Situated on the river, the picturesque Knysna Yacht Club will provide a welcoming new start and finish venue when the Garden Route 300 mountain bike race gets under way next month.
Race director Patric Mosterd said the event, which takes place on a selection of forest trails from April 28 to 30, had chosen venues for the three stages which they felt would enhance the riders’ experience.
Besides day one, he said the stage venues for the event would make the situation much safer for the riders as they were mainly sited in or near the forest trails.
Apart from hosting the opening stage, the yacht club will also be the hub of operations building up to the race.
Organisers of the Garden Route 300 mountain bike race have settled on a choice selection of venues for this year’s event, which starts in Knysna on April 28. Photo: Julie Ann Photography
Participants will be able to collect their numbers and goodie bags from 4pm to 9pm at the venue on April 27, while supper will be available from 6pm.
Mosterd said the location of the yacht club, which is close to the Waterfront, meant there were a wide variety of entertainment options for the riders.
The second stage will take place in the Garden Route Trail Park, with the start and finish on an adjacent dairy farm. Showers and lunch will be available at the venue for all competitors.
The luxurious Simola Golf Estate, with spectacular views over Knysna, will host the final lunch and prize-giving.
“This is a five-star venue is on the doorstep of the final day’s uphill finish, with the stage starting and ending at the estate’s entrance.
“Each venue has plenty of parking, but participants are encouraged to ride their bikes to the starts of day one and day three.”
Mosterd said they had introduced a number of initiatives to ensure the quality of the event and he asked starters to download the GPX files to their navigation devices to assist them on the route.
