The Great Kei Trek – Putting Eastern Cape Cycling on the map
The inaugural Great Kei Trek, was a resounding success and cycling enthusiasts will be delighted to hear that the 2019 event promises to deliver even more spectacular riding.
This 3-day mountain bike stage race will place The Great Kei Trek firmly on the MTB calendar of “must-do” races.
Taking place from Thursday the 2nd of May to Saturday the 4th, the ride will start in Queenstown and finish at the stunning Morgan Bay Hotel.
According to race organisers, The Leverage Corporation, the 250km ride will hold definite appeal for those cyclists who traditionally use the months of April or May for their “away-game”. Rob Jackson, MD of The Leverage Corporation and Event Organiser comments, “In 2018, we were really proud to bring something new to the MTB calendar, particularly in one of the most beautiful areas of our country.
Many of the areas will never have been seen before and that is the real beauty and appeal of this event.”
The Great Kei Trek is designed to appeal to riders from outside the Eastern Cape and is attracting riders from Bloemfontein, Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town.
“If you are flying in from out of town we have introduced complimentary shuttles, courtesy of Luxliner, to take you from the East London Airport to the start in Queenstown and again from the finish in Morgan Bay back to the airport after the race,” says Rob Jackson, Managing Director of The Leverage Corporation.
“Not only have we done our best to take the hassle out of getting you to the start and from the finish, but we have also made some significant improvements to the trails,” continues Jackson.
The course has been mapped out by well-known local cyclist Dean Sheard who can be found on The Bikehub.co.za’s Great Kei Trek thread if you follow Deanbean.
All you need to know about the race:
• The Great Kei Trek is a 2-rider team race, fully catered for, with different tented accommodation options and some new and exciting tracks, and of course some stunning Eastern Cape Hospitality.
• The race starts in Tylden, just outside of Queenstown, also known as the “Rose Capital of South Africa” in the Eastern Cape.
• Day 1, has been revised significantly and is now only 75km from
Tylden to the quaint historical village of the Old Thomas River situated between Cathcart and Stutterheim. In true Eastern Cape fashion, this is where the Eastern Cape hospitality starts to kick in, with the farming community and the businesses all getting involved to make sure you have an awesome experience.
• Day 2 is 95km and stretches from The Old Thomas River to Komga. Once having left Old Thomas River, riders will traverse through the beautiful forests of Stutterheim before the final push of the day to Komga. This day will be remembered for the scenery and infamous climb up the Kubusi Valley.
• Day 3 is 75km, the final push from Komga, through the quaint seaside village of Haga Haga, then on to the beautiful and stunning and peaceful seaside holiday village of Morgan Bay.
“We could not have selected a more beautiful area to finish our ride, as we will finish on the spectacular seaside cliffs of Morgan Bay,” says Jackson.
The after party will be on the deck of the Morgan Bay Hotel on the evening of the finish, so riders shouldn’t rush home too soon.
“Rides like this are never possible without the fantastic co-operation and support of the local landowners and businesses in the area and of course our sponsors. We are extremely excited to announce that Liberty has again shown their confidence in The Great Kei Trek by becoming a Tier 1 Level sponsor. They join Luxliner, a division of Phola Coaches, and Food Lovers as our Tier 1 sponsors.”
The Great Kei Trek also welcome The Daily Dispatch, Kulula, Bridgestone, Splashworks, Midas and Cool Ideas – Fibre to Home, as our partners this year.
Entries will close on the 31 March. There are only 30 team entries available at this stage so visit www.greatkeitrek.co.za to reserve your place.