Death, Taxes, Singletracks & Vineyard Climbs The old saying goes that there are only two certainties in life: death and taxes. When mountain biking in Stellenbosch another two can be added: singletracks and vineyard climbs. Play day, or earn the right to play day; Stage 6 of the 2019 Absa Cape Epic starts with Heart Break Hill inside the first kilometre. Then it is onwards and upwards, because Botmaskop needs to be conquered in order to earn the right to swoop down Skyfall. No circumnavigation of the Banhoek Valley is complete without Nik Naks, a technical climb and descent. The climb to Tokara on the Simonsberg follows, before descending into Rustenberg Wines. An inexorable grind with a name stolen from the singletrack at its summit – Never-Say-Neverender – traverses Rustenberg, Quoin Rock, Delvera, and Uitkyk where after the Simonsberg Trails reward with singletrack descents. Across the valley Klapmuts Kop and the stage’s Land Rover Technical Terrain awaits, on a rocky but flowing switchback descent. The route back to Stellenbosch takes a lower line but still requires climbing all the way back to Botmaskop, where the final thrill of the day is provided by the revitalised World Cup Downhill track from the late nineties.<i class="fa fa-language transViewIcon clickable" title="Translation"></i>
Death, Taxes, Singletracks & Vineyard Climbs The old saying goes that there are only two certainties in life: death and taxes. When mountain biking in Stellenbosch another two can be added: singletracks and vineyard climbs. Play day, or earn the right to play day; Stage 6 of the 2019 Absa Cape Epic starts with Heart Break Hill inside the first kilometre. Then it is onwards and upwards, because Botmaskop needs to be conquered in order to earn the right to swoop down Skyfall. No circumnavigation of the Banhoek Valley is complete without Nik Naks, a technical climb and descent. The climb to Tokara on the Simonsberg follows, before descending into Rustenberg Wines. An inexorable grind with a name stolen from the singletrack at its summit – Never-Say-Neverender – traverses Rustenberg, Quoin Rock, Delvera, and Uitkyk where after the Simonsberg Trails reward with singletrack descents. Across the valley Klapmuts Kop and the stage’s Land Rover Technical Terrain awaits, on a rocky but flowing switchback descent. The route back to Stellenbosch takes a lower line but still requires climbing all the way back to Botmaskop, where the final thrill of the day is provided by the revitalised World Cup Downhill track from the late nineties.
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