2015 Ashburton Investments NATIONAL MTB SERIES #2 Sabie by ADVENDURANCE

#2Sabie Race Summary

DONATING YOUR MEDAL GOES A LONG WAY At Qhubeka we believe that when we give bicycles to people who earned them, we are not just giving them a means of transportation but the gift of hope. This is one of reasons we chose the name “Qhubeka”, an Nguni (Zulu, Xhosa) word that means “to carry on”, “to progress” or “to move forward”. As World Bicycle Relief’s programme in South Africa, we believe in giving a hand-up not a hand-out. This is why we help people progress by giving bicycles in return for work done to improve communities, the environment or academic results.

MOBILISING PEOPLE

WITH BICYCLES

qhubeka.org

NATIONALMTBSERIES.COM

Ph o

to:

Zo on Cro nje .co

KO N

Table of Contents

Warm Welcome

p5-6

Race Summary

p9-10

History & Winners

p13-14

Route & Features

p15-16

Feeding & Technical Zones

p19-20

Spectator Zones

p25-26

Day Programme

p31-32

Leaders Jersey & Prize Money

p33-34

Broadcast Times

p37

Sponsors & Partners

p38

NATIONALMTBSERIES.COM

Ph o

to:

Zo on Cro nje .co

KO N

Warm Welcome

Welcome to the Ashburton Investments National MTB Series As the proud new sponsor of South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier marathon mountain biking series, Ashburton Investments is looking forward to bringing professional cyclists and weekend warriors alike access to more of the beauty that our country offers. With diverse venues from the beautiful Cape wine lands to the rocky landscapes of the Free State we believe that the series holds a little something for everyone. Mountain biking is a rapidly growing sport and the profile of participants fits well within Ashburton Investments target market. Ashburton Investments is the FirstRand Groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new generation, Africa based investment management business. Blending traditional and non-traditional investment expertise we strive to give investors access to more sources of return, broader investment capabilities and greater risk management. We believe that the Ashburton Investments National MTB Series gives us a new and exciting platform to engage with our clients, colleagues and cyclists from all walks of life. For more information about Ashburton please visit our website on www.ashburtoninvestments.com. The National MTB Series has grown and matured over more than a decade to include internationally acclaimed events with UCI status, and some of the biggest one day events in the country making the series the biggest of its kind in the world. The second stop in the Ashburton Investments National MTB Series for 2015 takes place at start of the Drakensburg mountains in the small forestry town of Sabie. Sabie has hundreds of kilometres of forestry trails and is considered the birth place of mountain biking in Southern Africa. We look forward to welcoming you at this auspicious event and trust that you will have a safe and memeorable experience with us and look forward to taking this journey alongside you. Regards, Boshoff Grobler CEO Ashburton Investments NATIONALMTBSERIES.COM

PURE PERFORMANCE, NATURALLY. CLEAN, CLEAR & POTENT. PERFORMANCE ENERGY AND REHYDRATION DRINK LOADED WITH PERFORMANCE NUTRIENTS: 3-STAGE GLYCOMATRIX CARB SYSTEM, L-GLUTAMINE, PHOSPHATES & ELECTROLYTES.

NO ARTIFICIAL COLOURANTS.

NO ARTIFICIAL FLAVOURS.

NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS.

NO PRESERVATIVES.

2 GREAT TASTING, SUBTLE FLAVOURS, AS WELL AS AN UNFLAVOURED OPTION.

THE NEW PUREFIT RANGE

AVAILABLE IN LEADING STORES NOW. PROUDLY DISTRIBUTED TO BIKE SHOPS BY TWO WHEELS TRADING (TWT).

