KAP sani2c is one of the oldest and best-loved three-day mountain bike stage races in the country. The three versions of the event, the Trail, Adventure and Race, take place between 12 and 16 May next year. Enter at www.sani2c.co.za
To whet your appetite, we have put together a gallery of sani2c images taken by the renowned adventure photographer Kelvin Trautman. Any one of these images would look great on your wall, either as a memento of your best three days on a bike, or to inspire you to enter for the first time.
Kelvin Trautman says: “Sani is special in so many ways. The local community involvement, the family atmosphere, the passion and attention to detail from Glen and his team, but also the route. I have photographed Sani 6 times and having flown over, ridden through, run along and explored nearly all the nooks and crannies of the course, I keep thinking I’ve seen it all. Yet every year I return another hidden gem of the route seems to reveal itself – it’s like being on a perpetual treasure hunt and is a testament to both the diversity of places and landscapes you ride through and some remarkable track building. The pics here are some of what I have found over the years and I feel very grateful to be able to document and share the beauty of this race with you all.”
We are offering a prize of a photo canvas to a Bike Hub reader; see the bottom of the page for details of how to enter this competition.
Day 1 of KAP sani2c sees you leave the southern Drakensberg town of Himeville from Glencairn Farm, ride into commercial forestry plantations, indigenous forest and fast flowing singletrack, crossing the PG Bison floating bridges across the Mossbank Dam.
The first section of flowing single track is reached at “Great Oke” (Picture 1) and epitomises what sani2c is all about: “The faster you go the more technical it becomes,” says race founder “Farmer” Glen Haw.
Even when stopping for a technical, you are surrounded by beautiful scenery, wildlife, waving school children or a farm cow or two. The KAP sani2c traverses 263kms of farmlands, game reserves and tribal land and offers a staggering diversity of trails.
The drop into the Umkomaas Valley on Day 2 of the KAP sani2c (Picture 5,6,7) is legendary and for 15 years has helped to make the race one that riders return to again and again. There are 185 “Black Mambas”, riders who have completed ten or more of the events, and 6 people have finished every single one. They are Flavio Scarpa, George De Beer, Grant Macpherson, Lloyd Barker, Mathew Goetsch and Steve Christy.
After the Umko Drop you take on the Iconic Climb out of the Umkomaas Valley. You then enter Woody’s Burn, a new section that adds 5kms of single track next to the Umkomaas river. (Picture 8)
The communities along the route of the KAP sani2c form the backbone of the event, working year round to maintain the trails and build new facilities. They offer major support during race week both behind the scenes and by cheering for riders. For three months before the race, a team of 80 people work five days a week to ensure the trails are in immaculate condition.
When you hit the sugar cane fields on Day 3 you can almost smell the sea at Scottburgh, but some climbing and the spectacular Vernon Crooks Game Reserve (Picture 11, 12) await you before the final descent.
And you are there! Greeted by beachgoers and supporters, a final floating bridge (14) brings you onto the beach. You have just one more small climb up to the finish line at Scottburgh Golf Club.
Competition To Win A Kelvin Trautman Photo Canvas
Be in line to win a stretched photo canvas of the picture of your choice from the above 14 images, printed by Jetline Action Photo, and sent by courier to you (you choose the size of print up to an A1 poster size).
Enter on the Google form HERE.
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Thats a flippen nice pic.Hope its on the Berg and Bush next year