Flip it and reverse it
Expect a big change at this year's annual STIHL Sharks Trail Adventure in December.
PHOTO: Anthony Grote/Gameplan Media
THE popular 40km and 20km MTB routes in the STIHL Sharks Trail Adventure on Sunday, 3 December at Summerveld Estate have been reversed.
This could be the early Christmas present that avid mountain bikers have been waiting for.
“In last year’s heat it was clear that the steep climb to the finish at Summerveld estate was taxing. We have decided to reverse the courses for the first time in five years,” said the race’s route director, Andrew van Rensberg.
“We eliminated a major road crossing which was essential from a safety and a logistics point of view, and we are determined to preserve that.
“The climb up to the finish at the race village will now be a far gentler, more gradual climb. Overall the reversed route offers more gradual climbing and some fun descending, which I honestly feel will be more rider friendly,” he said.
The reversal of the 20km route was also confirmed and would share the outgoing and incoming legs of the 40km race. Both sections will have interesting, technical sections in-between the jeep track and district roads through the cane fields.
“The 20km route has some great new sections using horse trails that come down one of the valleys. There are lots of exciting sections of single track, some of which use paths used by off-road bikers on the weekends, which makes them rutted in places.
“We are working on clearing new sections that will take some of those dug-out and rutted tracks out of the race routes. We always advise people keen on doing the 20km race that they need to be proficient enough on technical trail,” said Andrew.
The 10km ride was heavily slanted towards family riding.
There will be a water table at the halfway point and gradual climb up to the race track and the race village.
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