The veterans were showcasing their talent while they were shown glimpse of the beauty of the Limpopo province.
Organiser Hendrik Wagener says, we organised this vets tour for our grand masters especially to say thanks for all they’ve given us over the years for cycling South Africa, to bring the sport onto the map and to be heroes of our youngsters.
Four riders pulled away from the peloton before reaching Hoedspruit.
Hoedspruit Mduduzi Ndlovu says “a battle of the veterans in the 135km first stage of the event. They are showing the youngsters a thing or two, as they fighting for the king of the mountains jersey.
Under-19s and under-23s riders were supporting the veterans in their quest to conquer the first stage.
Wagener says, “These are the guys that will be in Europe in the next two to three years. So we giving them a chance to show what is in them.”
The 32-year-old Gadi Chait from Johannesburg was the first to cross the finish line.
Gadi Chait says, “I wanna keep a good time trial try to maintain it in the criterium, and hopefully win the last stage as well.”
Stage two will be a 20km individual time trial and criterium.
For the time trial, riders will depart in one minute intervals based on the General Classification after stage one.
