The Independent on Saturday

Amashova race picks up from Comrades

- DUNCAN GUY duncan.guy@inl.co.za

LIKE takkies did before them, bicycle wheels will follow much of the Comrades route to mark the post-Covid revival of the Amashova cycle race, in a month’s time.

“Five thousand entries would be wonderful,” race owner Annie Batchelder told The Independen­t on Saturday, adding that the event will be open to entries for the October 23 event right up until registrati­on time, at Suncoast.

She was speaking at the George Cato Primary School in Cato Ridge, start of the 65km race, shorter than the Pietermari­tzburg to Durban event and longer than the 35km family special, starting at Hillcrest.

With her was Robbie the Robot, a comical character who helped with the handover of the school’s refurbishe­d road safety bike park, along with sponsors and various kings of the road: the eThekwini Transport Authority, Metro Police; the national and provincial department­s of transport and Msunduzi Municipali­ty.

Also at the event was cycling’s radio DJ Mzokoloko, from the Vuma FM Breakfast Show. Now nearly 43, Mzokhona Gumede responded to a challenge from colleagues to take up the sport and enter the first post-Covid Amashova.

“My colleagues challenged me to learn how to ride a bicycle and, let me tell you, I have completed only two lessons now and I am feeling great.

“I had to learn how to balance my body but on my second day I was already riding.”

Gumede said he was looking forward to being able to join his three children cycling. After initially fearing that he could fall over, leading to days without earning an income, he now feels cycling is something he’ll do for the rest of his life. “I grew up on a farm near Gingindlov­u. My family was always farming so there was no time to play. We would wake up, look after cattle and cut sugar cane.”

Gumede will be entering the 35km race.

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