Riders take in the scenery during last year\u2019s Winelands Encounter. Photo: Ewald Sadie<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cThis year we have allocated 250 slots to cater for the race\u2019s growth while retaining the experience that modern lifestyle athletes demand.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dubbed as \u201cSouth Africa\u2019s most beautiful stage race\u201d, the Winelands Encounter provides participants with panoramic views of mountains, orchards and vineyards on the bike, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOff the bike, we are talking luxury accommodation, first-class service and a culinary experience second to none.\u201d<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s route passes through a number of iconic Boland towns such as Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl and Wellington.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of these towns are renowned for some of the best cycling routes in the country,\u201d said De Villiers. \u201cIn addition, our route builders add their special flair to some uncharted trails.\u201d<\/p>\n
Last year\u2019s winner Chris Wolhuter, who rode alongside Jared Haley, said the race had been the right combination of a challenging ride and a five-star experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the first edition went off really well,\u201d said Wolhuter, who rides in the colours of the new Imbuko Wines-Freewheel Cycology pro team. \u201cThere were some fantastic trails and it\u2019s got the potential to grow very nicely.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the scenery is appealing to many, there is also an edge to the event, Haley pointed out last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe heard it was more of an experience than a race, but the moment the guys put on the number boards, it quickly became one,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Spouses are not forgotten as the organisers strive to ensure the event transforms into a family experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey will be able to book meals along the route with their riding partners to create a unique and family-orientated experience,\u201d said De Villiers.<\/p>\n
Entries for the 175km three-day event are accepted until midnight today.<\/p>\n
Go to www.capewinelands.capetown<\/a> for more information or to enter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A three-day encounter over some of the best mountain biking terrain beckons for cyclists when the Liberty Winelands Encounter takes place from April 15 to 17. The inaugural event was limited to 100 two-man teams to ensure a boutique feel, according to ASG race organiser Wynand de Villiers. Riders take in the scenery during last […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":43987,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[681,680],"featured_location":[],"class_list":["post-18564","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","tag-liberty-winelands-encounter","tag-winelands-encounter"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18564","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18564"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18564\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43987"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18564"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18564"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18564"},{"taxonomy":"featured_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured_location?post=18564"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"ccs-62657-0-24010300-1457692563.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-24010300-1457692563.jpg\")
<\/a>Riders take in the scenery during last year\u2019s Winelands Encounter. Photo: Ewald Sadie<\/span><\/p>\n