S AB I E source of surprises The Sabie Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Welcomes all Mountain bikers, supporters and families to the 2015 Ashburton Investments National MTB Series #2 Sabie. We wish those partaking in the race lots of luck and the families and spectators a great experience in our town. We hope you enjoy the breathtaking scenery as you ride in and around this Mountain Biking Mecca. Enjoying our beautifull natural enviroment with all its forests, mountains and waterfalls. We thank you for visiting Sabie, please enjoy the hospitality of our town. We look forward to your return visit. James Sheard (Chairman of the SCCT)

NATIONALMTBSERIES.COM

Ph o

to:

Zo on Cro nje .co

KO N

Race Summary

Leg Number

Ashburton Investments NATIONAL MTB SERIES #2 Sabie

Venue

York Timber Sports Grounds, Sabie, Mpumalanga, South Africa

Registration

Fri 16h00-19h00 & Sat 05h30-07h30 Sun 06h00-09h00

Date

21/22 February 2015

Elevation

1015m Above Sea Level

Distances

10km | 17km | 45km | 72km | 115km

Participants 2500+

Sabie is a forestry town situated on the banks of the Sabie River in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The name Sabie is derived from the Tsonga Shangaan word “Ulusaba” which means fearful. The Shangaan called this river Ulusaba because the river was once teeming with dangerous Nile crocodiles and as a result, the Tsonga Shangaan people dubbed it Ulusaba (fearful river). Sabie is nestled in a deep valley on the escarpment of the Drakensberg mountain range in the Mpumalanga (“place of the rising sun”) province of South Africa and its main industry is forestry. The plantations surrounding Sabie form one of the world’s largest manmade forests. Sabie is regarded as the original “MECCA” of mountain biking, with a long history of competitive and recreational riding. This legendary route zigzags up towards the hartebeest “vlakte” plateau, where most of the participants will pass, over the weekends racing. The race has been in existence for 16 years and has grown tremendously with the riding being absolutely unique and spectacular.

NATIONALMTBSERIES.COM

10.

Starting h t 0 3 y a M

30 May 2

015

11 July 2015 29 Aug

ust 201

03 Octo

ber 201

31 October 2015

TrailSeekerseries.co.za

@TrailSeekerMTB

TrailSeekerMTB

NATIONALMTBSERIES.COM

Ph o

13.

to:

Zo on Cro nje .co

KO N

History & Winners

The Sabie leg of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ashburton Investments National MTB Seriesâ&#x20AC;?, is owned by the Lowveld Chaingang Club and it is their annual fund raiser, which has already enabled them to donate over R1 million to charity and the local community. This annual race weekend generates in excess of R6 million to the Sabie area from a tourism perspective alone. The event was first started in 1998 with about two hundred and fifty die hard mountain bikers. The route was only 50% off road that went up the mountain and back down Long Tom Pass, but was deemed too dangerous as Mannie Heymans was clocked by the Traffic Police at 95km/h! The Ultra distance was first introduced in 2009 to help raise the bar for our talented local heroes, competing in the gruelling five hour world championships.

Year

Men

Time

Women

2003

Fritz Pienaar

03:35.44

Yolande Speedy 04:29.50

2002

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

Mannie Heymans 02:49.49

Jacques Rossouw 03:16.06

Mannie Heymans 02:58.06

Mannie Heymans 02:54.34

Mannie Heymans 02:48.54 Kevin Evans

02:48.50

Kevin Evans

04:32.33

Max Knox Karl Platt

Kevin Evans

Charles Keey Urs Huber

04:00.16

04:51.21

05:08.42

04:59.51

05:28.57

Time -

Yolande Speedy 04:21.35 Hanlie Booyens

03:40.19

Yolande Speedy 03:28.55

Yolande Speedy 02:15.27

Yolande Speedy 03:26.00

Yolande Speedy 04:56.32

Yolande Speedy 03:27.10 Eszter Erdelyi

03:48.30

Ariane Kleinhans 03:56.14

Ariane Kleinhans 03:32.52

Ariane Kleinhans 04:22.22

NATIONALMTBSERIES.COM

14.

