With defending champion Urs Huber missing from the 2015 Attakwas line-up, fellow international mountain bike stars Christoph Sauser and Stefan Sahm will start as favourites on Saturday.
The local challenge is set to come from Lourens Luus – runner-up in 2013 – and Erik Kleinhans.
“Every year the Attakwas is a bit of an unknown adventure,” said Sahm. “It’s a hard and long race.”
“I am well prepared, but it is also the first test of my shape. I don’t know in what condition the rest of the field is so I will just go full gas.”
Ariane Kleinhans is the favourite to win the women’s race with Robyn de Groot, Jennie Stenerhag, Mariske Strauss and Ischen Stopforth her main rivals.
The route has remained unchanged since 2011, with the toughest section between waterpoints two and three, according to event organiser Henco Rademeyer from Dryland.
The Attakwas, one of the most iconic mountain bike races in South Africa, starts at Chandelier Game Farm outside Oudtshoorn and culminates on the coast at Groot Brak.
Go to Attakwas for results and photos.
