KNYSNA NEWS - The butterflies are starting to flutter in the bellies of the 2016 GR300 and GRLite entrants as race week has dawned.
The riding gets under way on Friday, February 26 from Thesen Island in Knysna. "Some of the country's top mountain bikers will be descending on what's becoming known as Trail Town South Africa," said Seamus Allardice, spokesperson for the event.
The women's category in the 2016 GR300 looks to be a particularly tightly contested one with Garmin's Yolandi du Toit lining up alongside British mountain biking ace Catherine Williamson and South African marathon champion Robyn de Groot.
Williamson is building up her form for a tilt at the Cape Epic title with Ester Süss in March and De Groot is in top form coming off victories over Ariane Kleinhans at the National MTB Series race in Sabie and the Attakwas Extreme. Du Toit meanwhile is coming off a third place, with Cape Epic partner Theresa Ralph, at the Tankwa Trek.
In the men's category the ever competitive Billy Stelling will be racing the likes of Christopher Wolhuter, Craig Boyes and Mike Posthumus to stay on the wheels of Renay Groustra and Dylan Rebello. Though Groustra is returning from an illness-enforced layoff he has always raced well in the GR300 and RECM Knysna 200 and will be keen to make use of the trails, which suit his riding to regain form and confidence.
While Rebello will look to build on the remarkable stage race successes - especially for such a young professional - which he enjoyed in 2015 in his first stage race of the year.
Friday's stage 1 will challenge the GR300 riders to an 80km course with 1 650m of climbing, while the GRLite entrants will take on a 64km route with 1 250m of climbing. Saturday's stage 2 will start and finish from the Garden Route Trail Park and will surely be the highlight of this year's event.
The 62km GR300 route includes 1 550m of altitude gain, and the GRLite day's stage features a 46km route with 1 100m of altitude gain. Sunday’s third and final stage includes a climb up the famous Phantom Pass and a descent along the Phantom Pass single tracks; for the longer GR300 route rides it's a 78km day with 1 450m of climbing, whereas the GRLite competitors will have a 65km with 1 050m of climbing.
If you'd like to stay with the action in the Garden Route you can do so by following @gardenroute300 on Twitter for live updates, time gaps, photos from the route and videos. Alternatively like Garden Route Events on Facebook or search for #GR300 on Instagram.
2016 GR300 & GRLite
Dates: February 26 to 28
Venue: Quay 4, Thesen Island, Knysna
Website: www.gr300.co.za
Registration: February 25 from 16:00 to 21:00 at Quay Four
Race start: 07:00 Friday February 26
Facebook: Garden Route Events
Follow: @ChristoVermaak and @KnysnaPlett
Highlights and spectator points – Day 1:
07:00 - Start at Quay Four - Thesen Island Harbour Town
07:10 – Top of Simola road - “Ultimate Simola Dash” (please be there to beat the cyclists up the hill)
08:30 – N2 culvert at Brakenhill Primary School
10:45 – leaders expected back at Quay Four
Day 2 starts and finishes in Barrrington at the Garden Route Trail Park.
Highlights and spectator points - Day 3:
07:00 – race start at Quay Four
07:20 – Red Bridge spectator point – (please be there by 07h10 to beat the road closure)
07:30 – Top of Phantom Pass – (Please avoid Phantom Pass dirt road and use N2 and Rheenendal tar road to access this spectator point )
08:30 – Enjoy a cup of coffee at Mother Hollys as you watch the riders pass by
10:00 – expected leaders will pass through Krisjan se Nek into the indigenous forests
10:30 – Expected leaders finish at Quay Four
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