2023 M&G Investments PE PLETT ride guide

everything you need to know

message from the title sponsor

Hello Riders

Welcome to another unforgettable experience at the M&G Investments PE Plett. This, the 11th staging, and our sixth year as headline sponsor, is a sold-out event, and we hope testament to the fact that each and every year we work on improving the route and overall experience for you.

This year we’re cranking it up another gear… new routes with flowing single track, beautiful vistas, new food vendors and probably a “Mike Glover” special route detour through some bushes (let’s hope not).

As M&G Investments, we’ve worked with Red Cherry to put together a race pack full of thoughtful, quality items to help you along your journey. Added to this, the M&G Boost Bar is back and stocked full of ice-cold coee and milkshakes for that boost to the finish line. To help kick o your day, we’ve also brought back the M&G Juice Bar which will be serving cold-pressed juices before the race. Watermelon, pineapple and carrot are on the menu this year.

In your race pack, you’ll also find a tin of gummies with a QR code –we’ve partnered with a sports psychologist and meditation expert, Dr Kate Leinberger, who has put together a series of meditations to help focus your mind on the journey ahead each morning. Consistency in the saddles comes from a mind in control.

It goes without saying that this is a special stage race, both for the riders and us at M&G. It’s a race that requires consistent eort, dedication and grit, but ultimately the reward when you cross that finish line is worth it, and the memories made and friendships created last a lifetime.

Enjoy the race, #keepthecadence, and I look forward to chatting to many of you along the route.

Grayson Rainier Marketing Manager M&G Investments

Our range of funds

the last

years

Why Consistency matters

Consistency is a quality that M&G Investments prides itself on. It’s a major factor that has led to investment success for our clients and ourselves And it’s also about the inputs as well as the outputs: being consistently disciplined, consistently diligent and consistently determined. That’s because in investing, it doesn’t matter how good you are on a given day, you have to be consistently good day after day, month after month, decade after decade. It’s this quality that has helped us achieve consistent top fund performance year after year. In turn, this has enabled our clients to improve their lives.

Consistently strong returns

Over nearly three decades we have used the same valuation-based philosophy, applying it unemotionally every day and ignoring the short-term swings of the market. We have also always deliberately chosen to incorporate a wide variety of investment ideas in our portfolios, carefully diversifying risk rather than betting on a small number of assets or forecasts The resulting strong performance track records of our funds confirm the correctness of our belief in consistency

Consistent innovation

Globally, we have a decades-long track record of consistent innovation – creating cutting-edge investment solutions around the needs of our clients and playing an active role in improving the world we live in. This spans environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing, infrastructure investing and the use of artificial intelligence, among others We bring the latest expertise to Southern Africa to enhance our own longstanding active approach.

A consistent team

Our investment team has proved remarkably stable, building up their skills through training, experience and close collaboration with each other and scores of their colleagues overseas. Working together over the years, doing the right things right, helps ensure they can generate repeatable successes in the ever-changing markets And throughout our business, whether compliance, operations or client service, our sta all understand that maintaining consistently high standards is at the heart of everything we do

message from the organizers

Dear Riders of the 2023 M&G Investments PE PLETT,

We are truly excited to welcome you all to the 11th staging of the M&G Investments PE PLETT.

A lot has happened since the 2022 event and the Red Cherry Events team have been hard at work on the planning of the route as well as enhancing the village experience.

The biggest move for us, was in bringing onboard a new equity partner, namely Jacques Steenkamp. Jacques has been a part of the event since inception, also as a local farmer, he has an intimate knowledge of the area. Jacques has taken over the route and I have taken over the village. As you ride through the beautiful trails, you'll see the hard work Jacques and his team have put in to create a stunning route.

We have made several improvements to the village, including a partnership with Food Lovers Market, who will be providing riders with additional food options between meals. Heineken will also be back, with nearly double the stock of previous years, to quench your thirst.

We have added a brand new reward, a Maui 4-berth motorhome, for the Spirit of the Day.

Instead of hosting yoga classes, we will now be introducing stretch classes.

An event of this magnitude would not be possible without our title sponsor, M&G Investments, who have been a key part of taking this event to the next level.

Please enjoy the ride and the stunning country we call home. Our team is here to support you and ensure you have a memorable experience, so if you encounter any issues, do not hesitate to reach out.

We are already planning for 2024 and look forward to sharing some exciting plans with you on the last night of the event.

Best regards,

Mike Glover

schedule of events

WEDNESDAY

CROSSWAYS

THURSDAY

MENTORS

22 February

FRIDAY 24 February

ASSEGAAIBOSCHCOUNTRYLODGE

SATURDAY 25 February

TSITSIKAMMALODGE

Win a luxury stay at Simbavati

Fynbos on Sea

To enter

Post your favourite photos each day on Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter and tag:

@mandgsouthafrica

@simbavatifynbosonsea

How do you win?

The photo with the most likes/shares/comments combined wins. The winner will be announced on Monday 27 February 2023.

SCAN HERE to learn more about the prize

The prize includes Local flights from within South Africa including Accommodation for 2 people for 2 nights in Full board & activities (all meals, scheduled walks and mountain bike trails, use of moun R250 gift voucher per person per night to spend

including airport transfers in a Luxury Suite scheduled daily activities, self-guided mountain bikes) spend on extras at the lodge

helpful tips en route

Hydration is important sip regularly and use the well stocked waterholes

Accept the fact that all roads are “live” so ride responsibly. Single file is recommended.

Acknowledge faster riders and allow them to pass faster riders please be respectful.

Embrace the spirit of the event you could sleep in heaven courtesy ofTempur.

At all waterholes, chain lube is available use it!

Zero your odos before you start this is useful to the organisers if you do have a problem as theywill be able to get to you quickly.

If a rider goes down make them comfortable DO NOTMOVETHEM wait for medics to arrive on the scene.

Please adhere to compulsory portages

day one route profile

crossways village mentors kraal

distance: elevation: diculty:

61.4 km 1,000 m

day two route profile

mentors kraal assegaaibosch ho

distance: elevation: diculty:

80.0 km 1,250 m

day three route profile

assegaaibosch hotel tsitsikamma

distance:

elevation: diculty:

57.0 km 1,100 m

day four route profile

tsitsikamma lodge & spa nature

distance: elevation: diculty:

73.0 km 1,000 m

understanding the route markings

The route is marked with dayglow stickers ORANGE

All areas that are No Go are marked with a sticker GREEN

So if you see a Green sticker ... you are on the wrong route

How the marking system works:

ALeftTurnApproaching is marked with stickers on LH side of path 2 ORANGE

A Right Turn Approaching is marked with 2 ORANGE stickers on RH side of path

Single confirmation markers are always on LH side of path

If you see a single marker on RH side you are going the wrong way

Lookout for these signs - they indicate the 2 routes