History and aims of the Cycle Classic

THE Windhoek Rotary Club and Windhoek Pedal Power (WPP) organise The Namibian Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Classic each year.

In 1999, Rotarian David Chase decided the Windhoek Rotary Club should try organising a fun cycle event in Windhoek similar to the Cape Argus Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Tour in Cape Town, South Africa. The Rotary Club of Claremont and Western Province Pedal Power organise this event. The main reason for Rotary to organise such an event is to raise funds for community projects. The second reason, and probably just as important, is to offer the community of Windhoek and Namibia a major cycling event where people from all the different communities can get together and have a fun day. Rotary has put a lot of effort into involving the total community. Rotary visits many schools in and around Windhoek and each year offers each school 10 free entries and if necessary, schools receive more than ten free entries. This offer by Rotary and WPP is extended to schools outside Windhoek through the Ministry of Basic Education. Windhoek Pedal Power each year organises transport and accommodation in Windhoek for the Tangeni Cycle Club from Oshakati to take part in the Cycle Classic. The event is a pre-qualifying event for the Argus Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Tour in Cape Town – the only pre-qualifying event outside South Africa. A pre-qualifier means that the cyclists who complete the Cycle Classic in a certain time receive a seeding in the Argus Cycle Tour. If a cyclist enters the Argus Cycle Tour, he or she is not seeded, which means they start according to when their entry was received.