With names like Esther Suss, Ariane Luthi and Jennie Stenerhag on the start line tomorrow, the Fairtree Simonsberg Contour event is going to be the stage race to watch this coming weekend of 4 & 5 February.
Starting from Delvera Farm outside Stellenbosch the spectator point for Saturday is at Marianne wine estate and Sunday at Muratie Wine Estate.
Prizemoney will be equal for the ladies and men with a total of R35000 for overall long distance winners of the two-day stage race.
Other local names to watch would be Mari Rabie and Tania Raats. In the Men’s event team Topeak Ergon are confirmed with Alban Lakata, Kristian Hynek and Jeremiah Bishop leading the charge.
With a trophy going to both ladies and men for the King of the mountain competition, it will be interesting to see who walks away with the titles.
“I look forward to ride some of the most flowy trails of Stellenbosch around my favourite mountain here!” says Ariane Luthi from Team Spur.
Fairtree Capital added: “We are very proud to be associated with the Fairtree Simonsberg Contour and are very excited to welcome riders for the second edition of the ‘Fire Ride’. After recently testing the trails ourselves, we can attest that the Dirtopia team and the landowners have done an incredible job in preparing the trails and that all participants are in for two fantastic days of mountain biking!”
Riders that are fortunate enough to be part of the second Fairtree Simonsberg Contour two-day stage race on 4 & 5 February, will have a special experience on the trails, prepared by route designer Meurant Botha of Dirtopia. “The route team has been working hard to finalise the first stage for the 2017 Contour with lots of construction on stage 2.”
The aim for day 1 is to create a faster and technically easier day before Sunday’s single-track extravaganza. In a complete redesign of last year’s first stage, riders will head northeast and explore the farms on the lower slopes of the Simonsberg between Klapmuts and Simondium.
Riders who participated in the 2016 Absa Cape Epic will catch glimpses of the final day’s Stage 7 as riders cross from Niel Joubert Wines to Delvera. Apart from various single-track sections around Klapmutskop, most of the routing is on farm roads and will make for fast riding. In terms of elevation, long route riders can expect a relatively easy day with around 1280m of climbing according to Google Earth, with a distance of 58km. Short route riders can expect around 950m of climbing for the 40km option.
On day 2 the route heads into the trails with the Contour being the only event that utilises the ‘Never Say Neverending Again’ Trail on the Simonsberg, that at 10km is one of the longest continuous pieces of trail in the Western Cape and offers unsurpassed views of the Boland and Peninsula.
‘We have also added more flow in the Knorhoek region of Day 2’s route to eliminate some of the stinging ascents and replacing them with single-track.”
With more than 26km of single-track on Day 2, just shy of 50% of the days riding will be on the narrow stuff! Race distance for day two is approximately 57km and elevation between 1500 and 1600m. Due to the high volume of single-track, rider numbers to this race are limited to ensure a premium rider experience.
At the finish line, riders can look forward to a free bike wash, craft beer, lunch, massage, warm shower and chill out areas with kiddies entertainment.
BOS Sport will support the refreshment stations as hydration partner on the routes and at the finish line for both weekends.
Follow the event on Twitter @FairtreeContour or see Facebook page Fairtree Simonsberg Contour. Results will be live on www.trailtag.co.za although provisional on the day. Race information: www.dirtopia.co.za
