21 Nov 2016 2017 Maluti Double90 entries open next Monday
Exciting news: Entries for the 2017 Maluti Double90 Team Cycle Challenge will open at 13h00 on Monday 28 November 2016. Don’t miss out, as entries for this amazing team cycle challenge at the foothills of the Maluti Mountains and the Golden Gate National Park will be flying!
“We were a little lucky with the weather this year,” explained Pedal Power Association CEO Robert Vogel. “The inaugural event took place on the second weekend of May and while we had good cycling conditions on race day, it was very cold and very wet the next day. For that reason we decided to look for a slightly earlier date. Taking Easter and other bookings in Clarens into consideration, the first Saturday in April was the next available date.”
The Maluti Double90 is a 12-rider team time trial over 180 km. Located in the foothills of the Maluti Mountains and slotted between the Golden Gate National Park and the mountain kingdom of Lesotho, Clarens is known as the “Jewel of the Free State” and is the undisputed tourist magnet in this part of the country. The town is roughly equidistant from Bloemfontein and Johannesburg (both being some 3 hours normal travel time away), with Durban being 4 hours away.
After an intense ride to make up 90 seconds in the first 100 km of the race, Team Road Cover won the 2016 PPA Maluti Double90 Challenge in a time of 4:50:48, averaging just over 37 km/h over the challenging 180 km eastern Free State course. Starting in the last position as the top-seeded team, they crossed the finish line seconds ahead of Team Bluff Meat Supply (4:53:48) to beat them by just under 3 minutes. Third across the finish line was Team Van Heerden Pharmacy/Apteek (5:01:58).
The first mixed team across the finish line, Team Token Cycling (5:07:46), finished fifth overall. Second in the mixed category was Clover Prestigio Mixed (5:32:21), with Team Enervit (5:38:34) third. The Enervit King of Maluti (KOM) was Jaco van Dyk (Team Almec Carpet Worx) who blitzed the tough Strava climb in the Golden Gate reserve in 05:29, while Desray Sebregts (Team TOKEN Cycling; 07:37)) was crowned the Enervit Queen of Maluti.
DISCOUNT FOR TEAMS WITH 6 OR MORE PPA MEMBERS
Entries for 2017 will cost R7 800 per team. All teams that start and finish the 2017 Maluti Double90 with a minimum of 6 paid-up/valid PPA members will receive a 10 % discount on the 2017 entry fee. As the names of team members will be loaded by the team captains only after the team entries have been paid, a membership validation will be done against your team’s results after the event, and the R780 discount will be refunded after the event. (Please note that this discount will not apply to teams having been granted an Early Bird discounted entry.)
EVENT INFO AT A GLANCE:
• Saturday 1 April 2017
• 180 km
• 120 teams
• 12 riders per team (the time of the 6th rider will count as the team’s time)
• Open, mixed and all-female teams
• Prize money for the first three teams in each category (T’s and C’s apply)
• Elevation gain over the 180 km: 2220m
• Steepest gradient is the ‘Mine Shaft’ at 22% (roughly at the 155km mark)
• Enervit “King of Maluti” (KOM) and “Queen of Maluti” (QOM) hot spot
• Team entries will open on Monday 28 November 2016 at 13h00 at R7800 per team of 12 riders. Entries close on Monday 13 March 2017 at 13h00 or as soon as 120 team spots have been filled, whichever comes first. Teams with 6 or more PPA members who start and finish the event, will receive a 10% rebate on the entry fee after the event (R780)
More information: www.malutidouble90.co.za. Enquiries: bloem@pedalpower.org.za