NATIONALMTBSERIES.COM

Ph o

15.

to:

Zo on Cro nje .co

KO N

Route & Features

Fun Race This year the traditional 16km Fun Race has been upgraded slightly to a 17km distance with 110m more ascent, and less single track to prevent the bottlenecks in the first 5km due to a large field of riders who enter this event. Depending on weather conditions leading up to the ride, or weather on the day the road and trail surfaces can be slippery and unpredictable. Sabie roads tend to have some rough rocky sections which will make the ride more challenging. It is not recommended for children under 12 years of age. The route now has some extended steeper climbs and more technical downhill sections which require a reasonable level of fitness and skill if you want to ride them all. Half-Marathon The 2015 route basically follows the same one which the riders found both enjoyable, yet challenging in 2014. The distance remains at 45km with a visit to the Maritzbos Hiking Hut, with a slight increase in the total ascent and less intimidating technical sections. This is an exciting route with some stunning views if you take some time out to stop, take in the surroundings and perhaps a photo or two. This year, the descents and final section to the finish will have extended single tracks. Marathon The 2015 route follows the same direction and sections of the one which the riders found very challenging and enjoyable, in 2014. The Mamba Switchback (360m in 3,5km) now comes at 19km after 500m of climbing, but remains as the main climb, with the King of the Mountain, which now occurs at 28km into the race. A new Eland Single Track 2 section has been added, and the climb to Mount Moody (1970m asl) has been excluded due to the very dangerous road conditions on the descent. The Rocky Horror section however remains, and some riders may have to resort to a short portage here. The Iveron Trail is ridden from north to south this year. Once again, it is a route with single track, a lot of variability in terrain, surfaces and some stunning views of the valley below and numerous high waterfalls. Ultra Marathon The ultra marathon route is a combination of the marathon and the half marathon. NATIONALMTBSERIES.COM

16.

If you demand 100% from your beer, choose

*based on Bavaria 0.0% Regular Malt

Bavaria 0.0% is brewed naturally, but with a unique, patented process creating no alcohol at all from the get go. It’s a genuine 0.0% alcohol malt drink and a flavour taste sensation! The claim ‘non-alcoholic’ or ‘alcohol free’ is often a misnomer. How can any beer with up to 0.5% alcohol content claim to be non-alcoholic? Most ‘alcohol-free’ beers are brewed as normal alcoholic beers, with the alcohol extracted at the last stage. Is it possible to remove all of the alcohol? No ways! These beers can have up to 0.5% alcohol by volume remaining when they reach the shelf. But by law it’s still ‘alcohol-free’? Who’s kidding who? ‘Alcohol-free’ should mean zero alcohol, nothing, nada, zip! Zero alcohol for Bavaria means Halaal too! Looking to reduce your waistline? Bavaria 0.0% uses only the purest mineral water, barley malt, wheat, and hops and has only 25Kcal, 6g carbohydrates (of which sugar 3.1g), 0.2g protein, and 0g fat per 100ml. It’s good for the figure and your confidence gets a kick! Bavaria 0.0% also has isotonic values and contains 68% less sugar and 41% less calories than the average soft drink or fruit juice. WOW!* We’ve sacrificed none of the flavour to bring you Bavaria 0.0% – you’ll love its malty, smooth, refreshing taste! And if you like your alcohol-free experience with a twist, Bavaria 0.0% is available in the following natural flavour taste sensations: Regular Malt, Raspberry, Lemon, Apple, Peach, Pomegranate and Pineapple. Enjoy!

NATIONALMTBSERIES.COM

Ph o

19.

to:

Zo on Cro nje .co

KO N

Tech & Feed Zones

Water Point #1

19.0km

Water Point #3

56.0km

KOM / QOM

27.0km

FTA #3

72.0km

FTA #1 (Neutral)

33.9km

Water Point #4

72.1km

Water Point #2

34.0km

FTA #4 (Neutral)

