In the build up to the ABSA Cape Epic the South African mountain bike racing seen has been a hive of activity over the past few weeks, this weekend is no different as the top racers converge once again. Knysna plays the host to the 5th edition of the Garden Route 300 presented by Craft, a 3 day race taking in some of the finest scenery and terrain the area has to offer.
The race will be tough with as it takes in some of the big climbs on offer in the area and also challenges the endurance of the riders with a 100km stage on Saturday.
With R100 000 up for grabs, there is no shortage of fast men on the start line. In the men’s race the main contenders are likely to be the Asrin combination of Krenn and Boyes, the Volcan Biogen pairing of Knox and Evans and the Saham-Cooper team should form an interesting alliance to watch out for.
Hanco and I once again team up under the Altech Autopage banner and will be looking for a podium wherever the opportunity may present itself. Unlike many others we did not race the Sabie National Ultra marathon last weekend and hopefully the extra freshness pays dividends.
An innovative concept on stage 3 is the Craft Hot Spot on top of the Phantom Pass as the riders leave Knysna one last time. At just 4km into the stage there is R10 000 up for the taking for the first rider in any category at the top first!
The race has also done away with the traditional camping that so many stage races encompass, riders can stay in the comfort of their own B&B’s and enjoy all meals at the renowned Quay 4 restaurant on the banks of the beautiful Knysna lagoon. It sure does make matters a bit easier and enhance the recovery process between stages.
I’ll be reporting back each afternoon from the races proceeding so keep an eye out for the next post on MarathonMTB.com!