![\"ccs-62657-0-75398500-1453708014.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-75398500-1453708014.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Riders in this year\u2019s Rudy Project Berge en Dale Classic, presented by Optimum Financial Services, will enjoy a safer run-in to the finish. Photo: Supplied<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cRiders will take a detour off Beyers Naude after Valverde Country Hotel to access Muldersdrift from the opposite side via the Cradle road past Kloofzicht Lodge.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis means riders will access the R28 at the same spot as in previous editions, but from a different side.\u201d<\/p>\n
Herbst said that he was excited about the change to the race, which is presented by Optimum Financial Services, as it had been on the cards for a couple of years.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter speaking to the Department of Roads and Public Works, they assured us that the repairs on the M14 will be completed well before the event and that we can finish in the same place we do every year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Herbst said Berge en Dale attracted between four and five thousand riders annually and that \u201cone can never be too safe\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cSafety arrangements around the race are quite substantial,\u201d he said, but warned riders not be complacent and to stay on their toes during the event.<\/p>\n
Apart from the racing, Herbst said that the venue at Cradlestone Mall lent itself to entertainment for the whole family, including live performances.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey will be hosting us again this year and, as usual, all the shops and restaurants are on board.\u201d<\/p>\n
An innovation is the first leg of the new ProTouch Cycling Club Criterium Series, which will be held alongside this year\u2019s event at Silverstar Casino.<\/p>\n
\u201cBerge en Dale has become an institution on the cycling calendar over the past 16 years,\u201d said Herbst.<\/p>\n
\u201cGuys come out year after year for the challenge and our duty is to try and evolve the race. The criterium will definitely add an extra dimension to it.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the feedback from the cycling community had been extremely positive after the initial announcement a few weeks ago.<\/p>\n
Herbst said even though Berge en Dale was high on the agenda of the country\u2019s top professionals, they made an effort to accommodate social riders.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom a social rider\u2019s perspective, it is the beginning of the season and we try to create a good atmosphere for them \u2013 a day that they will remember.\u201d<\/p>\n
The event, which includes the 102km feature race and shorter 55km option, takes place on February 6.<\/p>\n