Sean and Deon completed stage 3 yesterday. Looking worst for wear but battling on.
Stage 4 commences today. The boys will be covering a distance of 120km, from Saronsberg in Tulbagh to Wellington. With a climb of 2300m. Sean and Deon will have a maximin time of 10 hours to complete this stage.
Stage 4 is another transition day moving on to a new destination, characterised by three major climbs and extremely varied terrain. It is a stage of contrasts with smooth gravel, then very rugged, followed by the National Monument of Bains Kloof Pass on tar, then beautifully manicured purpose built singletrack.
The first 15km are ‘free mileage’, spinning out the legs on flat gravel and also some tar road. The route then turns onto forestry roads gaining some elevation skirting the side of the mountain. Before riders know they will reach water point 1, but the next stretch will be slow going. A 5km steady climb up on gravel road with an average of 7% gradient awaits at Kluitjieskraal.
On the other side, riders descend into a desolate bowl. Soon the trail roughens until it becomes an 8km bike swallowing descent. The gradient is not steep but the track is washed out, rocky (and sandy) with many ruts and big holes lying in wait for the unwary rider. After water point 2 a flat minor gravel road leads to the foot of Bain’s Kloof Pass. The climb on tar is 16km and not having to focus on any rugged surface, riders will be able take in the spectacular scenery of this National Monument Site.
On the other side the Cape Winelands open up, with views onto Wellington, Paarl Rock and as far as Table Mountain, some 70km away as the crow flies. Only the first bit of the descent is on tar, before riders plunge into the beautifully kept Bain’s Mtb Trails at Welvanpas, smooth flowing ups and downs, perfectly carved into the mountain side.
However, there is one more big climb, most of it on forestry roads, and it is the best value for climbing a mountain biker could ask for, earning themselves 4km downhill of handcrafted singletrack through fynbos vegetation. There is one more tiny bump, and then the last couple of kilometers are all plain sailing into the new race village in Wellington.
Epic 4 Cancer 