With under a week to go until their 2017 KAP sani2c starts, a group of Brazilians are proof that the event has become known all over the world as one of those mountain bike races that deserves its place on a bucket list.
Next week on Thursday, a group of six Brazilian riders will join 21 other foreign riders who will take on the three-day journey from the Southern Drakensberg to the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast – proof the race has become a hunting ground for a number of international riders who are in the market for a truly South African experience with an emphasis on hospitality and care from the organisers.
Included in the three Brazilian teams taking part in the Race this year, is seasoned mountain biking veteran Arthur Junqueira, a first-time entrant who will tackle the 263km epic to the coast with Ricardo Penteado, who has himself completed one sani2c.
“This year will be my first sani2c and I am incredibly excited to ride in South Africa,” Junqueira said.
“I have always wanted to come to South Africa and this race gave me a good reason to come and visit, as well as ride through this beautiful part of the world.
“We arrive on the weekend before the race so we will have some time to do a bit of site seeing before we head to start of the race!”
Junqueira has been riding a mountain bike for nearly a quarter of a century and has competed in numerous races and championships around the world. Taking on the sani2c will help him tick off another country and race from his impressive mountain biking bucket list.
“I have ridden in two UCI Masters World Championships in Canada and France, as well as races in Switzerland and Germany.
“Obviously I have raced in many races in Brazil and since 1994, when I started, I have wanted to race in as many different countries as possible,” he added.
With two other teams from the same South America country, Junqueira will have some familiar company during the race, however being able to interact and meet people from all over the world is something that is exciting him about the event.
“I got the idea to come and race the sani2c from a friend who had done it before and they said that the race was the perfect opportunity to meet people from all over the world, especially South Africa.
“It is going to be an incredible experience for me and for my partner, although he has already done one sani2c.
“To be riding through South Africa is what I am most excited about and I hope that the race goes as smoothly as I would like it to,” Junqueira mentioned.
In the Race alone there will be 27 riders from foreign countries with Brazil providing the most with six, while America will have five riders taking part and the United Kingdom four. There will also be riders from the United Arab Emirates, Australia and the Netherlands.
Other African countries represented in the Race at the 2017 sani2c are Namibia (3), Tanzania (2) and Botswana (1).
This year is the 13th edition of the KAP sani2c, the world’s largest mountain bike stage race, which takes place from Himeville to Scottburgh during the second week of May. There are three races which form the event. On May 9, the Trail riders set off from Himeville with the Adventure starting the following day and the Race, which includes the elite riders, setting off on May 11.
For more information on KAPsani2c: Info@KAPsani2c.co.za or www.sani2c.co.za
Source: Gameplan Media
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