![\"ccs-62657-0-28949900-1435838972.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-28949900-1435838972-1.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nThe new three-day Bestmed Jock Tour will test South Africa\u2019s top road teams with a 299km route through Mpumalanga from July 17 to 19. Photo: Jetline Action Photo<\/span><\/p>\n According to organiser Wynand de Villiers of ASG Events, the new CSA-sanctioned tour will be an honest and exciting test of SA\u2019s best.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the only event in which these riders will really be tested according to the standards set by Europe\u2019s leading tours.<\/p>\n \u201cThere will be nowhere to hide and the strongest rider will win the tour, full stop.\u201d<\/p>\n Unlike the classic European Alpine stage races however, De Villiers said the Jock would present a continuous climbing challenge, with a total ascent of 7 200m.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are very few flat sections, which you would find quite a bit of on the European valley floors between the mountains. Here, even between the big mountain passes, the Jock is still up and down.\u201d<\/p>\n While some commentators had compared it to the now defunct Hansom Tour, he said it would be of shorter duration but much tougher.<\/p>\n \u201cFor us, this is a way to provide more competitive racing platforms to help prepare our best local riders for the international circuit.<\/p>\n \u201cWe believe road racing is back and stronger than ever and we would like to keep doing our bit to fuel the fire,\u201d said De Villiers.<\/p>\n He said the tour would not be limited to the pro field but was also open to serious amateur cyclists who could handle the physical challenge.<\/p>\n \u201cIt really is a tough ask of these riders and we would like to assist them in the best way possible to get to the finish line every day. The final stage, in particular, is going to be a war of attrition.\u201d<\/p>\n A prize purse of R100 000 will be up for grabs across all categories.<\/p>\n \u201cWe believe in rewarding the top end of the field for their efforts just as much as we believe in providing real value to the amateurs in the event,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n De Villiers said both the Classique and Tour would count towards the road component of the new Bestmed National Cycling Series.<\/p>\n The Classique will cater for 900 riders, while the field for the Tour will be capped at 300. Limited spots are still available for both.<\/p>\n For more information, visit www.thejock.co.za<\/a>. Alternatively, find Jock Cycle Classique on Facebook or follow @jockcycle<\/a>.<\/p>\n Bestmed Jock Cycle Classique (July 18)<\/strong><\/p>\n Stage 1: Nelspruit \u2013 White River (44km)<\/p>\n Stage 2: White River \u2013 Sabie, via Spitskop (45km)<\/p>\n Stage 3: Sabie \u2013 Nelspruit via Long Tom Pass (63km)<\/p>\n Bestmed Jock Tour (July 17-19)<\/strong><\/p>\n Stage 1: Nelspruit \u2013 Kaapsehoop (27km time-trial)<\/p>\n Stage 2: Nelspruit \u2013 Sabie \u2013 White River \u2013 Nelspruit (140km)<\/p>\n Stage 3: Nelspruit \u2013 Kaapmuiden \u2013 Barberton \u2013 Nelspruit (132km)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A new chapter in the history of South Africa\u2019s oldest and toughest stage race, the Bestmed Jock Cycle Classique, is about to unfold with the addition of a new three-day road tour through Mpumalanga from July 17. The traditional 154km one-day classic will still take place from Nelspruit (Mbombela) to White River, Sabie and back […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":56956,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[3811,3859],"featured_location":[],"class_list":["post-19739","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","tag-bestmed-jock-cycle-classique","tag-jock-cycle-classique"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19739","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19739"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19739\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56956"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19739"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19739"},{"taxonomy":"featured_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured_location?post=19739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}