Words: Sarah Kobal
The third leg of the MTN National MTB Series kicks off in Tulbagh this weekend and is expected to have lovely sunny weather.
The MTN National MTB Series has grown immensely in popularity over the past four years and is only getting bigger and better! The Tulbagh leg was only introduced into the MTN National MTB Series in 2011, and is the youngest of the events in this series. With a total of five distance-varied races in this third leg, an estimated 1,000+ participants will be taking part in this event. The race starts at Saronsberg Wine Estate and heads towards the town, with the route flowing clock-wise along the foot of the mountains and across the Klein Berg River. The terrain consists of fynbos, rocky areas and vineyards, and features such as single tracks, dams and ox wagon trails.
Tulbagh is a small town that's situated in a mountain basin, known as the 'Land van Wavern'. Due to this location, Tulbagh is surrounded by beautiful mountain ranges and boasts some of the best mountain bike trails in the world, guaranteed to challenge even the most adventurous riders. And if the picturesque views don't interest some riders, the route also leads them past various famous wineries.
Registration
Participants can either pre-register on Friday between 16h00 and 19h00 or on Saturday morning between 06h00 and 09h00.
Race distance, ascent and expected arrival time
MTN Ultra - 105 km | 2,920 m ascent – Expected arrival time: 11h45
MTN Marathon - 74 km | 1,990 m ascent - Expected arrival time: 10h00
Nissan Half Marathon - 47 km | 930 m ascent - Expected arrival time: 10h00
BuyCycle Fun Race - 20 km | 150 m ascent - Expected arrival time: 10h15
BuyCycle Fun Ride - 10 km | 35 m ascent - Expected arrival time: 09h55
Support zones
There are four supporter zones open to the public. Camping chairs and umbrellas are recommended as it's expected to be a hot weekend.
Supporter zone 1
Distance from the venue: 10 km
Coordinates: 33º17'56.23”S / 19º10'18.18”E
Supporter zone 2
Distance from the venue: 3 km
Coordinates: 33º16'29.25”S / 19º7'1.30”E
Supporter zone 3
Distance from the venue: 3.5 km
Coordinates: 33º13'1.27”S / 19º7'3.61”E
Supporter zone 4
Distance from the venue: 11 km
Coordinates: 33º11'12.57”S / 19º10'1.21”E
Previous Tulbagh winners:
2011: David George and Ariane Kleinhans
2012: Burry Stander and Ariane Kleinhans
2013: Charles Keey and Ariane Kleinhans
More information
The fourth leg in the MTN National MTB Series will take place in Clarens on 3 and 4 May 2014. For more information, visit http://advendurance.com/nationalmtbseries/clarens
Source: http://advendurance.com
