Bmx 10 - Newsletter 1

Newsletter Number 1 Dear all

Herewith the first of what will be a regular feature of event related newsletters in the coming weeks and months as we get closer to the 2010 UCI BMX World Championships that will be staged in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. We will attempt to give you as much helpful information as possible allied to the event and all the related structures leading up to the event, and we look forward to welcoming all National Federations and individual riders to Pietermaritzburg and as the organizers, we will work as hard as we possibly can to ensure that all of the conditions are the very best that they can be to ensure that your experience in our country is a positive one. I wish you luck in your preparation for the event here in South Africa and we look forward to interacting with you over the next while. My organizing team and I will do all that we can to assist you with your planned trip to our fantastic country and should there be any queries, please feel free to make contact with us. All the very best Alec Lenferna Event Director

The Host City Pietermaritzburg is the capital city of Kwazulu – Natal, one of nine provinces in the country, and is situated on the east coast of the country, 85km from the coastal city of Durban, the largest and busiest harbour in the Southern Hemisphere. Today’s Pietermaritzburg is a vibrant, busy city ready to embrace the future, but still retains links to the historical past that has seen some of the most important aspects of South African history unfold on its doorstep. Kwazulu – Natal has a long and proud cultural heritage and is the birthplace and home of the Zulu Nation and is blessed with outstanding natural beauty and cultural diversity. The region has two World Heritage sites within easy driving distance of Pietermaritzburg and for more information on the region of Kwazulu – Natal, go to the Tourism KZN website at www.zulu.org.za. The city is blessed with great weather, especially in the summer months, when it is hot but without the humidity of the coast. The 2010 UCI BMX World Championships will be staged during the winter months in the region which should ensure that there will be no rain to interrupt proceedings as KZN and the majority of the country enjoys summer rainfall. The temperature can be cool in the evenings and nights, but are traditionally around the 20 – 25 Degree Celsius range during the day. For more information on Pietermaritzburg and all that it has to offer, please go to www.pmbtourism.co.za.

The Event Venue The 2010 UCI BMX World Championships will be staged at the Royal Show Grounds which is in the heart of Pietermaritzburg. The Royal Show Grounds plays host to the largest agricultural show in the Southern Hemisphere each year and the abundant space and excellent facilities will ensure that the event be able to be of the highest standards. The new design track will be built in the main arena at the Royal Show Grounds which is surrounded by permanent seating stands that will be supplemented by temporary stands and the venue also allows for the various National Federations to have their own buildings within the area that they will be able t utilize as a headquarters during the event.

South Africa – The Host Nation A sense of pride in what we have achieved in our country in its short democratic history after its tumultuous past is evident in all South African do on the international stage. Since April 1995 when all people in the country could cast their vote for the first time, South Africa has made immense leaps and strides both internally and internationally. The country on the tip of Africa is the political and economic powerhouse of the Continent and has played host to a number of large international sporting events amongst the largest being the IRB Rugby and ICC Cricket World Cups and the country will also play host to the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup, the largest sports event on the planet, from 11th June – 11th July 2010

Although we are justifiably proud of the eventing capacity and capabilities evident in the country, we are also proud of what our country has to offer all visitors that grace our shores. Friendly people, sea, mountains, wildlife, cultural experiences, wide open spaces and masses of sky all make a visit to the country a memorable one. For more information on what you can see and do whilst here in South Africa, please check out www.southafrica.net.

The Organisers The 2010 UCI BMX World Championships will be staged by Real Events Management in conjunction with Cycling South Africa. The organizing team is headed up by Alec Lenferna who has staged major events for the past 15 years and has previously been responsible for the following cycling events in South Africa:      

Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour (35 000 participants) 2007 UCI B World Championships (Cape Town) 2008 UCI Junior World Championships (Cape Town) Worlds View Challenge (5 x UCI 1.1 Road Races – Pietermaritzburg) 2009 Nissan UCI MTB World Cup Pietermaritzburg 2009 UCI BMX “Supercross” World Cup Pietermaritzburg

Apart from the team from Real Events Management, the dedicated people from Cycling South Africa and BMX SA will ensure that all technical elements of the event will be taken care of. The other linked entities ensuring that the 2010 UCI BMX World Championships will be an event to be proud of are:  Msunduzi Municipality (City of Pietermaritzburg)  Pietermaritzburg Tourism  Tourism Kwazulu – Natal  Kwazulu – Natal Provincial Government  SA Tourism  Department of Sport & Recreation

Event Website The official event website will be ready and online by the end of October 2009. For more comprehensive information about the event and the linked entities, please make a note of the official event website address - www.bmxworldchampspmb.co.za.

