WINELANDS CYCLE TOUR 2025 MEDIA KIT
Index
- Introduction
- Drakenstein host city
- How it all started
- Where the money goes
- 102 km race
- 52 km race
- Media contacts
WINELANDS CYCLE RACE: AN INTRODUCTION
The rural town of Wellington, situated in the Drakenstein Municipality in the Cape Winelands, is the base for the annual Winelands cycle race. Cyclists cycle 102 km from Wellington to Riebeek-Kasteel and back, through scenic vineyards and wheatfields. The short race of 52 km takes riders to Paardeberg and back to Wellington. It is suitable for new cyclists and junior cyclists who are a little daunted by the distance of the main event. The event combines breath-taking scenery with camaraderie making it a highlight on the cycling calendar. The race is organised by Paarl Rotary in cooperation with the Cape Town Cycle Tour (CTCT) and the Pedal Power Association (PPA). It will be staged on Sunday 26 January 2025 and is a seeding race for the CTCT.
DRAKENSTEIN: HOST CITY
The Drakenstein Municipality incorporates the twin towns of Paarl and Wellington, two of the oldest towns in the country. They boast a unique blend of natural beauty and rural charm combined with wine destinations. The area is well-known for its majestic mountains and vineyard vistas, providing scenic backdrops for activities like mountain-biking and golf.
HOW IT ALL STARTED
Back in 1993 the Rotary Club of Paarl launched the Paarl Cycle Race as a fundraiser for the club. The race soon grew and became a popular event on the cycling calendar. Gradually, as rural roads around Paarl got busier, traffic arrangements for the safety of the cyclists got more complicated. In 2021 it was decided that the race should start at Huguenot Primary in Wellington to make access to rural roads easier and the event was renamed the Winelands Cycle Race. The race is now one of the biggest in the Western Cape, drawing 1700 cyclists annually. Most of the marshals are Rotarians from Paarl Rotary and its sister clubs.
WHERE THE MONEY GOES
The successful annual staging of the Winelands Cycle Race is a source of income for the Paarl Rotary Club, which applies the proceeds to social upliftment projects to improve lives in the Drakenstein community. Over the last five years nearly R2 million has been distributed among local charities from the funds raised.
WINELANDS CYCLE RACE: REGISTRATION
Entries for the race are accessible through the website www.winelandscyclerace.co.za. Online registration, timing and seeding is by CTCT’s Finish Time. Online entries are accepted until 17:00 on the Monday before the race. Late entries are accepted until the morning of the race. Race numbers can be collected at one of three points: Bicycle Garage at Frater Square, 40 Main Street in Paarl (Friday 14:00 to 17:00); the CTCT office in Avenue de Mist, Rondebosch (Saturday 09:00-11:30); Chris Willemse Cycles in Willowbridge, Durbanville (Saturday 13:00-16:00).
102 KM WINELANDS CYCLE RACE
The 33rd Winelands Cycle Race will be held on Sunday 26 January 2025 featuring the iconic 102 km route as well as a shorter 52 km route.
Primarily the Cycle Race provides a glorious day out in the countryside for cyclists who get the opportunity to cycle safely on scenic rural roads.
Starting at the Huguenot Primary school, riders will travel through Wellington and onto the Old Hermon Road where they will turn right onto the R44 at the Old Tannery towards Hermon. After turning off the R44 onto the R46, the route will pass Hermon and Riebeek Kasteel to climb over Bothmanskloof Pass, followed by a long downhill to meet the R45 where they will turn left towards Paarl. The route turns right onto Slent (Voor Paardeberg) road to meet Vryguns where it turns left towards Windmeul on the R44. A left turn onto the R44 takes riders back to Wellington, passing through the traffic lights at the R44/R45 interchange. After crossing the Berg River, riders will continue on Champagne Street to the cemetery before turning left onto Piet Retief, where they will after 600m cross the finish line in Piet Retief. A neutral zone takes the riders back to the start area at the Huguenot Primary School where medals and refreshments are available. There will also be a lucky draw prize-giving.
52 KM WINELANDS CYCLE RACE
The 52 km Winelands Cycle Race is the short and sweet version of the long race, providing a platform for new cyclists, juniors cyclists and those a little daunted by the distance of the main event to experience the joy of cycling on rural roads.
The short route will follow the long route to the R44, where it splits and turns left, crossing over the Wellington Main Road traffic lights and turns right at second set of traffic lights onto the Lady Loch road. After crossing the Lady Loch Bridge, riders turn right towards the R45. At the R45, a right turn will take riders out towards Malmesbury. The short route will meet and merge with the long route at Slent (Voor Paardeberg) road where they will turn left, thereafter following the same route as the 102km route via Vryguns and Windmeul and back to Wellington, finishing in Piet Retief. A neutral zone takes the riders back to the start area at the Huguenot Primary School where medals and refreshments are available. There will be a lucky draw prize-giving.
EVENT GUIDE
All the details of the 2025 Winelands Cycle Race can be found here.
Thank you for your interest in the 2025 Winelands Cycle Race.
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