News has come through from Mark Meyer, who runs the Lowveld Quest MTB Stage Race (10-13 April) in South Africa. After countless requests to add a solo category – that request has been granted,
So if you have not managed to find someone, who wants to spend four days with you. Then you can enter in the Solo Category. Like they say “one size fits all”. There will be one category for the Solo riders and the results will be kept separate, from the team results. Due to the late addition of the Solo Category, entries will be limited.
Day 1:
Mark Meyer explained how the stage would look. “I spent yesterday morning in Lydenburg with Arie (the local MTB King). What a ride we have got planned for you. Bushveld from the word go. This is going to be a spectacular stage. The first Nature reserve (Gustav-Kingbiel) is going to be a workout, with a huge reward: about minutes of downhill single track. No one has measured the distance, due to the reason that it is extremely difficult to focus on the speedometer. With all that adrenaline rushing through your body. Nothing too hectic, just 100% fun. A district road takes you to the 1st water point. THE DAM WALL!! What a magnificent setting. It is super cool to ride over the dam wall, with the amazing sound of the water thumping onto the ground. Some more play before you hit the second climb of the day into Makobulaan Nature Reserve. Steep and tricky, but totally doable. On top of the world, is what you’ll be experiencing at this moment of time.Play & climb, play & climb and then Mankele kicks in. Rock ‘n Roll China all the way home!”
Day 2:
“The plan was to ride day two last Saturday, but after Christelle pointed out the obvious about the rain & flood warnings. Geoff and I decided to load our families into our 4×4’s and rather drive out Day two (felt wrong at first, but ended up being quite an adventure). I have seen wet conditions but this was exceptionally muddy. The climb out of Mankele was very slippery and trying to follow Geoff’s line was impossible. We know all the roads around the Mankele area, which made life easier. Once we got out of our territory, things changed though. Visibility was about 80m’s so no looking around for landmarks. We managed to take all the right roads at the splits, by total chance & got to Misty Mountain. This must be one of the most amazing routes. The scenery & terrain’s absolutely amazing. You are going to climb for the first 40km’s, but it is not that “hectic” type of climbing. The single track in the first 40km’s will ease the pain & suffering! Once you have reached Misty Mountain, then it is all play to Merry Pebbles. Mankele to Sabie, is going to be a workout with huge reward.”
Information about days Three and Four are still due to come.
Keep unto date via the Mankele Mountain Biking website