stage 4
Bannockburn to Bannockburn
(70km, 2 600m ascent)
A harsh stage profile and overnight rain had
us sleeping uneasy in “Tent City”, but we
awoke to one of the most beautiful sunrises
over Farm Anderson on the outskirts of
Bannockburn. A light shower doused us
as we pulled away, but it soon subsided,
leaving us with nothing but tacky trails and
cool temperatures.
On this stage, which featured the most
climbing, we doggedly stuck to our steady
state strategy, chugging along at our
own rhythm while most teams frantically
fought to stay in the groups they had
started with. About a third into the stage,
we hit The Carricktown Trail and Yolandi
hit another gear as the road steepened –
PAC-MAN eat your heart out! We carved
our way over Mt Difficulty and through
the field, eventually finishing as the third
mixed team – and finally feeling as if we
were racing to our potential.
JET LAG IS A THING
With an 11hr time difference
to SA it took us a few days to
find our feet and reset our
biological clocks. Take this into
account when you do the event
as it can contribute a lot to the
fun factor or your performance
(if you are so inclined).
1
PACK RIGHT, PACK LIGHT
NZ and Australian customs
officers are strict on what they
allow into their countries.
2
92 | MTB | bucket list busting
Make sure you wash your bike
(especially the tyres) before
you pack. They will check and
make you wash your bike before
entering the country if needed.
Bring only what you need.
Excess baggage is expensive so
make sure you know the rules
of the airline you are using and
stick to them as much as you
can. Nobody likes being “that
guy” at the airport. In addition,
a lot of the gear you might need
can be rented in NZ.
GEAR CHECK
Make sure you bring all the
compulsory and mandatory
gear as prescribed or, even
better, purchase the equipment
in NZ as they will have exactly
what is required.
3
TRAIL TECHNICALITY
Although the race website
lists the event as “overall non
technical”, the focus is on
“overall”. For the most part the
race route is very rideable, but
4