95.0km

FTA #2

56.0km

Water Point #5

102.0km

Directions to FTA Zones FTA #2: 25° 2’44.00”S / 30°45’45.03”E Take the R532 towards Graskop. Take the left hand turn-off to Klein Sabie (Bandsaag Road), turn left towards Tweefontein Forest Station At the T-junction, cross the old railway crossing. Follow the bend and continue straight for 1.3km. Turn left and follow the road for 800m. At the intersection turn right on the major road and follow the road for 500m. At the fork keep right and follow the road for 400m. At the next fork keep left and follow the road for 1.6km. At the T-junction turn left and almost immediately turn right again. FTA #1 is 300m up the road. FTA #3: Is situated across from the start finish next to the river. Access to the FTA Zones (Feed & Technical Assistance Zone) Report to registration where we will issue you with your Team Zone access card. Only teams have access to setup in the team designated area. Rules & Regulations Feeding and technical assistance will only be allowed at these designated areas. They are clearly marked and support crews must stay out of the way of riders. A UCI Commissaire will be on site to monitor the proceedings. No support vehicle will be tolerated on the race route - severe penalties or disqualifications will follow. This event makes use of CSA / SA-MTB rules and is ultimately affiliated to the UCI. NB: FTA Zones are only for ULTRA Marathon Teams & Marathon Ladies “A” NATIONALMTBSERIES.COM

20.

Ultra Marathon 1

1800m

1700m 1600m 1500m 1400m 1300m 1200m 1100m 1000m 900m 800m

21.

10km NATIONALMTBSERIES.COM

20km

30km

40km

50km

60km

Feed & Tech King of the Mountain Spectator Zone

USN Water Point Ascent: 3050m Distance: 115km Official Mapping Partner

Official Nutrition Partner

70km

80km

90km

100km

110km NATIONALMTBSERIES.COM

22.

“AND TEAM SKY MOVES AHEAD BY A KICKR.”

Every little advantage matters. With the KICKR you get a complete training tool that’s unlike anything you’ve used before. Connected to your smartphone, it’s the most advanced way to train. WAHOOFITNESS.CO.ZA

NATIONALMTBSERIES.COM

Ph o

25.

to:

Zo on Cro nje .co

KO N

Spectator Zones

Spectator Zone #1

4.5km from Venue (Ultra & Marathon) 4.0km into race

Spectator Zone #3

8.2km from Venue (Ultra & Marathon) 61km into race

Spectator Zone #2

7.5km from Venue (Ultra & Marathon) 55km into race

Directions to Spectator Zones SZ #1 : 25° 7’4.58”S / 30°43’30.58”E From the parking lot take the Old Lydenburg road and turn right. Follow the road for 4.5km SZ #2 : 25° 3’18.81”S / 30°47’10.42”E Take the R532 towards Graskop. Take the left hand turn-off to Klein Sabie (Bandsaag Road) Turn left towards Tweefontein Forest Station at the T-junction, cross the old railway crossing. Follow the bend and continue straight for 1.3km. SZ #3 : 25° 4’30.32”S / 30°45’9.05”E Take the R532 towards Graskop. Take the left hand turn-off to Klein Sabie (Bandsaag Road) Turn left towards Tweefontein Forest Station at the T-junction, cross the old railway crossing. Take the first road left just after the bend turning 90 degrees and continue straight for 3.0km. Please keep in mind that directions are from the race venue. None of the dirt roads are accessible by normal vehicles. Access to the Spectator Zones Supporter zones are open to the public. Please use only the directions given to get to these zones. Bring a camping chair and shade and support the participants as they make their way past. Rules & Regulations No outside assistance is allowed. No one may interfere with the race in any way. If caught assisting or feeding participants penalties will apply. NATIONALMTBSERIES.COM

26.

Marathon 1

1800m

1700m 1600m 1500m 1400m 1300m 1200m 1100m 1000m 900m 800m

10km

27.

NATIONALMTBSERIES.COM

20km

30km

40km

50km

60km

70km

1/2

Marathon

Feed & Tech King of the Mountain Spectator Zone USN Water Point

1800m

Ascent: 1250m

1700m 1600m

Distance: 72km

1500m 1400m

950m 45km

Official Mapping Partner

1300m 1200m 1100m

Official Nutrition Partner

1000m 900m 800m

10km

20km

30km

40km NATIONALMTBSERIES.COM

28.

Scan here with your mobile phone to share your experience on vavavox.com

Don’t be sheepish, Let us know what you think!

We want to offer you only the best cycling experiences, so if you tell us what you did or didn’t like today, you’ll help us make that a reality. Simply visit www.vavavox.com on your phone, tablet or computer and share your experience.

