The inaugural York Enduro Mountain Bike Rally runs from Friday 13 September to Sunday 15 September 2013 and offers riders a testing 3-days through the scenic Sabie countryside.
Hosted by York Timbers, the weekend’s activities also include a trail run, live music and a thrilling “Top Gear” style race between a MTB and a rally car.
The top class field will include 20 of South Africa’s leading pro cyclists including Ariane Kleinhans, Lourens Luus, Erik Kleinhans, Max Knox, Waylon Woolcock and Samantha Sanders, with the steep Mpumalanga terrain testing their skills in one of the finest mountain biking regions in the world.
The mountain biking gets underway on Friday 13 September when the pro riders and Corporate Teams ride the spectator friendly 3,2km Downhill and 3km XC (cross country) course with DHI (down hill) seeding runs from 13:00 and the finals from 15:45.
As the evening sets in, mountain biker Justin Victor will take on rally car driver Shaun Tope in a “Top Gear” style race-off at Klein Spitzkop at 17:15.
It’s an early start on Saturday 14 September when the pro riders and Corporate Teams participate in the grueling 58km Enduro, with teams setting off at different times starting from 07:00 and only being timed on the downhill stretches of the course.
But it’s not all about the bike and runners can sign up for the York Adventure 12km Trail Run, which starts and finishes at Sabie Country Club. The run starts at 08:00 and the entry fee is R50.
Sunday 15 September offers an opportunity for all MTB enthusiasts to enter the York Adventure Challenge which starts at 07:30, with a choice of 40km (entry fee R120) or 19km (entry fee R80) routes. Both races start and finish at Sabie Country Club.
The serious riding reaches a peak at 11:00 on Sunday when the pro riders thrill spectators during an exhibition XCO (cross country Olympic) lap race on Sabie Golf Course.
The entertainment also includes an invite-only gala dinner on Friday night, with sports commentator Max Cluer hosting an auction during which corporate teams bid for a pro cyclist to join their team for Saturday’s Enduro. All funds raised will be donated to charities that will be announced during the course of the event.
Members of the public are encouraged to support the cyclists on the various stages of the race, and can also enjoy some of the activities on offer in the area including horse-riding and fishing or walks through the beautiful rolling hills.
Sunday is an ideal day for a family visit to Sabie, with food stalls, a kid’s entertainment area and live entertainment by The Campbells.
For further information and entry forms for all activities, visit www.york.co.za or the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/YorkAdventureClub and follow us on twitter @YorkAdventure. Alternatively call York Timbers on 031 764 9200.
