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<\/a><\/p>\nThe Descent, the first of the three Berg & Bush events, starts this Friday, 5 October, from the Windmill Farm on top of the escarpment. After some short, sharp climbing, riders will ride along the famous Great Wall My China before descending down Solly\u2019s Folly and into the KwaZulu-Natal bushveld. Day 1 will see riders tackling a 98km-long course, with Days 2 and 3 offering shorter, punchier routes.<\/p>\n
In the mix for the men\u2019s title will be Matt Beers and Nico Bell (NAD Pro), who will arrive at the Berg & Bush fresh off their victory at the 3 Towers Stage Race, while the ladies race should feature familiar faces Amy Beth McDougall and Samantha Sanders (Dormakaba) leading the charge.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe field looks quite strong at Berg & Bush, so I expect some messy racing up front,\u201d says Matt Beers, winner of the 2016 event alongside Erik Kleinhans.<\/p>\n \u201cWith one long day followed by two shorter days, the first day is really key. You need to get a gap there and hold on to it. The trick is to avoid going too hard in the first 50km, because you can easily blow out from there.\u201d<\/p>\n For the ladies race, McDougall and Sanders are the clear favourites. \u201cIt felt good to ride so well with Sam during 3 Towers,\u201d says McDougall. \u201cI struggled on the first day because of the heat, but on day two and three I was firing again, so I feel like I\u2019m in good shape for the Berg & Bush. It\u2019s really one of my favourite events on the calendar; the vibe is amazing, the food is great, and just being in the Berg & Bush environment with so many cool people is something I always look forward to.\u201d<\/p>\n McDougall\u2019s comments are echoed by Beers. \u201cI don\u2019t think there\u2019s any other stage race like it; it feels very luxurious, the setting is incredible and the crew and people involved make you feel very welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n Other strong contenders in the men\u2019s race include Philip Buys and Matthys Beukes (PYGA Eurosteel) with the second PYGA Eurosteel team of Julian Jessop and Phillimon Sebona also in with a shout.<\/p>\n One of the more intriguing battles of the weekend will take place outside of the main race, with the Volvo Spionkop Summit shaping up yet again as a thrilling Saturday afternoon spectacle. For the glory, and a healthy R20 000 pay day (for both the male and female winner) for just 1.3km of effort, riders will sprint from the entrance of Spionkop to the summit.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n