2024 Champion and 2026 favourite Josh Rheeders (blue shirt) and 2025 winner Travis Stedman battle for superiority in the 2025 aQuellé Tour Durban in association with Cycle Lab.
Image: Tour Durban/Gameplan Media
Top riders will be at the starting line at Tour Durban when thousands of cyclists are set to take over the city’s streets on Sunday for one of the region’s most anticipated road races.
The annual aQuellé Tour Durban, in association with Cycle Lab, has once again drawn strong interest from the KwaZulu-Natal cycling community, with entries continuing to pour in.
A number of the country’s top riders are also set to compete, boosting the race’s national profile following the introduction of a refreshed event format.
In a significant development, Cycling South Africa has lent its support to a national team championship for the first time.
While the title remains unofficial, the CSA National Inter-Club Challenge, held alongside the headline aQuellé Invitational Race, offers substantial bragging rights for competing teams.
Defending 2024 champion and 2025 runner-up Josh Rheeders is widely tipped as the rider to beat. Rheeders narrowly missed out on victory last year, and with 2025 winner Travis Stedman the only top-five finisher yet to confirm entry, another closely contested race is expected.
Among those likely to challenge for top honours are Scott Blount, 2025 South African champion Daniyal Matthews, and rising KwaZulu-Natal talent David Shelly. Matthews’ Tshenolo Pro Cycling teammate, Rodney Masemola, could also feature prominently.
Team Siata enters as a strong contender for the team title, fielding a youthful squad that includes Nyakallo Sekhethela, Muhammad Fortune, Ntsako Sarila, ZamaJibhela Mazibuko and eSwatini junior national champion Sivuyile Gulwako.
However, several local KwaZulu-Natal cycling clubs are reportedly aiming to upset the professional outfits. Team standings will be determined by the combined results of the top three riders from each nominated five-member team.
The 2026 edition introduces a new race-day format. Proceedings begin at 6am with the final of the KZN Cycling Schools Road Series, followed by the Recreational Ride at 6.30am. That segment concludes at 10.30am, after which the aQuellé Invitational Race and CSA National Inter-Club Challenge will take place, offering a more spectator-friendly lap-based format for elite competition.
The opening events will follow a predominantly 42km lap route along the M4, Ruth First Highway and Leo Boyd Highway, stretching between Moses Mabhida Stadium and Umdloti, with additional loops through Sandile Thusi Road and Mashabalala Yengwa Avenue to Durban Country Club.
The 100km Invitational Race and Inter-Club Challenge will start at Moses Mabhida Stadium, proceeding along the M4 to the M41 and Ridgeside Drive for two 26km laps, before concluding with four shorter 12km laps between Moses Mabhida and Swapo Road.
Race registration will be held at Cycle Lab in Cornubia Mall on Friday and Saturday, with organisers confirming that no late entries will be accepted on race day.