 Sani2C was one of the
first stage races to emerge after the overnight
success of the Cape Epic. True to the Kwa-Zulu Natal
pioneering spirit this stage race has carved a niche
for itself on the MTB calendar. It has an enormous
number of loyal followers with by far the majority
of riders returning to ride again. Despite riding
the same route every year, mountain bikers are never
disappointed as new tracks are built and the whole
experienced enhanced. In fact getting an entry is
difficult unless you rode the year before or know
someone who did.
The word FREE sums up
this race for me as it has a distinct free spirit
about it thanks to the casual approach of Farmer
Glen, the riding is pure freedom as the kilometres
of singletrack and unfolding KZN landscape releases
itself on you and then there is the free stuff and
food that you get from start to finish. They call it
the Sani2C family and it works well as the
communities really get involved and you feel the
hospitality that they offer. Its all done with
little fuss and flash but it works and that's what
matters.
 The 3 days of riding
are all varied and well put together and there is
never a dull moment, no boring stretches, no long
never ending slogs, just a continual stream of
varying single track and different challenges. Day 1
starts off fast and easy with a district road over
rolling hills, good to get everyone settled and sort
out the pacing before the single track. Then the fun
starts with a series of singletrack sections, forest
tracks and the famous floating bridge section. The
last section of day 1, although mostly downhill,
has some short sharp climbs that catch out those who
over did it at the start and the finish on top of
the hill sucks the last bit of energy out of you.
Day 1 is always a gamble, for the survivors its a
case of how much energy do you save for the next two
days and for the racers its a case of how fast can
you go to get a good start for day 2 and set up the
rest of the race. Most riders get in by lunch time
on Day 1 so they can rest and refuel, and there is
no shortage of food with Clover milk on tap, energy
drinks, yogurt, Nandos crisps, tea and coffee,
biscuits and lunch too.
Day 2 is the jeckyl
and hide day, the first third of the day is downhill
into the valley on the best singletrack you can
imagine and then the last 2 thirds of the day you
have to climb yourself out and over the Umkomaas
valley. The new Murrys meander section of
singletrack was spectacular, cut into the
mountainside with the valley dropping off to the
left. This section has to be seen from a distance to
be appreciated because once you are on it you need
to concentrate on keeping your wheels on track. The
normally quick section at the bottom of the valley
was a real test in the mud and you had big problems
if you had small mud clearance on your tires.
Clearly route designer Nick was not joking when he
said that mud tyres were the way to go. Although
after that it was dry right up to the end in mud
puddle lane. The climbing on day 2 is relentless,
you don't always realise you are climbing all day
because the terrain changes all the time. Then there
is the legendary Nandos halfway stop after Satans
climb where a Nandos burger and some shade trees
will let you catch your breath. We used the 10 min
stop to fix a dodgy shifter and re-lube chains. Its
only halfway so there is more climbing to come, by
the end of the day your legs will tell you they have
had enough. This is a tough day and will always be
by anyone's standards, in good weather it will be
hard, but add in mud, rain and or heat and you have
an epic day on your hands. For many its a 9 hour
battle but that doesn't stop them celebrating
crossing the line as they know that the hardest day
is in the bag. The famous fillet steaks on Day 2 are
all they are cracked up to be and the ice cream and
chocolate sauce is the ultimate refuelling
supplement.
 Day 3 is fast and
furious, mostly downhill with enough hills to keep
you honest and one or two climbs that put you right
into granny gear and praying that it doesn't last
for long otherwise there will be trouble. Momentum
is the name of the game and staying in touch with
your start group will mean a fast enjoyable day out.
The first part of the day has all the worst climbing
with a few downhills for relief. Then the end of the
day really speeds up until you get to the end. First
challenge was making it over the snaking floating
bridge over the lagoon which required a bit of speed
and a good line. Second challenge was the short
climb off the beach and then the climb up to the
school and the finish line. It was another memorable
day out and a great way to finish a really enjoyable
3 days of riding.
We returned later for
the prize giving and draw for the Subaru Impreza
were one lucky guy not only finished Sani2c but
drove home in a brand new FREE Subaru. We will be
back next year!
We learned that one subaru can fit 4 guys plus
bikes, bags and boxes. Logistics is a big part of
this race. Kzn is very muddy and it rains a lot.
Murry's meander is legendary. Day 1 is fast, day 2
can be painful, day 3 is even faster. Free food
rules! The toilets were good. Milk can be consumed
in copious amounts. If you want to get on TV then
ride like a palooka - ask Glen
Accommodation in Natal Midlands
Underberg accommodation
Accommodation in South Coast
Scottburgh accommodation
www.sani2c.co.za
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