Veteran mountain biker Bennie Pearson is approaching Sunday’s feature race at the Bestmed Sondela MTB Classic with a sense of excitement following the revamping of the route.
The feature race at the Bestmed Sondela MTB Classic has a revamped route. Photo: Supplied
The weekend cycling festival near Bela-Bela in Limpopo, also known as the Bushveld’s Big MTB Bash, includes races on both days, but all eyes will be on the competitors in Sunday’s 60km event.
To put them to the test, race director Mel Meyer and his team have designed new trails. These will take riders out of the Sondela Game Reserve through adjacent properties.
Pearson, who is from Centurion and has done the race multiple times, said he thought the decision was a brilliant one.
“I think the new route they have created will add a great deal of diversity.
“There will be technical riding and bits of climbing as well as some Bushveld sand, so I’m looking forward to it.”
Pearson said he anticipated tough competition.
The diversity of the trails exemplifies the philosophy of the event, with various race distances catering for cyclists of all levels.
Saturday features 40km and 20km options, while junior riders can enter the 5km ride or 500m dash.
The organisers have also introduced a relay race, which they feel will add a different dimension.
“We will be doing it in exactly the same way you run a 4x100m relay race,” said Meyer.
“Teams of four will tackle a 5km route. The first group will take off and hand over to their second rider in a transition area, and so on.
“It’s a high impact concept designed to create maximum fun.”
Meyer said 1 500 riders would be lining up across the various race options.
