The Eastern Cape wilderness that lies between Plettenberg Bay and Gqeberha is seldom traversed by bicycle. From the wild and lush Nature’s Valley to the wide open fynbos plains of the Langkloof, there is a multitude of landscapes and terrains to be seen and experienced. The M&G PE PLETT journey is one that takes riders through this special corner of the beloved country via picturesque jeep tracks and trails purpose built for this boutique mountain biking experience.
The Ride is limited to 250 riders, keeping the rider village experiences intimate and low-key. Reconnecting with yourself and close friends is just that much easier when the environment is quiet and laid back. Each overnight stop is a blend of the built-up and the natural, as cabins, luxury tents, and dining rooms are intertwined with the forests and mountains they are situated in. Stages 1 to 3 took place on the coastal side of the Tsitsikamma mountains. Highlights included crossing the majestic Bloukrans bridge, riding atop towering cliffs overlooking the great Indian ocean, and cresting over these magnificent Tsitsikamma mountains into the serene Langkloof region. These opening stages interweave easy kilometres with bouts of more testing terrain, always rewarded with a beautiful view and satisfying descent.
The 4th stage of the 2024 M&G PE PLETT brought a dramatic change of scenery from the previous 3 stages. Leaving Assegaaibosch Country Lodge and heading further East, the route opens up into vast fynbos covered plains hidden in the Langkloof Valley. The soils here are much more rocky than the sandy forest roads and trails of the previous stages. With less tree cover about, the wide open vistas are all the more striking after the kilometres spent navigating dense indigenous forests and vast pine plantations between Kurland and Assegaaibosch Country Lodge.
It was a fast stage this year with a generous tailwind taking the edge off what can be a tough route in lesser conditions. The climbs and descents come in early on this stage relative to the preceding three days, adding to the buzz of this unique journey’s final day.
Scenes of Churchill Dam greeted riders early on in the day just before the M&G KOM / QOM climb snapped them back into reality. The gradient here made for some hard work but the views from atop the ridge-line and the free miles down the back side of it were well worth the effort. If you thought the racing teams would wait for this notable ascent, at the 26km mark, to launch their attacks, you would’ have been mistaken. At the base of the climb Honeycomb Pro Cycling already had a 2 minute gap over the VEC Titan Racing and Trek SA X Insect Science teams while Ultimate Dream were doing their best to put time into the eFort Foodlovers crew in the Mixed race after the latter lost some ground dealing with derailleur issues.
The final Stage was delivering another stellar show! VEC Titan were neck and neck with Trek SA X Insect Science over the top of the M&G KOM climb, Matthys Beukes and Kai von During each waiting for the other to start slipping off the back. VEC Titan had a 1:30 minute GC lead over the 3rd place team (Trek SA X Insect Science) to defend and they would need to give it their all to secure it.
Out in front Marc Pritzen and Tristan Nortje (introduction image) were firing the afterburners, tearing towards the finish like wild dogs on the hunt. Holding an average speed of near 30 kph they blasted through the course to take their 4th stage win of The Ride and cement themselves onto the top step of the GC podium. “There was a big opportunity there on the first climb.” said Pritzen, “I had the road experience to know that we should go with the tailwind up the hill and then the route went left so we had a crosswind and just put the hammer down!” Nortje was pleased with the team’s efforts: “We took all 4 stages which felt good. We rode well together so we’re feeling good for the year ahead!”
This potent pairing was unbeatable all week but a few minutes behind them, the battle for 2nd raged on. Soon after the M&G KOM, Bekker and Beukes would begin to drive a wedge between themselves and the pairing of Fourie and von During. The race for 2nd on GC appeared all but decided. The chasing crew kept up the pace as best they could and it paid off in the end. Just kilometres from the finish line, Bekker and Beukes took a wrong turn, diminishing their 2 minute lead on Fourie and von During and even beginning to lose time to them as they charged on towards the finish.
The Trek SA X Insect Science pairing crossed the line in 2nd place, unaware of their competitor’s misfortune, and the countdown clock began. After a minute and 36 seconds the VEC Titan Crew crossed the line, putting them 8 seconds back, into 3rd place on GC. For 4 days of racing to come down to 8 seconds says a lot about the level of competition. Both teams were grateful for the close racing that they enjoyed at the 2024 M&G PE PLETT Ride. “It was fast and it was fun! My teammate was super strong!” were the words of Herman Fourie. Kai von During said that it was “an awesome 4 days of racing. I think Herman proved that he’s the one to watch for the rest of the year. I think it is really clear to see that we gave it our all.” A good show was put on by these talented pro teams without a doubt.
