![\"ccs-41808-0-00457000-1399625187.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-41808-0-00457000-1399625187.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nMore than 4 350 mountain bikers will take on the 10th edition of the Nedbank sani2c in KwaZulu-Natal next week. The three-day stage race starts in Underberg and crosses a number of floating bridges en route to the finish at Scottburgh. \/\/ Image credit: Cherie Vale<\/span><\/p>\n Organiser Glen Haw said online entries for this year\u2019s event, which follows a 270km route from Underberg to Scottburgh, had once again sold out in a matter of seconds.<\/p>\n \u201cOur final preparations have now been made and we\u2019re looking forward to welcoming old friends and new participants back for another year of thrills,\u201d said Haw. \u201cFarmer Glen\u201d, as Haw is affectionately known, founded the three-day event in 2005 (with just 247 two-person teams) as a fundraiser for his children\u2019s school.<\/p>\n Since then, the number of participants has doubled every two years, with the 2014 edition set to host 725 teams in each of its trio of races.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I started the event, I never ever imagined that it would grow this big,\u201d said Haw. \u201cLogistically speaking, it has now reached maximum capacity, so we\u2019ve capped the number of entries to ensure that every rider still enjoys a premium experience.\u201d<\/p>\n He said special number boards would be awarded to the 18 members of the exclusive Black Mamba Club who had completed all 10 events. For the anniversary edition, Haw said the rest of the field could look forward to more great riding and a number of upgrades to the race villages.<\/p>\n \u201cThis year, each race village will include \u2018The Barn\u2019, where people can gather to celebrate our birthday with a cup of tea and our famous banana bread and more.\u201d He said community volunteers baked more than 12 000 loaves of banana bread annually to feed the riders.<\/p>\n The community involvement aspect was certainly the standout achievement over the past decade, with more than R20 million raised for schools and organisations along the route, said Haw. \u201cThere has been a tremendous buy-in from the locals and the rural communities have benefited greatly from their partnership with the race.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to the direct economic spin-offs, Haw said the event employed more than 2 000 part-time workers and 94 service providers. As far as the future was concerned, he said the introduction of GPS-based navigation in 2015 would be another exciting addition to the event, which had become known for innovations such as its floating bridges.<\/p>\n \u201cThis year, we\u2019ll use traditional route marking combined with GPS so that the riders get comfortable with it.\u201d<\/p>\n Although satellite navigation had already been embraced by its two sister events \u2013 the BSi Steel Dusi2c and Old Mutual joBerg2c \u2013 Haw said the inspiration for these had been the Nedbank sani2c.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really the way to go. As with all innovations in sport, like the Hawk-Eye in cricket and third ref in rugby, they are accepted slowly but are for the better. This is just another exciting new concept for our sport.\u201d<\/p>\n Haw said the festivities would kick off with the three-day Trail event for social riders (May 13-15), followed by the more competitive Adventure (May 14-16) and culminate in the Race component for the pros and serious riders (May 15-17).<\/p>\n