Date: 30 July 2023
Join Team Sling Cycles across three distances: The 140 km, the 90 km and the recently added shorter 45 km event to cater for those who are not looking for such a tough day in the saddle. All events will start and finish at The Olde Duck.
This event takes place mid-winter, which means Underberg in the foothills of the Drakensberg is likely to be freezing, but the upside is the chance of rain is very slim and the air is clean with stunning views all round. However, due to the cold, the event will start at a more reasonable time with the provisional start times set for 9h00 am and riders will have until sunset at 17h30pm to finish.
The longer races will take riders through the stunning Bushmans Neck area before entering the Coleford Nature Reserve. Here, participants will see black wildebeest, blesbok, and if they are lucky, the very rare Wattle Crane which is also the event’s logo.
The 90 km route will stay in the Coleford Nature Reserve before heading back to the finish through Underberg and Sani Spoors. The 140 km route will leave the Coleford Nature Reserve to go through the Pevensey area. From here, the views back to the Drakensberg are amazing. On your way back to the finish riders will go through Himeville and Underberg.
A Gran Fondo by definition is a “big ride” and we are not going to be prescriptive about which bike you may use. We can however tell you that a standard road bike or BMX will make an already tough event even more difficult.
See you there Slingers!
