There’s been a constant buzz among endurance racing enthusiasts since the recent announcement of South Africa’s newest gravel race, the Boland Gravel Monster, which takes place in April and which looks set to reach its 1000 entry limit in record time.
Paid partnership with Boland Gravel Monster
On 7 January 2022, De Villiers National Cycling announced the launch of the Boland Gravel Monster, a 150km extreme gravel bike race, which takes place on Sunday 10 April 2022 in Wellington. There’s a total of 2000m of vertical ascent and an entry limit of just 1000.
Entries are now open at www.cycleevents.co.za and mountain bikes are welcome. The route, which consists of 85km gravel and 65km tar, has been designed and will be managed by seasoned route director Pieter van Wyk.
Early birds who enter before 18 January receive a 20% discount.
ROUTE DESCRIPTION
The event starts and finishes at the Welbedacht Estate Schalk Burger and Sons outside Wellington and includes the Bothmaskloof Pass in Riebeeck Kasteel in the first half and Bains Kloof Pass, 25km from the finish on the outskirts of Wellington.
It will be the first event to include the Bains Kloof Pass in more than a year. Road works over the past year have kept the pass closed.
After a mild start, the race heads north from Schalk Burger and Sons and passes by Hermon before summiting Bothmaskloof Pass and it then does a circle around Castle Mountain (Kasteelberg).
At Riebeeck West the route turns left to run through Gouda and the outskirts of Tulbagh before turning back to Wellington on an escarpment road on the Drakenstein Mountain Range. The final obstacle is Bains Kloof Pass, which starts 25km from the finish.
The route presents a balanced mix of provincial and privately owned gravel roads, jeep track and quiet tarred roads. The event summits both the Bothmas Kloof and Bains Kloof Passes on tar, and they are followed by rewarding gravel descent trails.
The Boland Gravel Monster constitutes arguably the toughest yet most rewarding single day challenge on a gravel bike in South Africa.
The event is not for the feint hearted and entries are limited to 1000 cyclists.
RACE FACT FILE:
Distance: 150km
Total elevation: 2000m
Terrain: gravel and tar
Route touchpoints: Wellington | Hermon | Riebeeck Kasteel | Riebeeck Wes | Gouda | Tulbagh | Bainskloof Pass
Start and finish: Welbedacht Schalk Burger and Sons Estate, Wellington
Entry Fee: R1050
Race start: 06h30
Race cut-off: 16h30
6 Water points
Special Finisher’s medal
Timed by RaceTec
Enter at www.cycleevents.co.za
For enquiries, email devillierscycling@mweb.co.za or phone 083 269 7659
Paid partnership with Boland Gravel Monster
