MTB Enduro gets a facelift
The five-stage enduro course has been moved to the plantations giving the event a total facelift for 2017.
THE popular mountain bike Enduro that kick-starts the weekend festival of riding at the Sappi Howick MTB Classic on Saturday 4 March is getting a bold make-over, much to the enthusiastic response of the sport’s speedsters.
As a result of the regular harvesting of the plantations, the five-stage enduro course has been moved to the plantations between the Curry’s Post Road and the N3 freeway, giving the event a total facelift for 2017.
The tracks that have been identified in fact return to trails that have been hidden under years of tree-fall debris, revitalising a historic section of the forest that was popular amongst MTB enthusiasts in years gone by. The established trails have been supplemented by newly cut sections and interesting features, such as the blue shale quarry at the bottom of the trail network which has been pulled into use for added fun.
The Sappi Howick MTB Classic is the oldest race on the KZN MTB Calendar, and stays true to its motto of “raw and unplugged mountain biking”.
The Enduro event was added to the popular Sappi sponsored MTB Classic for the first time last year, creating a festival of mountain biking in the KZN midlands, and launching a vibrant new platform where traditional mountain bikers can test their skills against specialist Enduro riders.
The Enduro race format is unique in that riders are untimed on the ‘liaison stages’ which are usually stiff climbs to a high point, after which they clock in using timing chips to race one of several timed sections to the bottom of a mapped out course.
The revamped courses for the Enduro and the Sunday’s three marathon events spanning rides of 40km, 20km and 10km are part of a natural migration around the extensive plantations in the region, as the forestry production needs change year-on-year.
The raw approach to the trails has struck a chord with MTB enthusiasts who come back to this event every year, to test their skills and soak up the unique atmosphere of the area.
While entries have flooded in for the Enduro, which attracted over 100 riders last year, the Howick Enduro should attracts most of the discipline’s pace setters, including the likes of Craig Paul, Tiaan Odendaal, local Keira Duncan, Shane Martin.
In the women’s event Sabine Thies, who missed the Enduro last year could square up to Fourie and Dreyer as well as the class of riders like Amy Jane Mundy.
Visit: www.howickmountainbiking.co.za or www.facebook.com/howickmtb.
