GEORGE NEWS - George MTB rider Tristan Nortje is set to challenge defending champion Alan Hatherly in the Momentum Medical Scheme Attakwas Extreme, presented by Biogen, this Saturday, 17 January.
Nortje, the reigning Tankwa Trek and Cape Pioneer champion, was Hatherly's nearest rival in 2025.
Hatherly also faces a stern test presented by riders from the Toyota Specialised Imbuko, Honeycomb 226ers, Insect Science, Singer KTM and Tshenolo Pro Cycling teams.
The women's double defending cham-pion, Samantha Sanders, who excels in hot weather, will face off against the SA Gravel Champion, Hayley Preen, five-time winner Yolande de Villiers, and 2023 winner Sarah Hill.
Dubbed the Hell of the South, the Attakwas challenges riders to an infa-mously tough 120km course from the Chandelier Game Lodge near Oudtshoorn to the Pine Creek Resort in Great Brak River.
Boasting UCI Class 1 status, it attracts some of the world's best mountain bikers.
The race will see 48 UCI elite men's riders, 19 UCI elite women, and nearly 1 000 committed amateurs facing a slightly different challenge to recent years, with the race entering the kloof from Safran River.
The first 50km sees a 250m reduction in the total metres of climbing, and a 4km shortening of the best-known route, but Dryland Event Management believes the changes will lead to a faster and more competitive race.
"The changes could lead to a more tactical first 40 kilometres to the elite rider tech zone [at Safran River/Water Point 2]," said Henco Rademeyer of Dryland. "The final 54 kilometres remain as tough as ever."
Alan Hatherly (leading) returns to defend his Attakwas Extreme title on 17 January. Photo: Max Sullivan
The climb to the summit of the Attakwaskloof Pass remains the key test of the 120km route from the Chandelier Game Lodge to Pine Creek Resort. Photo: Max Sullivan
Tristan Nortje is eager to add the Hell of the South title to his haul of major South African event victories. Photo: Max Sullivan
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