Newsletter
- February 201227th February
2012
Dear all
We are hugely excited to welcome everyone to Pietermaritzburg, South Africa for
the 2012 UWCT Final. The event is eagerly awaited, and I and my team are already
hard at work preparing for the event and we hope that these preparations will
lead to an enjoyable time for all, as well as hard and good racing so that we
can hail a new crop of UWCT Champions for 2012.
The 2012 UWCT Final is being staged under the auspices of Cycling South Africa
and the country as a whole, has a very rich tradition in mass participation road
cycling with two of the largest timed events in the world being staged here,
namely the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour and the Momentum 94.7 Cycle
Challenge with 35 000 and 30 000 participants respectively taking place
annually.
The event itself is being managed by Alec Lenferna of Real Events Management and
his team and Lenferna has been involved in a number of major cycling events over
the years with many events of stature being staged in Pietermaritzburg over the
past few years and into the future, a breakdown being as follows:
• 2008 Worlds View Challenge – 5 x UCI 1.1 races
• 2009 UCI MTB World Cup
• 2009 UCI BMX Supercross World cup
• 2010 UCI BMX World Championships
• 2011 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup
• 2011 UCI MTB World Cup
• 2011 Msunduzi Road Challenge (UWCT Qualifier Event)
• 2012 UCI MTB World Cup
• 2012 UWCT Final
• 2013 UCI MTB Masters World Championships
• 2013 UCI MTB & Trials World Championships
The information herein will hopefully assist you in making your planning for the
event in August easier, and should you have any queries, please don’t hesitate
to contact us. Good luck with all the preparations!!
Until the next time, all the very best
Alec Lenferna
Event Director
South Africa – The Host Nation
A sense of pride in what we have achieved in our country in its short democratic
history after its tumultuous past is evident in all South African do on the
international stage. Since April 1995 when all people in the country could cast
their vote for the first time, South Africa has made immense leaps and strides
both internally and internationally.
The country on the tip of Africa is the political and economic powerhouse of the
Continent and has played host to a number of large international sporting events
amongst the largest being the IRB Rugby and ICC Cricket World Cups and the
country also recently played host to the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup, the largest
sports event on the planet, from 11th June – 11th July 2010
Although we are justifiably proud of the eventing capacity and capabilities
evident in the country, we are also proud of what our country has to offer all
visitors that grace our shores. Friendly people, sea, mountains, wildlife,
cultural experiences, wide open spaces and masses of sky all make a visit to the
country a memorable one.
For more information on what you can see and do whilst here in South Africa,
please check out www.southafrica.net .
The Host City
Pietermaritzburg is the capital city of Kwazulu – Natal, one of nine provinces
in the country, and is situated on the east coast of the country, 85km from the
coastal city of Durban, the largest and busiest harbour in the Southern
Hemisphere. Today’s Pietermaritzburg is a vibrant, busy city ready to embrace
the future, but still retains links to the historical past that has seen some of
the most important aspects of South African history unfold on its doorstep.
Kwazulu – Natal has a long and proud cultural heritage and is the birthplace and
home of the Zulu Nation and is blessed with outstanding natural beauty and
cultural diversity. The region has two World Heritage sites within easy driving
distance of Pietermaritzburg and for more information on the region of Kwazulu –
Natal, go to the Tourism KZN website at
www.zulu.org.za .
The city is blessed with great weather, especially in the summer months, when it
is hot but without the humidity of the coast. The 2010 UCI BMX World
Championships will be staged during the winter months in the region which should
ensure that there will be no rain to interrupt proceedings as KZN and the
majority of the country enjoys summer rainfall. The temperature can be cool in
the evenings and nights, but are traditionally around the 20 – 25 Degree Celsius
range during the day.
For more information on Pietermaritzburg and all that it has to offer, please go
to www.pmbtourism.co.za .
Travelling to
Pietermaritzburg
There are a number of ways to get to Pietermaritzburg and South Africa now has
three international airports – OR Tambo in Johannesburg (450km from Pmb), Cape
Town (1400km from Pmb) and King Shaka International in Durban (90km away) as
well as Oribi Airport in the city. This is a regional airport and can be reached
on a connection from Johannesburg with a number of daily flights between the two
centres.
Most international airlines fly into South Africa and nearly all of them arrive
into OR Tambo in Johannesburg or Cape Town. King Shaka International airport has
limited international flights arriving there but all domestic airlines fly into
King Shaka in Durban.
The best suggested option for teams is to fly into Johannesburg and then either
fly directly to Pietermaritzburg, or if schedules do not allow, to Durban and
travel by car to the venue. Another option is to collect vehicles in
Johannesburg and drive to Pietermaritzburg which is situated 450km from
Johannesburg and is an easy 4 - 5 hour drive.
Official Airline Partner
The event organisers are very pleased to announce that South African Airways
(SAA) is an official event partner and is offering all teams and riders
travelling to the event – from whichever departure destination in the world –
discounted rates and special travel benefits.
