UFO Sighting

After two rugged days riders will get to enjoy a shorter stage and the mountain biking delights of Greyton. But be warned: it will be no picnic. After a country meander that takes riders through nearby Bereaville and Genadendal, it is straight into a series of climbs including Mad Dog Bite, Zig Zag and the UFO – the latter so named because of the strange UFO-like building perched on the hilltop … it really looks like a flying saucer hovering above the hill.

But what goes up must go down, which means some thrilling descents and great, rugged singletrack. These include the Good Samaritan Descent (after the UFO climb), which got its name from the day in 2014 when riders Markus Kaufmann and Jochen Kaess handed over wheels to leaders Robert Mennen and Kristian Hynek after the latter had punctured, thus saving their race. Hynek’s travails point to one of the factors that riders will need to consider in this part of the world: the trails are rugged and many a sharp rock lies in wait.