In the final instalment of what had been a nail biting duel, Elrika Harmzen and Alex Lawrence of eFort Foodlovers turned up the pace to chase down the early gap gained by Sidney Strydom and Kelsey van Schoor (Ultimate Dream). Catching and then surpassing the 2nd placed GC crew, Harmzen and Lawrence emptied their tanks all the way to Zwartenbosch Golf Club to take their 3rd stage win of The Ride and the overall Mixed Team title for 2024, 8 minutes and 8 seconds ahead of their rivals. “We just played the long game and when we saw them suffering on one of the kickers we went and made it stick.” said Harmzen, her teammate Lawrence buzzing after a great stage; “That was awesome. Thanks to everyone, thanks to PE PLETT, to M&G, the media team, route planners, and well done to everyone that rode, it was awesome. The legs were tired after yesterday’s effort so we started with a steady pace and when we knew it was time, we just went full gas to the end!”
“It was close” commented Strydom on their race, “I think the first day took us out of the running. Today was also close but we just didn’t have it on that last big climb so we ended up cruising a bit to the finish”. Van Schoor agreed: “That was hard. I feel like I should not have done the Herald Road Race and just rested, haha, my legs never felt fresh. But it was loads of fun out there and awesome to have proper competition.”
Wrapping up the Elite Women’s category was of course Juanita Mackenzie and Mandi Augustyn of team Elements. This duo were powering through every stage, gunning for top 20 GC results and putting down a phenomenal ride over the past 4 days. They landed in 19th on GC after 4 stages of all out riding, a feat that they can be proud of.
The final stage of the 2024 M&G PE PLETT Ride was a pleasure for the racers and casual riders alike. The change in scenery, terrain, and pace kept it fun and interesting and the overall fast stage times added to the enjoyment without a doubt! The 12th edition of this special journey has left its mark on many riders, some exploring these mountains for the first time and others returning for a new spin on this special adventure each year. Our travellers have been left with a new appreciation for this region; its coastline and mountains, the fauna and flora, its people and places. ‘The Tour’ edition kicks off on Sunday 25 Feb with an even more intimate group and also without timing chips. This group had the same route in store for them but it will be explored at leisure with casual lunch stops along the way and luxury accommodation in lodges and hotels. You can keep up with that experience over on the PE PLETT YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@mginvestmentspeplett4591
Find out more about the M&G PE PLETT here: peplett.co.za/
2024 M&G PE PLETT – Stage 4 Results + GC
Men Teams – Stage
1. Team Honeycomb ( Marc Pritzen and Tristan Nortje) | Stage – 02:03:18 | GC – 08:31:16
2. Trek SA X Insect Science (Kai von During and Herman Fourie) | Stage – 02:10:44 | GC – 08:47:48
3. Valley Electrical Titan Racing (Matthys Beukes and Rossouw Bekker) | Stage – 02:12:20 | GC – 08:47:56
Women Teams – Stage and GC
1. Elements (Mandi Augustyn and Juanita Mackenzie) | Stage – 02:55:31 | GC – 11:42:16
2. Team Vered (Sally Andrews and Wendy Long) | Stage – 03:41:15 | GC – 16:43:14
3. GoGirls (Marika Ince and Sanet du Toit) | Stage – 04:25:41 | GC – 18:49:34
Mixed Teams – Stage and GC
1. eFort Foodlovers (Alex Lawrence and Elrika Harmzen) | Stage – 02:34:04 | GC – 10:29:54
2. Ultimate Quest (Kelsey van Schoor and Sidney Strydom) | Stage – 02:36:32 | GC – 10:38:46
3. Invicta (Arnou Oberholzer and Marisca Steyn) | Stage – 03:01:49 | GC – 12:13:04
Solo Men – Stage
1. Rogan Smart | Stage – 02:18:09
2. Alexander Araujo | Stage – 02:33:31
3. Jerome Galent | Stage – 02:41:22
Solo Men – GC
1. Rogan Smart | GC – 09:15:02
2. Alexander Araujo | GC – 10:32:04
3. Karel Sumbal | GC – 11:03:43
Solo Women – Stage
1. Marni Sumbal | Stage – 02:52:33
2. Marisca Steyn | Stage – 03:01:48
3. Annamarie Jacobsz | Stage – 03:06:03
Solo Women – GC
1. Marni Sumbal | GC – 11:36:56
2. Annamarie Jacobsz | GC – 12:35:50
3. Andrea van Blommestein | GC – 12:48:41
2024 M&G PE PLETT – Stage 4 Results E-Bikes + GC
Men Teams – Stage
1. Expert Mining Solutions (Ronald Venter and Paul Venter) | Stage – 02:20:58
Men Teams – GC
1. Pofadders (David Louw and Christie Botha) | GC – 10:18:10
Women Teams
1. Foodlovers Ladies (Gina Wills and Allenore Willemse) | Stage – 02:35:03 | GC – 10:52:33
Mixed Teams
1. Coastal Cruisers (Penelope Hulett and Greg West) | Stage – 02:41:55 | GC – 11:29:27
Solo Men
1. Nevil Hulett | Stage – 02:11:05 | GC – 09:37:54
Solo Women
1. Tania Pfaff | Stage – 02:31:20 | GC – 10:32:09
See the full results from The Ride here: bouttime.co.za/
Source: Maryann Shaw Communications