A breakdown of the relevant discounted rates that will apply for the event are
as follows:
From Business Class
Economy Class
United Kingdom 8% to 10% 10% - 12%
Germany 15% 15%
USA - New York & Washington 10% - 18% 10%
USA - Other Points 10% - 12% 10%
South America 8% (n/a for classes Z & D) 8% (n/a for classes T & V)
Australia 10% (n/a for class D) 10% (n/a for classes Q,T & V)
Hong Kong 10% (n/a for class D) 10% (n/a for classes Q,T & V)
India 12% 12%
Middle East n/a n/a
African Countries 10% 10%
Other worldwide venues 5% - 10% 5% - 10%
Should teams and riders wish to take advantage of these special rates, the
following operational criteria are to be followed:
1. All flight reservation requests are to be emailed to Leesh Lobo, the SAA
office team leader at leeshlobo@flysaa.com
2. Customers will do all correspondence through her and SAA will offer travelers
either the MICE fares above or cheapest they can offer for the route/dates
requested.
3. All bookings have to be sent through together with a scanned copy of the
customer’s passport. This is to avoid any name errors that cannot be rectified
later.
4. Payment can be done with a credit card, but the requisite forms need to be
completed and sent back to SAA together with a copy of the back and front of the
credit card. (ID copy not necessary if they have already received a copy of the
passport.
5. Transportation of bikes have to be cleared in the country of origin and with
the airline the traveler is departing on as each airline has their own
“conditions of transport” for these items.
6. These conditions and discounts will apply only for customers that travel to
and from South Africa on South African Airways.
It should be noted that discounts will vary dependent on the class of seats
booked – this is dependent on when the bookings are made and the fares will be
cheaper the earlier the bookings are made.
Accommodation
Options
Pietermaritzburg and surrounds is blessed with a large variety of accommodation
options to suit most if not all needs of teams and individuals. There are a
number of hotels ranging from 2 stars to 4 star grades within the city as well
as an extensive mix of Bed and Breakfast establishments and Guest Houses.
Ecco Tours are best positioned to assist riders and family members that need
accommodation for the event and the person to make contact at Ecco Tours is
Nathan Levendall and he can be contacted at nlevendall@eccotours.biz. Ecco’s
details will also be on the event website.
Accommodation venues will also be able to assist any riders and families that
would like to come to the region for an extended time period in the lead up to
the event for training in the area or who would like to stay on after the event.
Official Vehicle
Partner
The organisers are in the process of finalizing an agreement with an official
car hire partner and this arrangement will be concluded shortly and all details
of this agreement and the benefits that will apply to teams and riders will
appear on the official website when in place.
Of course, there are a number of other car hire options available to all and all
major car hire agencies operate from Durban or Johannesburg as well as
Pietermaritzburg.
Pre & Post Event
Tours
We do not lightly make the claim that South Africa is “A world in one Country” –
there are literally hundreds of experiences to be had here that cannot be done
anywhere else in the world. South Africa as a whole awaits you either before or
after the 2012 UWCT Final and the province of Kwazulu – Natal of which
Pietermaritzburg is the Capital City is especially blessed with amazing sites
and experiences throughout.
From a World Heritage site in the North in the form of the Drakensburg Mountains
a mere 2 hours’ drive from the city, to the Indian Ocean teeming with sea life
including whales, sharks and dolphins only 1 hour away in a southerly direction
to yet another World Heritage site in the form of the St Lucia Wetlands 2 hours’
drive East makes KZN a place you need to visit.
The province is also blessed with a number of then best game reserves in the
country and on the Continent with many of these having the Big 5 in their
boundaries. The majority of these reserves are within a 2 - 3 hour drive from
the City.
Ecco Tours and UCI Travel are in the process of working on pre and post tour
packages at present and the details of these will be published soon.
Visa and Passport
Arrangements
Every person seeking to enter South Africa must be in possession of a valid
passport for travel to South Africa and, where necessary, a visa. Enquiries can
be directed to South African diplomatic representatives abroad or the Department
of Home Affairs in Pretoria. Visitors who intend traveling to South Africa's
neighboring countries and back into South Africa are advised to apply for
multiple entry visas. Visas are not issued on arrival at South African ports of
entry.
VISA Requirements:
• Passport valid for no less than 30 days after the expiry of the intended
visit;
• Passports must contain at least one unused page for entry or departure
endorsements;
• Payment of the prescribed fee, if applicable;
• A vaccination certificate, if required by the Act;
• Statement and/or documentation confirming purpose and duration of visit;
• Two identity photographs (see website for details);
• Proof of financial means; and
• A return / onward ticket.
In terms of existing arrangements, passport holders of certain countries are
exempt from visa requirements. Tourists must satisfy immigration officers that
they have the means to support themselves during their stay, and that they are
in possession of return or onward air tickets. They must also have valid
international health certificates.
Further information can be found at:
http://home-affairs.gov.za
And link:
http://home-affairs.pwv.gov.za/visa_schedule.asp
For those riders that require support documentation from the organisers to make
their visa applications, this can be arranged and details as to whom enquiries
should be addressed to will be forthcoming in the following newsletter.
