Coastal finish no plain sailing for hundreds of G2C cyclists
SHORTLY before reaching the R72 between Port Alfred and Kenton-on-Sea, the expected field of more than 300 riders taking part in the Buco Grahamstown to Sea (G2C) mountain bike race this Sunday will make a sharp left turn from the gravel road onto a farm road and head for the finish at Rosehill Mall not too far away.
The fifth G2C starts at 8.30am on Sunday, the final day of the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, at the Buco warehouse in the industrial area to the west of “Festival City”.
Buco owner James Sholto-Douglas said that once again a suitably attired Basil Mills, well-known raconteur and battle re-enactment specialist, will start the race with the help of his huge Enfield gun of which the boom will resound across the Waainek plains.
Last year’s G2C attracted an entry of 385 riders from across the Eastern Cape, with most of the riders coming from Port Elizabeth and East London.
The 58km race is organised by the Albany Saints & Sinners Multi-Sport Club, and sponsored by the Grahamstown and Port Alfred branches of Buco.
Sholto-Douglas and his staff will be much in evidence at the start, along the route and at the finish, assisting the organisers and riders.
While the course sees riders descending from 643m above sea level outside Grahamstown to just 69m outside Rosehill SuperSpar, it’s certainly not downhill and plain sailing all the way.
There are some challenging hills along the rural route, plus several fast downhill sections.
The first 8km of the race see riders negotiating tar, a gravel road up and over Mountain Drive, plus tricky single track, much of it downhill.
Then it’s more tarred road – 5km of it – down and up Woesthill Pass before the field tackles what is known as the Southwell Road leading to the coast.
Once they reach the finish at Rosehill Mall, via the “back door” as it were, participants will be met by a carnival-type atmosphere, what with plenty of advertising flags and banners flapping about in the coastal breeze.
Add in some lively music provided by Cameron Smailes and his KSC Sound team from Grahamstown, race commentary by AlgoaFM’s renowned sports presenter Neil Bisseker, stalls, camera-clicking media types and a prize-giving, and you’ve got an exciting, thrill-a-minute experience!
Each finisher will receive a goodie bag containing a finisher’s medal, SuperSpar wors roll voucher, spring water and other items.
Sholto-Douglas said that Rosehill SuperSpar is donating the rolls and boerewors, and staff members will braai the wors at the finish area and hand them to each finisher upon presentation of the voucher.
The cut-off time is 1pm, giving riders four-and-a-half hours in which to complete the race.
The first rider is expected to cross the finish line at Rosehill Mall between 10.10am and 10.30am.
Registration will take place at the Buco warehouse in Grahamstown’s industrial area from 2pm to 6pm on Saturday, with an entry fee of R200.
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