Great Zuurberg Trek showcased on SuperSport

Prospective participants will get a good idea of what the PwC Great Zuurberg Trek mountain-bike race has to offer when SuperSport broadcasts a highlights package at 8pm on Thursday. The show will be repeated several times until Tuesday

Mountain bikers interested in tackling next year’s PwC Great Zuurberg Trek will have an opportunity to see what the boutique event offers through a highlights package aired on SuperSport from tomorrow night.

The sixth edition of the three-stage event took place from the Zuurberg Mountain Village, which overlooks Addo just outside Port Elizabeth, in late May.

Prospective participants will get a glimpse of some of the finest mountain biking trails in the Eastern Cape in the half-hour premiere, with the show being repeated several times until Tuesday.

Trails through orange orchards at the foot of Zuurberg Pass and across the Great Karoo on the other side, as well as panoramic views of the Indian Ocean, make it a unique experience.

Race organiser Siska van der Bijl said the high-quality footage would bring the event to a wider audience.

"People who have heard about the GZT will get an accurate idea of what it is all about in the show,” she said.

“It is one of the best productions of the race I have seen and it highlights not only the diversity of the trails, but also its true spirit and luxurious nature.

“It will give viewers a wonderful insight into what it offers – both on and off the bike.”

Entries for next year’s race – which takes place from May 29 to 31 – have opened, with the Platinum package already sold out. However, Van der Bijl said there were still some options available for interested riders.

Cyclists will have a further opportunity to “sample” the PwC Great Zuurberg Trek experience when the Hayterdale Classic, sponsored by Tavcor Commercial Vehicles, takes place on August 24 this year. This one-day race, which incorporates three distance options, takes in all the best single-track sections of stage three.

The 60km Classic – with its 1 000m of climbing across equals portions of gravel road, jeep track and single-track – is a proper mountain biking test.

Participants should also not be fooled by the 30km Challenge, which provides a decent examination of one’s cycling credentials, whereas the 12km Ramble is an entry-level event.

The beauty of the Hayterdale Classic, said Van der Bijl, was that competitors could make a weekend of it.

Accommodation is available for the Friday and Saturday nights and there will be a spit braai and live music after the race. Riders can then enjoy the four different trails at Hayterdale at their leisure on the Sunday.

Broadcast schedule: July 11 (SS8, 8pm), July 12 (SS8, 10.30am and SS10, 11.30pm), July 13 (SS8, 12.30pm), July 14 (SS8/SS8A, 2.20pm), July 15 (SS8, 9am), July 16 (SS8, 11.30pm).

More info: www.greatzuurbergtrek.co.za; www.hayterdaleclassic.co.za