Routes
The organisers, in conjunction with the UCI and UWCT officials, are in the
process of finalizing the event routes for August. There are existing routes
that were utilized in the qualifying event in October 2011 which served
exceptionally well and might be utilized again, with the distances for this
event being as follows:
• Time Trial – 27km
• 90km
• 111km
• 126km
These route maps and profiles can be viewed on the Msunduzi Road Challenge
website at
www.msunduziroadchallenge.co.za under route maps.
The UWCT officials have requested that the organisers have routes of the
following distances for the 2012 UWCT Final:
• Time Trial – 20 - 25km (approximate)
• 60km
• 90km
• 111km
To this end, the organisers will present the new 60km suggested route on the
existing route areas as well as the new proposed time trial route to the UCI
representative who will be carrying out a site inspection in mid-March 2012. At
the same time, alternate routes in these distances will also be shown to the UCI
representative and a final decision on the routes for the event in August will
be made by the end of March 2012 and published soon thereafter.
Additional Events and
Activities
Although the official UWCT Final schedule will include the Time Trial and Road
Race competitions from the 23rd – 26th August 2012, the organisers also
recognize that many people will have travelled a fair distance to get to
Pietermaritzburg and are therefore in the process of finalizing arrangements for
a number of additional sporting and cultural activities around the event.
These will include a Hill Climb Time Trial event as well as a lapped road race
on a 13.5km lap course of 54km in the days leading up to the official
competition days. Full details of these events and how you may enter them will
be published within the next month.
Over and above the sporting events, there will be a Pasta Party each evening
before the road races and the event will culminate on Sunday 26th August 2012
with a Traditional South African evening which will allow all participants, fans
and family members to have a taste of South Africa and in particular Kwazulu –
Natal with foods, drinks and music and dance of the region on show.
These events are all to be staged in close proximity to the main competition
site and will allow riders to come to the area and train and prepare for the big
competitions and to enjoy the wonderful South African hospitality, but also to
be able to ride some of the very best routes and in perfect terrain in the lead
up to the UWCT Final.
Event Schedule
The full and official event schedule will be as signed off by the UCI soon but
the proposed schedule is as follows:
• Monday 20th August 2012
o 09:00 - 17:00 Event registration Area Open
o 10:00 Hill Climb Time Trial
• Tuesday 21st August 2012
o 09:00 - 17:00 Event registration Area Open
o 10:00 Mt Verde Road Race – 54km
• Wednesday 22nd August 2012
o 09:00 - 17:00 Event registration Area Open
• Thursday 23rd August 2012
o 09:00 UWCT Time Trial Competition followed by Awards Ceremony
o 18:00 Pasta Party
• Friday 24th August 2012
o REST DAY
• Saturday 25th August 2012
o 09:00 UWCT Final 60km Race
o 13:00 UWCT Final 90km Race
o 17:00 UWCT Final 60km & 90km Awards Ceremony
o 18:00 Pasta Party
• Sunday 26th August 2012
o 09:30 UWCT 111km Race followed by Awards Ceremony
o 18:00 Traditional South African Evening (Food & Music)
Entry Fees
The official UWCT Final Time Trial and Road Race entry fees will be as follows:
• Time Trial Competition – € 40.00
• Road Race Competitions - € 75.00
• Time Trial & Road Race Combined - € 100.00
The official UCI Euro / Rand exchange rate as published at the beginning of the
year and that is applied to all UCI events is € 1.00 = R 10.49.
Therefore, the official entry fees in Rands (rounded out) are as follows:
• Time Trial Competition – R 419.00
• Road Race Competitions – R 786.00
• Time Trial & Road Race Combined – R 1049.00
These prices include VAT at 14% as per South African regulations.
The entry and payment process will be outlined in more detail in the next
newsletter at the end of March but please be aware that entries will open on 1
April 2012 and will close on the 17th August 2012.
Please note that all entries will be done through the online system and no late
entries will be accepted.
What’s Next?
This newsletter is the first of a series of communications that will be sent to
all interested and affected parties over the next number of months as we make
our way towards the 2012 UWCT Final in Pietermaritzburg.
The next editions will have more information about the planning phases of the
event, where to stay and what to do while you’re here, how to get around, some
of the people involved, some places of interest to visit while you’re here,
viewing points options, VIP facilities, sponsor news and offers and a whole lot
more.
We are excited at the opportunity to welcome the amateur cycling world to
Pietermaritzburg and would ask that the event information be disseminated to all
people in your country and region that you feel may benefit from it. We will try
get the news out as far and as wide as possible, but we know that with all the
best intentions in the world, this is not always possible.
Please also feel free to ask for more information should you need it and we will
either respond individually or if we see that it is information that will
benefit a lot of people, we will include it on our website and in the following
newsletters.
The best way to make contact is via email at
uwct@realem.co.za .
Until then….
