23 Apr 2017

The 2017 Builders World Botswana Classic 3-day, 4 Stage format cycling race will be held on May 12 to 14.

A brain child of Tsela Riders club, the race expected to attract more riders from participating countries such as South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland and Zimbabwe is sponsored by The World Group of Companies to the tune of P200 000.
Speaking in a press conference recently, Tsela Riders chairperson, Charles Vaughan said the race had been modeled in the form of international cycling races like the popular Tour de France.
The competition, he said would start on May 12 with a prologue time trial at the Gaborone CBD’s three Dikgosi monument site.

He said on May 13 in the morning, cyclists would race against time on an 84km challenge in Taung going to Mmankgodi which is the stage two of the race.
“We will be racing to Mmankgodi, when we come back on that steep hill in Taung, we will go over it five times and we need the winner, the first guy toarrive there first,” he said.
He explained that riders would not be afforded time to rest as they would have to do a 45 minute stage three criterium on the same day at the CBD.

“It’s a 45 minutes of high speed chasing with technicalities whereby you go round a loop and every time the first bunch catches up with you or they try to loop you, you are dropped,” he said.
Vaughan further explained that the only cyclists who would be remaining after 45 minutes would do some more five hard laps.

He added that the last lap of the race would be looking at endurance and would resume on May 14 from Sebele Mall in the morning to Mosaditshwene covering a total distance of 120 km to and fro.
Vaughan said there would be prize monies up for grabs in each stage with the first prize being P5 000, second being P3 500, third P2 500, fourth P1 500  and fifth prize would be P1 000 respectively.
He also pleaded with the public to attend and support the race as they wished to see cycling growing and getting to a different level.

For his part, the World Group Of Companies CEO Salim Shaihh said his organization had always had an interest in developing sports from grass root level as they were involved in football ,cricket and lately cycling. end