![\"J2C_1.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-2-0-16658400-1372943150.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nA field of 800 international mountain bikers will have an opportunity to enter the fifth Old Mutual joBerg2c when entries open on Monday. <\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Photo: Kelvin Trautman<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Now in its fifth year, event organisers have chosen to do away with the shorter three and six-stage options. This gives more riders the opportunity to cover the full 910km distance from Heidelberg, south of Johannesburg, to Scottburgh on the KwaZulu-Natal coast.<\/p>\n According to Craig Wapnick, the organisers decided to focus on the nine-day event due to the popularity of the original option and the logistical challenges surrounding the shorter versions, which ran concurrently.<\/p>\n \u201cWe believe it should be a real challenge and that riders should be proud to say, \u2018I rode the full nine days\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n Wapnick said the field would be increased to 350 two-man teams, with a further 100 solo places available. This year, an international contingent of 112 riders from 20 countries participated and more are expected to take part in 2014.<\/p>\n \u201cOur ride is open to anyone from anywhere who loves riding. We want all passionate mountain bikers to enter.\u201d Wapnick said participants would enjoy another fresh challenge as GPS navigation replaced conventional route marking.<\/p>\n Two riders finishing the nine-day Old Mutual joBerg2c in 2013. Entries for next year\u2019s event open on Monday. <\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Photo: Cycho Media<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWe think the GPS element will add a sense of adventure but, at the same time, it\u2019s really simple to follow.\u201d Participants should not confuse GPS routes with a more \u201cbushwhacking\u201d orienteering event, he said. \u201cThe route and single track will be, as always, fast and flowing and well-prepared for fun on all levels.\u201d<\/p>\n Wapnick said the cut-off times for each stage would be based on an average speed of 15km per hour. \u201cOur cut-off policy is really nothing to fear if you are fit and can ride reasonably well on single track.\u201d<\/p>\n On the 130km third stage, for example, he said participants riding at the minimum threshold speed would complete the queen stage in less than nine hours. \u201cIt is aimed at promoting a reward versus effort scenario as well as ensuring the safety of our riders and that support crews are not over-stretched. We believe this may affect only a few who won\u2019t make the cut.\u201d<\/p>\n He said prospective entrants could enter online via the event\u2019s website. \u201cWhen they enter they will receive an e-mail notification. If they pay upfront, their entry is secure. \u201cIf not, their status will be shown as entered but incomplete. Preference will be given to paid-up entrants on a first come first ride basis.\u201d<\/p>\n With all of these innovations afoot, Wapnick said the event\u2019s \u201cthe route is king\u201d trail-building philosophy remained unchanged.<\/p>\n \u201cWe continue to assist rural communities in prospering from the event, while creating more single track sections of happiness for riders. Our aim is to keep on making this one of the great feel-good rides of people\u2019s lives.\u201d<\/p>\n Visit www.joberg2c.co.za<\/a> or follow the race on Facebook or @joberg2c_journo<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Some 800 mountain bikers will have the chance to sign up for the adventure of a lifetime when entries for the international nine-day Old Mutual joBerg2c in South Africa open at 8am on Monday (July 8). A field of 800 international mountain bikers will have an opportunity to enter the fifth Old Mutual joBerg2c when […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":53246,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[5280,286],"featured_location":[],"class_list":["post-21729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","tag-entries-open","tag-joberg2c"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21729","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\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21729"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21729\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53246"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21729"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21729"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21729"},{"taxonomy":"featured_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured_location?post=21729"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/a><\/p>\n