The route for the Cape Pioneer Trek will reintroduce the mountain-top finish on the Swartberg pass when the event kicks off on October 15.
After excluding the pass last year, the organisers have returned to the iconic mountain, which rises 1 000m in 11km.
“We wanted to change the rhythm of the race a bit this year, by taking out a prologue, ” said Henco Rademeyer of Dryland Event Management.
“We’ll have three tough stages to start, a short time-trail stage, which many can use for recovery and then three tough stages to finish with.
“We’re excited to reintroduce the Swartberg Pass stage with a mountain-top finish. It’s an iconic feature and one of the reasons the race has built up such a ‘must-do’ reputation.”
The Cape Pioneer Trek will return to the iconic climb up the Swartberg Pass, with a mountain-top finish on stage five. Photo: www.zcmc.co.za
Rademeyer added that they would ensure that there was a substantial prize for the first men’s and women’s teams to the summit.
In total the race will cover 572km (72km longer than last year) and will include 10 650m of climbing (1 030m more than last year).
Unlike the last few years, there will be no prologue time-trial. Instead, there will be two stages in the Mossel Bay coastal region then a transition stage to George.
That is followed by a short stage four time trial before the race heads further into the Karoo with the return to the Swartberg Pass before finishing in Oudtshoorn.
