MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Cyclists and Cyclocross enthusiasts from all over the country gathered in Great Brak River at the starting line of a spectacular five-day mountain bike race, set to become a favorite for the region.
The competitors set off on Wednesday, 23 May and will conclude the race on Sunday, 27 May.
The Trans Gouritz Cyclocross and Mountain Bike Race rolls across 336km of exquisite landscapes within the Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve (GCBR), including routes over some of the region's most beautiful mountains: the Langeberg, Rooiberge and Outeniqua Mountains.
The race course is on predominantly gravel roads with some quiet tar road sections included, which makes for a completely non-technical but rather endurance-focused race.
Jobs for Carbon
This year boasts the first time the GCBR Jobs for Carbon (J4C) members will be helping with the race. J4C is the GCBR's flagship project, which, apart from restoring degraded land in the Klein Karoo with spekboom has also created work for more than 60 people over the last three years and brought to the forefront exceptional community leaders and active participants for social and ecological change (read more about it on www.gouritz.com).
Participants ride through some of the most species-rich areas in the country when traversing the Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve. Photo: Chris Hitchcock
The TransGouritz Race will change its course each year, travelling throughout different paths in the biosphere reserve to highlight and explore this exceptional landscape, and hopefully teach and inspire each participant of the value that this area holds, and the importance of protecting it.
The route
- Day 1: Pine Creek resort, Great-Brakrivier to Dwarsrivier Guesthouse, Herbertsdale
- Day 2: Dwarsrivier to Rooiberg Lodge, Vanwyksdorp
- Day 3: Rooiberg Lodge to De Denne-Guest house, Volmoed
- Day 4: De Denne-Guest house to Herold Wine Estate, Herold
- Day 5: Herold to Pine Creek-Resort, Great Brak Rivier
Race information is available from Sonja Terblanche-Otto (sonja@trisport.co.za) or the Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve Information office's Mary Carr (admin@gouritz.com).
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