Accommodation Options Pietermaritzburg and surrounds is blessed with a large variety of accommodation options to suit most if not all needs of teams and individuals. There are a number of hotels ranging from 2 star to 4 star grades within the city as well as an extensive mix of Bed and Breakfast establishments and Guest Houses.

All official accommodation assistance for teams and individuals as well as family members will be handled by Ecco Tours and the contact person is Ernest Pachonick. Ecco Tours has devised a comprehensive website allied to the various accommodation and travel elements for the event that can be accessed at http://bmx.eccosports.biz. Additional contact details are as follows: E-mail: [email protected] Tel: (+27) 21 683 0069 Fax: (+27) 86 683 2097 Although there are numerous accommodation options available in and around the city, we have taken care to ensure that those that have been selected by the organizers and Ecco Tours meet certain stringent criteria of facilities, service and price. It is strongly suggested that all interested parties let Ernest and the team at Ecco Tours know what your requirements will entail and they will be able to provide the best suggested options to you. They will also be able to assist any teams and individuals that would like to come to the region for an extended time period in the lead up to or after the event.

Dates and Event Schedule The competition dates for the 2010 event are 29th July – 1st August 2010. Although subject to final ratification by the UCI, the proposed event schedule and associated activities is as follows: Monday 26 July Accreditation Centre Open UCI BMX Convention Tuesday 27 July Accreditation Centre Open Official Practice Programme Wednesday 28 July Accreditation Centre Open Official Practice Programme Opening Ceremony & Pasta Party Thursday 29 July Accreditation Centre Open Official Competition Programme Friday 30 July Accreditation Centre Open Official Competition Programme Saturday 31 July Accreditation Centre Open Official Competition Programme Traditional South African Evening

Sunday 1 August Accreditation Centre Open Official Competition Programme Closing Party

2009 UCI BMX “Supercross” World Cup The 2010 UCI BMX World Championships will be the second major international BMX event that will be staged in the city as a leg of the 2009 UCI Supercross World Cup presented by Swatch was staged in the cattle arena at the Royal Show Grounds on the 21st & 22nd August 2009. Not only was the event a spectacle in itself with some excellent riding and racing, but it also provided all the participants and national federation representatives a small taste of what is to come next year. Although the organizers received many congratulatory comments from the teams and riders that were at the event, the 2009 event is nothing to what 2010 promises to be with the track being built in the main arena at the venue and all the infrastructure that will be available. The track and the overall event structure used in August is shown in this aerial shot below.

The Elan Group and Blythdale Resort were the main sponsors of the event and the Blythdale Resort development is another great example of what Kwazulu – Natal and South Africa has to offer with the sea and the sand, the forests and golfing options all making up the resort development. For more information on The Elan Group and the Blythedale Coastal Resort, please visit www.elan.co.za and www.blythedale.co.za.

What’s Next? This newsletter is the first of a series of communications that will be sent to all interested and affected parties over the next number of months as we make our way towards the 2010 UCI BMX World Championships in Pietermaritzburg. The next editions will have more information about the planning phases of the event, where to stay and what to do while you’re here, how to get around, some of the people involved, some places of interest to visit while you’re here, entry fees and guaranteed seating and viewing points options, VIP facilities, sponsor news and offers and a whole lot more. We are excited at the opportunity to welcome the BMX world to Pietermaritzburg next year and would ask that the event information be disseminated to all people in your country and region that you feel may benefit from it. We will try and ensure that the right people at the national federations receive the news, but we know that with all the best intentions in the world, all the correct information does not always get out there. Please also feel free to ask for more information should you need it and we will either respond individually or if we see that it is information that will benefit a lot of people, we will include it on our website and in the following newsletters. All the relevant contact details and email addresses will be in the next newsletter at the end of October 2009. Until then….