The debut Midlands Mountain Bike (MTB) Stage Race kicks off in KwaZulu Natal on June 29, and will run until July 1.
The race moves away from other cycle races in that it is geared to cyclists of all competency levels, allowing anyone who has a love of the outdoors the opportunity to take part. “The nice thing about this particular event, is that we’ve geared it towards the first-time stage race participants,” says Race Director, Gavin Ryan. “What we’ve found is there are lots of stage races across South Africa, but most of them are geared toward what we call the ‘Race Snakes’ – where you have to train for three or four months prior to the event, invest in new equipment, etc. We’ve gone the opposite way and said this type of event is for anybody – if you’ve got a mountain bike and a helmet can take part. It’s relatively easy from a technical perspective. Then we’ve also kept the distances per day quite low so that a father and daughter can enter, for example, or a mom and a son, or friends. So it’s very much a family-orientated event.”
The race is divided into three options, all departing from Howick High School:
- Epic: the full three-day event, with day one being 56km, day two, 55km, and day three, 50km
- Explorer: two-day event, with day one being 55km and day two being 50km
- Scout: single-day 10km kids’ ride
This brand-new event takes riders through a mix of existing trails and some created just for this event. The routes wind through private land, Sappi commercial plantations, a jeep track, single track and along public gravel roads. Iconic points of interest have been included along trails to expose riders to the beauty and history of the Midlands area. “The areas that the riders will be going through are ‘off the beaten track’, and they go through a lot of private land. So there are areas that tourists can see from the freeway, or just travelling around the Midlands, but there are a lot of other areas that they will be exposed to as they ride along,” says Ryan.
The Midlands MTB Stage Race has also partnered with local service providers in and around the area, who will be offering participants specials for the weekend of the race – from accommodation to cuisine. “We’re also holding a craft beer and gin festival over the same time period,” says Ryan “so there’s something for the riders to do after they ride each day, and then something they can enjoy with their family and friends.”
