Why & how to Ride the Rhino this year

"If you haven’t entered or started training yet, you can still get the time you need in to be able to finish," says Hannele Steyn, multiple cycling event winner, provincial and Springbok colour holder and overall sporting junkie. "Whether you have had little time to prepare or even if you feel that you have done the mileage, you still need to do the right things from now until race day, starting with building heart and leg muscle strength," added Steyn.

Hannele recommends that if you feel you haven’t done enough, you should forget about winning or being a hero and rather make sure that you are able to finish. This means spending as much time as you have each day doing hours in the saddle and choosing routes with nice climbs. With this type of training, you will at least ensure that you won’t damage your health and be able to finish.

"It is always sad when a good mountain bike event is over, more so if that event is one of the best on the calendar, like Ride the Rhino. Some of us call it the 'post-race syndrome' because for weeks after the event there seems to be a feeling of emptiness, as if something is missing from your life," says Fourie Kotze, Hannele’s riding partner, avid cyclist and a regular at national and regional cycling events.

Reminiscing about his 2013 Ride the Rhino experience, Fourie has the following to say about the ride, "The first stage stretched past the world famous Langebaan Lagoon, where flowers and wild animals abound. Along the way, the riders were treated to fresh produce from Darling Dairies (I’d kill for their drinking yoghurts), Spur burgers and water points (where you could also taste the best wines from the local cellars).

"A few of my favourite highlights from last year’s race were some of the best single tracks imaginable, the gorgeous scenery, the floating bridge finale that not all of us managed to cross without getting drenched and the stunning Rhino jerseys we were given to wear on the last day, to show our support for the plight of our rhinos."

Hannele agrees, and offers the following valuable tips for participants taking part in this year’s ride:
• Try to choose a weekend where you have both days to do some long rides and try back-to-back rides on the Saturday and Sunday of at least the same distance as the two longest days of the Ride the Rhino.
• Decide on what you are going to eat and drink before, during and after the event.
• Stick to the same type of food for breakfast that you eat every day and if you don’t know what you are going to get, take some of your normal eats with you.
• Use the energy drink and energy food you are used to and take some on the stage with you to mix at the water stations if you're worried that your system won't agree with what they will serve.
• Try not to eat too many sugary foods and rather opt for natural food, like nuts and dates.