Mountain bike races

© SA TourismMountain bike races are usually run through areas of fabulous scenery, and there are races all through the year. The championship series usually takes up the first half of the year, and the classic races are almost all held in the second half of the year. What follows are some of the favourites.

The Citrusdal Fat Tyre Festival takes place in September when this lovely town is surrounded by spring flowers and the scent of orange blossom hangs heavy on the air. For real hardcore fat tyre fundis, the To Hell and Back Tour is a must. It’s run over two days in November, and traverses some spectacular scenery as the first day takes you into an isolated valley, called “The Hell” near Oudtshoorn. And, of course, the second day everyone has to cycle out again – mostly uphill. The field is limited to 100 cyclists.

The Rhodes Challenge in October is a really hard race – 84.5km of almost constant climb – and perhaps a delicate smattering of snow. And the altitude of 3,000m ensures that cyclists treasure every breath. The Knysna Oyster Festival in July has, among many other fun events, fun MTB races of various distances. Another fantastic race is the Karoo to Coast, a 100km run on dirt roads from the Karoo town of Uniondale to Knysna in September. The Sabie Classic in February is one of the most popular in the country as cyclists from all over, but particularly Johannesburg, descend on this scenic Mpumalanga town. There are races for everyone from fun riders to serious mountain bikers.

There are two awesome stage races, namely the Cape Epic and the Tour d’ Kruger. The Cape Epic is an epic. It’s run over eight days in March from Knysna on the Garden Route to Stellenbosch, just outside Cape Town. It’s pretty hectic – over 900km and with about a vertical mile of total climb, and it’s the biggest fully supported stage mountain bike race in the world. The Tour d’ Kruger traverses the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park, which straddles the border between South Africa and Mozambique. Run in July over five days it is made a tad more interesting by the fact that the park is home to – well – lions, elephants and other assorted wildlife. Of course, the race is escorted to ensure cyclists do not end up as “cat food”.