● INDEPENDENT ● TRUSTED ● UNBIASED

.com

BETTER CHOICES THROUGH SHARED EXPERIENCES

Are you part of SAS? SASeeding (SAS) is an exciting race administration system aimed at improving the standard of cycling events. Upon registering with SAS each cyclist receives a permanent and unique SAS number; which also doubles as a race number and timing chip. SAS gathers race results from various race organisers and uses these to create a race index. This enables SAS to divide large numbers into smaller batches in accordance with a riders ability which effectively eliminates congestion. Riders are provided with a more enjoyable and safer riding experience. SAS recently started the first MTB ranking system in conjunction with KIA, so riders can now view their national ranking on www.kiarankings.co.za

Web: saseeding.co.za Facebook: facebook.com/saseeding

Twitter: @saseeding Queries: info@saseeding.co.za

NATIONALMTBSERIES.COM

Ph o

31.

to:

Zo on Cro nje .co

KO N

Day Programme

Date

Friday 20th February 2015

16:00 - 19:00

Registration & On-line entries

Date

Saturday 21st February 2015

06:25

Riders call up / Interviews / Briefing

06:50

Start Marathon 72km Ladies “UCI Licensed”.

07:30

Start Marathon 72km Men “A”. Batches 5min

10:45

Winner of Marathon 72km Expected

05:30 - 07:30

Registration & Late entries

06:45

Start Ultra 115km Pro / Elite “UCI Licensed”

07:00

Start Ultra 115km Amateur “Non-UCI”

Expected arrival times 11:30

Winner of ULTRA 115km Pro / Elite Men

Date

Sunday 22nd February 2015

07:35

Start ½ Marathon 45km Women “A”. Batches 5min

09:00

Start Fun Ride 8km “All”

09:20

Winner of Fun Race 17km

Prize giving at 13:00 (Or once the top 10 Ultra men have finished) 07:30

Start ½ Marathon 45km Men “A”.

08:20

Start Fun Race 17km “A”. Batches 5min

Expected arrival times 10:00

Winner of ½ Marathon 45km

Prize giving at 12:00 (Or once the Half-Marathon categories have finished) NATIONALMTBSERIES.COM

32.

Pos

Prize Money Ultra

Marathon

Overall

U23 19-22

Vet 40-49

R 12,000.00

550.00

R 3,000.00

R 1,500.00

500.00

R 12,000.00

R 6,000.00

330.00

R 1,500.00

750.00

300.00

R 3,000.00

250.00

500.00

200.00

4 5

R 6,000.00 R 3,000.00 R 1,500.00

750.00

600.00

500.00

400.00

300.00

33.

Male

Marathon

Male R 25,000.00

Female

Marathon Male

R 1,500.00 R

750.00

KOM R 1,000.00

NATIONALMTBSERIES.COM

QOM R 1,000.00

750.00 Senior 23-29

Female

Male

Master 50-59

Female

500.00

300.00

200.00

Sub Vet 30-39

500.00

300.00

200.00

Pos

Half Marathon

Overall

Female

Male

Fun Race

Junior

17-18

Male

Female

Overall Male

Female

500.00

R 1,000.00

Prize

300.00

500.00

Prize

200.00

300.00

Prize

Sub Jun

13-14

Youth

15-16

Master

50-59

500.00

Prize

300.00

Prize

200.00

Prize

Sprog

11-12

Grand Master

60+

500.00

Prize

300.00

Prize

200.00

Prize

Nipper

<11

Prize

NATIONALMTBSERIES.COM

34.

VIDEOGRAPHY

SPECIALIST MARKETING CONSULTING

PHOTOGRAPHY

DESIGN

SOCIAL MEDIA

CONTENT MARKETING

We are a full service digital agency specialising in content generation via professional photography, graphic design and videography services geared specifically for social media . Nowadays brands require constant design and management of marketing channels within a rapidly evolving social media landscape. Digital marketing is in our DNA and we pride ourselves in being on the cutting edge of the new media landscape.

& PROFESSIONAL OUTDOOR & ADVENTURE PHOTOGRAPHY

TV Broadcast & Sponsors

Date

Series Event

Show

Time

16 March 2015

Episode 3 - National MTB Series #2 Sabie - Saturday

Advendurance TV