SA’s toughest race on tar saw cyclists show their true mettle in the Sabie area and surrounds this past weekend.

The Sabie Cycle Tour is however not considered a race as cyclists competed against their own time. It is seen as an exclusive and unique opportunity for participants to explore some of the Lowveld’s scenic small towns, mountain passes and locations on this three-day journey that pushed fitness levels to the max.

Cyclists had two choices, to either push themselves and go for their personal best, or take it easy and enjoy the scenery. The concept of the Sabie Cycle Tour was to push cyclists to their mental and physical limitations on a safe and enjoyable tour.

Day one saw cyclists take on the shortest leg of the race, which stretched from the starting point and ending point of each day, Merry Pebbles in Sabie, to Mbombela and back to the starting point via White River – a distance of 104 kilometres with a total elevation gain of 2 011 metres.

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This was an opportunity to ease into their journey and follow an anticlockwise route taking them over two passes – Hendriksdal Pass and Skitskop Pass.
The first cyclists finished at around 04:09:49 and the last came in at 04:48:03.

Day two, the toughest of the tour, saw cyclists being confronted with a total elevation gain of 3 068 metres and a distance of 148 as they rode to Graskop, Pilgrim’s Rest, Lydenburg and back.
Here, the first riders came in at a gruelling 07:11:20, with the last riders arriving in Sabie after 07:45:14.

Day three started off with a tough climb back out of Sabie towards Graskop before descending down Kowyn’s Pass and heading towards Hazyview, then returning to Sabie via Bergvliet Pass.
The first rider clocked a time of 04:15:35 and the last, 04:59:23.