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GARDEN ROUTE | KAROO NEWS - The TransCape 2023 mountain bike race got off to a wet start in George on Sunday 5 March. Stormy clouds were threatening as the group of 25 riders left from Redberry Farm on their six-day quest, crossing the mountainous areas on the back roads to reach Bot River by Friday.
Stage one was from Redberry Farm to La Plume Boutique Guesthouse in Oudtshoorn.
After much contemplation it was decided to send the riders on a slightly different route to get onto Montagu Pass.
Instead of going up the pass from the lower part of the Outeniqua Mountains, they took a route through Blanco. Despite severe weather warnings, Mother Nature played along until the riders arrived at Paardepoort, from where they could see a huge storm brewing in the distance.
After the first waterpoint riders were confronted with severe torrential rain, thunder and lightning close to the group, but everyone made it unscathed to the finish of the first stage at La Plume.
Stage two started with uncertainty about whether it would be possible to safely cross over Rooiberg Pass on Monday. The route director however did an early morning run and gave the green light to cross a very wet pass.
The final 12km of this stage took riders to Rooiberg Lodge in Van Wyksdorp. On Tuesday morning, the first of three long stages (91km) started from Van Wyksdorp to Kweekkraal Guesthouse in Riversdale.
From there the group takes on the next long stretch (95km) from Riversdale to Swellendam, from where they will ride to Greyton and on Friday make it to the breathtaking Gabriëlskloof wine estate in Bot River.
This photo taken by Jeff Ayliffe sums up the first two days with the riders chasing the storm.
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