Locals take part in TransCape MTB Cycle Race

The second edition of the exclusive multi-stage TransCape MTB Cycle Race was recently concluded, with a number of local mountain bike enthusiasts among the elite field of 130 adventurous cyclists who were tested to the limit from Knysna to Franschhoek.

The race started at dawn on February 7 at Knysna’s Waterfront.

The group of riders, including Mr Sean and Mr Adam Greves of Edenvale, Mr Scott Parker of Greenstone Hill, Bedfordview’s Mr Graeme Cumming and Mr Mark Lamb and Ms Bridget Fitschen of Kensington were immediately challenged on the 109km route to George.

They had to traverse Simola Hill and then it was on to Gouna Road, Homtini Pass and Seven Passes, climbing a cumulative 2 716m in the process.

It was a tough task even for some of the international pro riders in the field. Undeterred, however, the local riders from the NEWS/EXPRESS distribution area set about the task skillfully, with Mr Cumming and his teammate Mr Tom van der Zande of Belgium fairing the best of the local cyclists and completing the leg in 6:01:25, while Mr Greves’ brother crossed the line in 6:34:06 and Mr Lamb made it to the finish line at the NMMU campus in George in 7:35:59.

Day two wasn’t any easier as the riders set off from George on a 121km journey via the Montagu pass, a section of the Klein Karoo and Gamkaberg before reaching their overnight stop in Calitzdorp. Again fairing the best of the above-mentioned riders was Mr Cumming and his teammate, clocking a time of 6:18:25 for the stage, with the Greves brothers getting home in 6:56:19 and Mr Lamb and Mr Parker (9:17:26) finishing a little further down the field. Showing a lot of improvement on day three, the Greves brothers, who also competed in the inaugural TransCape last year, cracked on the pace on the 121km leg from Calitzdorp to Riversdal, making easy work of the Rooiberg and Garcia passes before reaching the finish at Langehoven School in Riversdal in 6:23:15. They were followed home, a while later with the other local residents.

On what was to be the hardest day of the race – stage four from Calitzdorp to Swellendam – Mr Cumming and Mr Van der Zande did the best of the local crew in the scorching conditions, the mercury reaching above the 40 deg C mark and a new single-track route to record a time of 6:04:12.

Having made it this far, the riders still had to contend with the mighty Groenlandberg and Franschhoek pass before reaching the finish line at La Couronne Wine Farm in Franschhoek on Saturday, February 13 before earning their badges of honour. Up for the task, the five courageous cyclists from the EXPRESS/NEWS distribution area set off with determination for the finish line and all made it home after a long, hard week, albeit a while after race winner Mr Stelling (3:01:45). Pick of the local riders, finishing in 3:34:46, was Mr Cumming and his partner followed by the Greves brothers in 3:49:22, Mr Lamb in 4:17:21 and Mr Parker in 5:20:58. Probably showing the most courage and guts of this group of riders was Mr Parker, who spent more than 53 hours in the saddle and richly deserved the medal he got for finishing the race. The same also goes for the other four, with Mr Cumming and his partner completing the event in 38:25:37, which saw them finish eighth in the men’s team classification while the Greves’ overall time was 39:42:58, earning them 11th place in the men’s team category. Mr Lamb’s overall time of 47:55:17 saw him finish 14th in the solo men’s division.