Local riders who missed out on the chance to sign up for the Cape Town Cycle Tour have been handed a lifeline. After general entries sold out in mere hours last week, the organisers of the world’s biggest timed cycling event have freed up another 3 000 spots for South African cyclists.
Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust director David Bellairs said: “We have decided to reallocate some entries which have been reserved for various groups and international participants. By doing this we will be making additional individual entries available to local riders.”
But these new entries will not be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. Instead, it will be a lottery with a spot on the starting line being randomly assigned to entrants.
From 1pm on Tuesday until the same time and day the following week, potential riders wishing to secure entry to the event, which is sponsored by the Cape Argus in partnership with Pick n Pay and Momentum, must update their details and register their interest in participating at www.cycletour.co.za.
There is no cost to register.
On October 24, 3 000 riders will be chosen on a ballot-style selection basis and notified whether they have been successful. Successful entrants will have until November 4 to pay the R430 entry fee required to secure their spot in the race.
The organisers said any entries for which payment had not been received by the cut-off date would be reallocated to entrants who were unsuccessful during the random selection process.
“We believe this to be the fairest way to allocate the remaining entries without prejudicing participants and overloading our systems,” said Bellairs.
Riders who are unsuccessful in securing one of the additional entries will still have the option of riding for one of the 110 registered charities.
Meanwhile, the organisers have said that buying and selling of entries is prohibited.
Entrants found riding with a race number not allocated to them could be banned from the Cycle Tour in future.
“The only way to transfer an entry to another rider is through the official substitution process, which will take place in February.” - Cape Argus