Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
A feast of events to keep mountain-bikers happy
There is a monster 149km ride starting at the Houw Hoek Inn ...
THE number of mountain bike races in the Western Cape in the next 30 days is testimony to the incredible growth of the sport. No fewer than 20 events are taking place, excluding the Joberg2c that features Cape Town riders riding through KwaZulu Natal on Day 8 today.
This weekend, check out the Walkerbay Urban Xtreme, a unique 800 metre urban circuit with Northshore- style technical obstacles. A number of elimination rounds culminate in the finale tomorrow.
The Nissan Trailseeker takes place at Saronsberg Cellars, Tulbagh, today, while the Trans Outeniqua 3 Mountains 5 Day MTB Tour starts on Monday at Pine Creek Caravan Park in Great Brak River.
Next weekend 6 May, four events take place. The TruCape MTB rides from Grabouw Country Club over three distances: 50 km, 25 km and 10 km. The Gravel & Grape MTB, which now features a three-day Extreme and two-day Adventure, takes place at Goudini Spa, Rawsonville along the trails of the Breedekloof Wine Valley.
The Houw Hoek MTB Tour rides out from Houw Hoek Inn, Elgin to Hermanuspietersfontein Winery – a monster 149 km ride features on Day 1 and an easier 48km route on Day 2. The Tour de Farm 2017 takes place at 4 Brothers Aartappelstoor in George, and offers four distances: 69km, 40km, 23km and 11km.
Over the weekend of May 13- 14, the momentum continues with four events. The Red Stone MTB and Trail Running Weekend features night rides, trail runs and MTB rides at Buffelskloof in Calitzdorp.
The Rhodes Gravel Travel presented by Olympic takes place at Doolhof Wine Estate, Wellington (50km, 25km, and 10km trail run); multi-discipline Xhiliraces at Oak Valley Trails, Elgin (profit divided equally between Kibwe Kids and Prochorus Community Development) and the Dirtopia All Mountain Enduro at the Dirtopia Trail Centre, Delvera Farm near Stellenbosch.
On 20-21 May, there are four events: Willow Creek MTB at Willow Creek Estate, Nuy Valley, Worcester (10km, 30km, and 60km); Amarider 100 and 50 Miler at Malmesbury Showgrounds; Bestmed Paarl MTB Classic at Rhebokskloof Wine Estate in Paarl (60km and 30km); and Race #3 of the WP DH Series also in Paarl, at Cascade Country Manor.
The month climaxes with no less than five events over 26-27 May. The Western Cape MTB XCO Champs take place at Bloemendal, Durbanville, and Montagu Mountain Mania runs from Avalon Springs Hotel, Montagu with three routes: a 30km, 55km and 80km.
The fourth Darling Brew Extreme starts and finishes at Darling Brewery, with four routes: 75km, 45km, 30km and 15km. Cascade Country Manor in Paarl hosts Race #2 in the SA downhill series, while the Meiringspoort MTB Challenge at NG Kerk in De Rust (60.5km and 31km) rounds off a busy calendar.
Go to www.bicycling.co.za for details and information on how to enter. Good news for our young surfers after Sea Harvest announced a R250 000 sponsorship deal for youth development before the Olympics in 2020. Supersport will be broadcasting the first three City Surf Series events, that were dominated by Michael February ( two wins and a second). The remaining two are the inaugural Volkswagen SA Open of Surfing in Durban June 14-18 and the Jordy Smith Cape Town Surf Pro from June 23 to 25. The South African Longboarding Championships have been taking place in shocking conditions in Durban, with strong NE onshores blowing every day since the event began earlier this week. South Africa’s top male and female longboarders from junior level all the way through to ‘ballie’ level are competing. Jordy Smith is not the only professional to sponsor a surf event. Now Kelly Slater is in on the act. The 11-time world champion’s company Outerknown will be sponsoring the Fiji Pro, at the end of May. Outerknown is a “coastal- minded clothing brand that explores the connections between style and sustainability”, whatever that means. A hot day forecast for today with berg wind NE breezes and a slight push to 4’ on the west coast, with Muizenberg clean 2’ or slightly sideshore. Tomorrow, a moderate N goes NW in rain showers and small 3’ surf. Muizenberg looks fun in clean, offshore but small 1’ surf.