Alpe d’Huez comes to Berg and Bush
An exciting two-day Alpe d’Huez-style race within the Berg and Bush up Spioenkop brings the eighth edition of teh mountain biking challenge to a close this weekend.
MOUNTAIN bikers who have signed up for the original two-day stage race at the FedGroup Berg & Bush can enjoy the thrill of an Alpe d’Huez-style charge up Spioenkop this Saturday, 18 October.
Race organiser Gary Green said he had decided it would be fitting to introduce a fun Tour de France-style element on the landmark ascent in the central Drakensberg. “And, as in last year’s Tour de France, riders will be doing it twice in one day.” While the first ascent would form part of the 62km opening stage, Green said the second round would be an optional extra feat for participants once the day’s racing was done.
The mini “race within a race” would precede the traditional sundowner tour of the historical Anglo-Boer War battlefield site, he said. “On Saturday evening, when we’re all on top of the mountain for sundowners, we’ll have a separate race for men and women from the boom gate at the bottom to the summit.”
Green said the 1.5km ascent, which featured 14 speed bumps and a gradient of up to 20 per cent in places, would be the ultimate endurance test for riders. “We hope to create an Alpe d’Huez-type effect, whereby the cyclists line the route and cheer their fellow riders on.”
Only those brave enough to take on the climb first time round would still be rewarded with an adrenalin-fueled descent on the other side, he said.
“Bell Equipment has helped us create a series of berms and jumps coming off the mountain. This will be a fun section to finish off a great day’s riding.”
Green said participants in the two-day event could also look forward to the traditional boat crossing of Spioenkop Dam on day one. “We’ve upgraded the boat crossing by having bigger boats and more of them in operation. We hope this will reduce the waiting time and get riders across the 2km section of the dam quicker.”
The FedGroup Berg and Bush started with the feature race, the Descent, last Friday, 10 October, followed by the Great Trek on Tuesday, 14 October and the two-day Alpe d’Huez-style race within the Berg and Bush up Spioenkop brings the eighth edition to a close on Sunday 19 October.
Visit www.bergandbush.co.za, find the race on Facebook or follow @bergandbush for more information.
