![\"ccs-2-0-91918400-1404470779.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-2-0-91918400-1404470779.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Riders in action during last year\u2019s Bestmed Walkervile MTB Classic. Entries for the 17th edition close on Sunday. Photo: Jetline Action Photo<\/span>\n<\/div>\nNow in its 17th year, the race promises riders an authentic mountain biking experience that harks back to the early years of the sport, says route director Darren Herbst.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe great thing about this event is that it\u2019s almost a \u2018back to your roots\u2019 type of race,\u201d says Herbst.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of the routes are old walking paths and cattle trails which we clean up and mould and alter a bit, so it\u2019s got that real old-school type of feel to it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all about real mountain biking, not these manicured highways that many other races are creating.\u201d<\/p>\n
He says both the 30km and 60km racing options offer their own authentic challenges, such as negotiating natural bumps, divots and grassy portions.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo there are loose rocks and technical sections to deal with but it\u2019s not so technical that the average social rider can\u2019t compete.\u201d<\/p>\n
Herbst believes another reason for the race\u2019s enduring success is the healthy dose of insanity that participants exhibit.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve got to be a bit crazy to brave the cold here at this time of year but, on the other hand, you\u2019re rewarded with riding some awesome trails across private lands that aren\u2019t open to the public at any other time.\u201d<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s route crosses more than 15 farms, with some route changes necessitated by ongoing residential development in the area, he says.<\/p>\n
\u201cA new main road is also being built near the start\/finish venue at the Walkerville Showgrounds, so we\u2019re currently cutting about 10km of all-new single-track to take riders away from that section.\u201d<\/p>\n
Herbst says riders can look forward to traversing the Eye of Africa, the area\u2019s biggest and most exclusive golf and residential estate, as well as spotting wildlife on the Stirrup Club game farm.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think this event has a bit of everything. Obviously the climbs make it a notch or two more difficult, but it\u2019s not too crazy, just enough to give you a bite.\u201d<\/p>\n
The infamous Platberg climb has once again been included. At 1 830m above sea level, it takes the feature race participants up to the highest point in Southern Gauteng.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe climb features in the early part of the 60km route, so those guys will warm up their legs quite quickly and then do a new-look loop towards the end.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn the shorter distance, riders will do the loop first before heading towards the climb and detouring around it.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the total ascent for the longer route is 950m, the shorter event boasts just over half that, says Herbst.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd when you get to the finish there will be plenty of food and refreshment stalls, as well as live music on the go. The showgrounds are a bit of a spectacle all on their own.\u201d<\/p>\n
A bumper turnout of 1 500 riders is expected for the long-standing event, which has just become the latest addition to Bestmed\u2019s national stable of cycle races across the country.<\/p>\n
According to Bestmed corporate communications manager Sasja la Grange, it fits in perfectly with their sponsorship strategy of supporting both the professional and social elements of the sport.<\/p>\n
\u201cPro riders like last year\u2019s winner Johann Rabie often use the main race as a springboard to launch the second half of their season, while families and friends just enjoy spending time together on the short course,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to bring more events to the people that give everyone the opportunity to participate and cultivate a healthier lifestyle.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a medical scheme, we are seeing the growth of non-communicable diseases and want to be part of bringing positive change to professional cyclists as well as families wanting to enjoy a fun ride.\u201d<\/p>\n
Registration takes place on the Thursday before race day (10am to 4pm) at Cycle Lab Little Falls, on the Friday (10am to 4pm) at Cycle Lab Fourways and on the Saturday (9am to 3pm) at the Walkerville Showgrounds.<\/p>\n
Entries are streaming in for Gauteng\u2019s oldest \u2013 and coldest \u2013 off-road race, the Bestmed Walkerville Mountain Bike Classic on July 13. Riders in action during last year\u2019s Bestmed Walkervile MTB Classic. Entries for the 17th edition close on Sunday. Photo: Jetline Action Photo Now in its 17th year, the race promises riders an authentic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":51659,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[487,4021,4020],"featured_location":[],"class_list":["post-21051","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","tag-mtb","tag-walkerville","tag-walkerville-mtb-classic"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21051","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=21051"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21051\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51659"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21051"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21051"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21051"},{"taxonomy":"featured_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured_location?post=21051"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}