The Corporate Mountain Bike League will have its first experimental race on 20 November 2010 in Grabouw. This race is free and will serve as proof of concept for the 2011 League. A small field of riders (see team list and handicaps) have been individually selected and invited to participate. If you have not been invited but are interested, please contact us.
The details of the race are as follows:
- Venue: Oude Molen Distillery, Grabouw (directions to venue)
- Date: Saturday 20 November
- Start Time: 8h30
- Distance: approx 45km
- Race format: 2 Person teams (men, mixed and ladies)
- Prizes: 1st, 2nd & 3rd (based on handicap)
Drinks and lunch snacks will be provided to participants.
Prizes
The first 3 podium positions will be rewarded as follows (based on the adjusted ride time (ART) that results from the handicap calculation):
1st Prize: The winning team will win a week-end away and stay in a 4-bedroom lodge at the fabulous Pinnacle Point Golf Resort in Mosselbay. The resort offers a stunning swimming pool area, restaurants, walking trails, beautiful views of the Indian Ocean and a private beach. The MTB trails of George and Knysna are close by!
2nd Prize: A shopping voucher from Helderberg Cycle World to the value of R550 for each team member.
3rd Prize: A complimentary A-service from Helderberg Cycle World for each team member to the value of R420 (excluding the cost of replacement parts).
Route Description
The route will offer the riders the very best that’s on offer at the Grabouw Country Club. The riders will experience a great mix of climbing, descending, some great single track (the very technical sections of single track at Grabouw have not been included), magnificent views over the Elgin Valley and Theewaterskloof Valley, as well as some breathtaking scenery in the mountains.
The total climb amounts to 1150m. The route starts off quite flat and fast through level sections of the Grabouw forest, after which it heads out to the mountains of the north area, next to the Boland Hiking Trail.
The climb looks severe, but there are really only a few short sections that are really steep, and where some riders might want to push their bikes. The views along the route to the Nuweberg, and from the top of the Nuweberg is something worth stopping for, and is just reward for the effort of getting to the top. Riders need to be very cautious when they come down the steep descent of the Nuweberg, and must choose their lines carefully and adjust their speed according to the conditions that they encounter.
As can be seen, the fun part of the route lies in the second half, where the route is more undulating and where some easy-flowing single track will provide excellent entertainment. The reward the riders will get after the 2nd-biggest climb is really worthwhile!
Results
Follow this link for the complete results of the experimental race.
