Amashova National Classic, live.

Durban's road classic from the Comrades start

The Amashova National Classic is the oldest classic cycle race in South Africa, a closed road ride from Pietermaritzburg down to Durban that grew from the idea of a bike race on the route of the Comrades Marathon.

The next race is on Sunday 8 August 2027. The first edition, in 1986, was allowed only 150 riders. The name Amashovashova is a Zulu word for the pedalling or shoving motion, with ama meaning everybody doing it together, and many riders simply call it the Shova.

There are three distances, all on fully closed roads and all finishing on Masabalala Yengwa Avenue in Durban. The 106 km starts at 7.30am outside Pietermaritzburg City Hall under the Comrades gantry and climbs Alexander Road up Fox Hill early on. The 70 km starts at 6.15am at Camperdown Spar, and the 40 km starts at 6.30am at Westown Square in Shongweni.

After Cato Ridge and Harrisons Flats the route passes the Comrades Marathon Wall of Honour and Kearsney College, then drops fast down Botha's Hill into Hillcrest before taking the M13 towards Durban. The 106 and 70 km are timed and the 40 km is not. Every rider needs a cycling licence or a day licence, the minimum ages are 14, 12 and 10 for the 106, 70 and 40 km, and tandems and e-bikes have their own batches.

Number collection and the expo are at the Elangeni Hotel in Durban on the Friday and Saturday before the race, with a numbers only collection point in Pietermaritzburg on the Saturday evening. Cut-off points are at Inchanga Caravan Park at noon, Botha's Hill Butchery at 1pm, Shongweni Road near the M13 at 2pm and the 45th Cutting at 2.30pm.

On Livebib you can follow a cyclist who chooses to share their own live position from the phone they carry. This is not the organiser's timing, and the official results come from the organiser.