South Africa’s premier mountain bike event, the Absa Cape Epic, is cycling its way to CPUT.

Classified as the “Tour de France” of mountain biking, riders will call CPUT’s Wellington Campus home during the second last leg of the competition.

The event, which takes place from 15 to 22 March 2015, attracts more than 1 000 of the world’s elite professional mountain bike riders who will cover 739 km over eight days.

Public Relations and Events Officer, Catherine Cloete, who is heading up the CPUT team that is involved in various aspects of the event, says the institution is looking forward to hosting such a prestigious event.

“It is a huge honour for the Wellington Campus to be one of the hosts,” says Cloete.

A total of 80 CPUT students will be involved in pitching 1 500 tents, which will make up part of the race village that will be set up on the rugby and cricket fields. Students will also take part in various other activities during the riders stay in Wellington.

Cloete says a range of marketing activities have been planned towards the run-up to the event, which includes a trolley-race and a rugby evening.

More than 200 CPUT students will also be involved in a flyover, which will see them create an image on the CPUT sports ground that will be filmed and showcased internationally.

“We are also proud that this year one of our staff members, Etienne Joubert, will compete in the event,” she says.

Cloete says CPUT is one of the proud co-sponsors of Joubert and his race partner, who are renowned mountain bike riders.

The riders will arrive at CPUT on Friday, 21 March, which marks stage five of the race. On Saturday, March 21, they will set out on a 71 km race, which will also end at the Wellington Campus.

On Sunday, 22 March, the riders will head out on the last leg of the race, a 87 km route that will take them to the finish line at the Meerendal Wine Estate in Durbanville.