MAKHADO - The Akkedis Mountain Bike Challenge was a gruelling, yet extremely satisfying, sporting event for competitors, who did not fail to dish out compliments for the excellent organisation.

This brand new race, which took place on the western side of the Soutpansberg Mountain, had three race options – a 70km marathon, a 35km halfmarathon and a 10km fun ride.

The first competitor to finish the extreme 70km route on October 8 was professional rider Johan van Zyl from Team GT in Pretoria. Van Zyl’s winning time was 3:02:41. The second rider home was Gawie Combrink from Thabiso Technology, another professional, who finished the race in 3:19:48. Third was local rider Sarel Lubbe from P&L Hardware Cycling Club in 3:30:13.

The first lady and sixth overall was Samantha Oosthuysen from TUKS with her fast time of 4:04:39, which included exchanging a broken front wheel hub. Samantha described the trail as thrilling and gruelling, with spectacular views. She couldn’t stop praising the organisers, marshals and watering point personnel who attended to her every need. The second lady was Adele Drake from Phalaborwa in 3:31:45, who was tenth overall. Local rider Jurie de Jager was 12th in 4:33:43.

The 70km technical route challenged the 24 cyclists with single-track, jeep track and gravel road, an incline which ascends 600m over a stretch of 15km and a decline which descends 600m over a stretch of 10 km. This route also exposed riders to an environment with a phenomenal diversity, from arid Acacia Karoo Bushveld through exotic and indigenous forests.

Many landowners generously allowed the organisers to plot the route through their land and, without them, the event would not have been possible. The route started at the Schoemansdal Environmental Education Centre. From there, riders cycled through the Happy Rest Nature Reserve and neighbouring farms Bristol, Perth, Buzzard Mountain Retreat, and Heimat, to the Schoemansdal Museum, up to La Ndou, and from there to the Hanglip picnic site in the Komatiland forest, down the signalers’ cement road where cyclists on their mountain bikes reached speeds above 90km/h on this descent, then turned left on the famous Bluegumsport road, through Ruddyard with its amazing views down the mountain. The route then turned down just before the Air Force Radar towers, down the fast technical descent at Buzzard Mountain Retreat, alongside majestic cliffs, trees and views and finally returned through Bristol and Perth to the Centre and the finish line.

The 35km route was non-technical and could include road bikers. The route also started at the Schoemansdal Environmental Education Centre and took riders through the Happy Rest Nature Reserve to Cilliersrus Station, past the Schoemansdal Station, turned north through the farms Nooitgedacht and Damplaats, onto the Schoemansdal station road back to the Schoemansdal Museum, across the R522 and then through the farms Heimat, Buzzard Mountain Retreat, Perth, Bristol and back to the Centre.

There were 41 competitors who chose this event. Dwayne Voogt from TUKS was first in a time of 1:28:20 and the first lady was professional rider Carla Freysen from Team Cannondale who was ninth overall in a time of 1:54:14. Dawid Pieterse was the first junior high school student across the finishing line and he was sixth overall. Jan Lombard from P&L Hardware Cycling Club was the first master and ended in the eighth position. Renata Joubert from P&L Hardware Cycling was the second lady in 2:04:07. Among the riders from P&L were also Heine de Jager (15th), Jan Brink (16th) and Matthys Beukes (21st).

The 10km fun ride is child-friendly with lots of single track, which was a circular route of 5km which had to be ridden twice. Koen Oosthuysen and Jonathan van Dijkhorst came first and second, with local young rider Carina Joubert in the third place.

The Akkedis was organised in collaboration with the Schoemansdal Environmental Education Centre and the P&L Hardware Cycling Club.