This past weekend, two of my friends and I took part in the Sabie Classic MTB Race. Sabie is a small forestry town in South Africa. It is about 1066m above sea level.
Image Source (You can click on the link, which will take you to the event's Facebook page where you will be able to see more photos.)
We took part in the 65km race, which has a total ascent of 1840m. You can see the route in the map above.
We decided to make it a weekend away, and we rented a house in Sabie for the weekend. On Friday evening, we went to eat at a restaurant in town.
On Saturday morning early we went to register at the local high school, after registering we waited for the start time, which was at 7:00.
Finally the start time came closer and the riders started trickling to the start line. In ]\total there were 55 riders taking part in the 65km race.
In the photo below, you can see me taking a short brake at one of the water point, where, I refilled my water bottle and got some well needed energy drink. I do carry my own energy drink and energy gels, but the additional supplies at the water points are always welcome.
I managed a 3rd place in my age category, which is the grand masters for people above 60 years of age. Overall, I came in 24th. My time was however a slow 5h46, but with all the uphill riding, this race was a real tough one. (I actually rode 73km, as there was an issue with the route indicators, causing a number of riders to ride a longer route.)
Back home it was time to wash my bike, as it was full of mud, after the race. Except for the hilly terrain, there also was a lot of mud at some sections, which gave interesting riding conditions.
My friends, and I had a great time racing as well as a very enjoyable weekend away with our spouses.
In two weeks time, 11 May, I will be taking part in Race to the Sun, which is a 160km race starting at Hartebeespoort dam and ending at Sun City. I have never taken part in an Ultra Event, and hope all goes well, luckily, this one is a gravel race, and much more flat than the one, I just completed.
I hope you enjoyed the post and that you have a wonderful day
