Ariane Lüthi will go back to the basics of mountain biking at the Origin of Trails, which kicks off in Stellenbosch tomorrow.
Lüthi, who won the Cape Pioneer Trek with Amy McDougall last month, said she would use the two-day event to just enjoy herself on the bike while getting into shape for next year.
Having completed every edition of the race since its inception in 2013, the 32-year-old Team Spur rider said she would be looking to enjoy the Western Cape trails while building on her base miles for next season.
Ariane Lüthi will once again line up for the Origin of Trails this weekend as part of her training for the 2018 season. Photo: Tobias Ginsberg
Although beautiful terrain, she warned that the first stage over 55km with 1 530m of vertical ascent in Jonkershoek was by no means easy.
“There is definitely some climbing – Stellenbosch isn’t flat. It isn’t crazy steep but you definitely have to go up before you can have fun coming down,” said the five-time Cape Epic winner.
Other areas set to feature on the day include Bennet’s Trail, the Fire Hut single-track, an ascent up Lower Canary, the gardens of Ride In, Coetzenburg, Eden, Mont Marie, G-Spot and the brand new cross-country course for next year’s World Cup.
Lüthi said she looked forward to the “world famous” G-Spot.
“It has a lot of amazing jumps and big burns, which really are a lot of fun if one dares to play with the bike a bit.”
Day two – 58km with 1 570m of climbing – starts with a climb into Eden, before re-entering Coetzenburg. After crossing the Eerste River, riders will enter Botmaskop before hitting Skyfall at 40km.
“There will be some slightly steep climbs to get into the other valley, but it’s definitely worth it.
“Skyfall is a beautiful track; it’s a highlight of this race. It’s super smooth and flowy, but there is a bit of work to get there.”
Lüthi warned not to get too caught up in the fun as it would require some good legs to get to the finish.
“Banhoek Valley has a fair bit of up and down; it’s tricky work, so it’s definitely quite a tiring route.
“Once in the valley there’s still some work to do. I would definitely say day two is the tougher of the stages, so definitely save something for that.”
She added it was important to maintain a comfortable pace over the two days and remember the basics of nutrition.
“With mountain biking you really have to work your way to the finish, you can’t just freewheel.
“Even if the profile looks not too crazy, you have to work in the trails so always save some breath and energy for the technical parts because they take a lot out of you.”
Former national rider Renay Groustra will make his Origin of Trails debut in Stellenbosch on Saturday. Read his story here.
