2016 Ashburton Investments NATIONAL MTB SERIES #2 Sabie by ADVENDURANCE

#2Sabie Race Summary

S AB I E source of surprises The Sabie Chamber of Commerce and Tourism (SCCT) Welcomes all Mountain Bikers, Families, Supporters and Spectators to the 2016 Ashburton Investments Sabie Classic The SCCT wishes all those participating in the Race all the very best. We also hope that all the Families, Supporters and Spectators will have a wonderful experience in our Town. Please enjoy our breathtakingly beautiful scenery as you ride through our forests in this Mountain Biking Mecca. Enjoy our wonderful natural environment with all its Mountains, Forests, Waterfalls, and Rivers. Please enjoy Sabieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hospitality and come back to visit us again soon ! Gwilym Rees (Chairman of the SCCT) Sabie Champer Info Office: 013 590 5452 www.sabie.info

If we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expect MORE > weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have to settle for less A part of the FirstRand Group

Ashburton Fund Managers (Proprietary) Limited (Reg. No 2002/013187/07) is an authorised financial services provider (FSP number 40169) in terms of the FAIS Act, 2002.

Table of contents 3.

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p5-6

Race summary

p9-10

History and winners

p11-12

Route and features

p13-14

Feeding and technical zones

p17-18

Spectator zones

p23-24

Day programme

p29-30

Prize money

p31-32

Broadcast times

p33

Sponsors and partners

p34

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Warm welcome

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Warm welcome 5.

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Welcome to the Ashburton Investments National MTB Series After a successful first year in 2015 we are excited to welcome you to the second year of the Ashburton Investments National MTB series. As the proud sponsor of South Africa’s premier marathon mountain biking series, we are looking forward to continuing to bring professional cyclists and weekend warriors alike access to more of the beauty that our country offers. With diverse venues from the rolling hills of Mpumalanga to the beautiful Cape wine lands 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 client’s lifestyle interests. Ashburton Investments is the FirstRand Group’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.

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The National MTB Series has grown and matured over more than a decade to include internationally acclaimed events, and some of the biggest one day events in the country making the series the biggest of its kind in the world. The second event in the 2016 series takes us to the beautiful mountain biking mecca of Sabie. This event has become the benchmark marathon mountain bike race by which all others are judged. We expect over 3000 riders to descend upon the small Lowveld town for the weekend where family and friends will have the opportunity to test their skills and relax too. We look forward to sharing a safe and memorable experience with you here. Regards, Boshoff Grobler CEO Ashburton Investments

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Race summary 9.

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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

20/21 February 2016

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.

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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.

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10.

History and winners 11.

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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.

Ultra marathon Year Men

2015

Max Knox

Time

05:11.19

Marathon

Year

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2015

Men

William Mokgopo

Time

Women

Time

Women

Time

03:34.38

Ariane Kleinhans

03:40.20

Half marathon (Junior or Youth)

Year

2015

Men

Joshua Nelson

01:49.41

Rimari Sutton

02:27.44

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12.

Route and features 13.

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Half-marathon 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.

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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 will be a combination of the marathon & half marathon routes. NATIONALMTBSERIES.COM

14.

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!

Tech and feed zones 17.

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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.

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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

18.

Ultra marathon 1

19.

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QUEEN OF THE MOUNTAINS

WATERPOINT

FTA ZONE

MAJOR CLIMB

Official Mapping Partner

Official Nutrition Partner

4 2 3

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20.

“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

Spectator zones 23.

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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.

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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

24.

Marathon 1

25.

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1/2

Marathon

QUEEN OF

THE MOUNTAINS

WATERPOINT

FTA ZONE

Official Mapping Partner

Official Nutrition Partner

MAJOR CLIMB

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26.

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.

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Day programme 29.

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Date

Friday 19th February 2016

Date

Saturday 20th February 2016

06:25

Riders call up / Interviews / Briefing

06:50

Start Marathon 72km Ladies Elite

07:30

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

10:45

Winner of Marathon 72km Expected

16:00 - 19:00

Registration & On-line entries

05:30 - 08:00

Registration & Late entries

06:45

Start Ultra 112km Pro / Elite

07:00

Start Ultra 112km Amateur

Expected arrival times 11:30

Winner of ULTRA 112km Pro / Elite Men

Date

Sunday 21st February 2016

07:30

Start ½ Marathon 44km Men “A”.

08:20

Start Fun Race 17km “A”. Batches 5min

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Prize giving at 13:00 (Or once the top 10 Ultra men have finished) 06:00 - 09:00

Registration & Late entries

07:35

Start ½ Marathon 44km Women “A”. Batches 5min

09:00

Start Fun Ride 8km “All”

09:20

Winner of Fun Race 17km

Expected arrival times 10:00

Winner of ½ Marathon 44km

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

30.

Pos

Prize money Ultra

Marathon

Overall

U23 19-22

Vet 40-49

Male R 26,000.00

R 13,000.00

550.00

R 3,500.00

R 2,000.00

550.00

R 13,000.00

R 7,000.00

350.00

R 1,500.00

R 1,000.00

350.00

R 3,500.00

250.00

R 1,000.00

250.00

3 4 5

R 3,000.00 R 1,500.00

800.00

650.00

500.00

400.00

300.00

31.

Male

Marathon

R 6,500.00

Female

Marathon Male

R 1,750.00 R

800.00

KOM R 1,000.00

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QOM R 1,000.00

Senior 23-29

Female

750.00

Male

Master 50-59

Female

550.00

350.00

250.00

Sub Vet 30-39

550.00

350.00

250.00

Pos

Half Marathon

Overall

Female

Male

Fun Race

Junior

17-18

Male

Female

Overall Male

Female

550.00

R 1,000.00

Prize

350.00

500.00

Prize

250.00

300.00

Prize

Sub Jun

13-14

Youth R

550.00

15-16 R

550.00

350.00

250.00

Master

50-59

550.00

Prize

350.00

Prize

250.00

Prize

Sprog

11-12

Grand Master

60+

550.00

Prize

350.00

Prize

250.00

Prize

Nipper

<11

Prize

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32.

TV broadcast and sponsors

Date

Series Event

Show

Time

29 February 2016

Episode 1 - Ashburton Investments National MTB Series #1 Meerendal - Marathon

Advendurance TV