A route which caters for all riders is the ultimate objective of route director Pieter van Wyk as he finalises the two stages for the Varsity MTB Challenge this month.
The two-day mountain bike race in Paarl, sponsored by First National Bank, starts on September 30 and will have cloverleaf-type stages, starting and finishing at the Nederburg wine farm.
The opening day will cover 50km with 1 500m of vertical ascent, while the second stage will be contested over 58km with 1 600m of climbing.
Participants in the two-day Varsity MTB Challenge will face some fresh challenges when the race gets under way at Nederburg in Paarl on September 30. Photo: Robert Ward
Van Wyk said that although there would be challenges for the riders, they were striving to make the route as easy as the “terrain will allow us”.
“We want to make sure that we have something that will test the students who are competing in a separate category, while also catering for average riders who do these events for fun.
“The main difference between the two days is that stage one has longer climbs. The second is up and down with more frequent, shorter uphills.”
He said the move to Nederburg as the start and finish venues had resulted in some interesting challenges for the riders.
“The start is the same as last year on stage one, but then there are some changes because they return to Nederburg instead of going all the way to La Paris.”
