Event partner by Chris Walton   |   Instagram: @thechriswalton

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT

We are excited to announce the partnering of ENDURADE, our sports hydration brand, with one of South Africa’s premier mountain biking events, the Prudential PE PLETT. Rated as one of the most diverse 4 day Mountain Bike Stage Races on the South African MTB calendar, the Prudential PE PLETT takes place in the Eastern Cape’s breathtaking Garden Route from the 6th to the 9th of February 2020.

WHAT IS ENDURADE BRINGING TO THE EVENT?

We’ll be bringing our expertise in nutrition and hydration to the riders. ENDURADE, along with the rest of the NUTRITECH family of brands has a policy of producing products that are safe for sport and free of banned substances – this is controlled by the fact that we do not outsource manufacturing and manufacture every product at our Facility in Nelson Mandela Bay.

The ENDURADE team will be on hand at registration to explain the products on offer over the four days and answer any questions the riders have. In terms of where ENDURADE products will be on offer over the period, we will be located at three points over each of the four days, namely the start line, water point and finish chute.

At the start line, complimentary ENDURADE 2HRS+ and ENDURADE SPORT+ will be available for those riders either wanting to try something new, or who do not have fuel for their bottles.

Along the route, our team will also have a designated ENDURADE water point set up with ENDURADE 2HRS+, ENDURADE SPORT+, ENDURADE RAW ENERGY BARS and NUKE ENERGY SHOTS.

At the finish chute ENDURADE will have a large stretch tent with bean bags and ENDURADE PROTEIN on hand for those needing some extra recovery.

PE PLETT RACE SUMMARY

The 2020 event will see the riders depart from Kurland in the beautiful Crags and arrive 4 days later at Crossways Farm Village, at the base of the Lady’s Slipper mountain range. Utilising the most pristine pieces of Real Estate between the coastal cities of Plettenberg Bay and Port Elizabeth, the select group of 200 riders weave their way along the Otters Trail, the indigenous Forests of SA Parks, MTO Forestry, the dairy rich farms of Tsitsikamma, orange orchards of Gamtoos and the single track heaven of 3 River Trails.

With vibey Race Villages, free beer & wine and all the bells ‘n whistles that makes this magnificent Stage Race different…. it is definitely a bucket list event! There are two route options:

The LITE is designed for those social riders with an average daily distances of 60km and elevation of 1200m . The fact that you can rub shoulders with the pros and ride a common route for at least 70% of the time makes the LITE category extremely appealing. But be warned, once the Prudential PE PLETT bug has bitten, the TOUGH will be on your radar for the next year.

With THE TOUGH ONE, as there is no time bar on the Prudential PE PLETT, even a social mountain biker could complete it. With daily distances not exceeding 90km and elevation averaging at 1500m per day its TOUGH but very achievable. To enjoy the ride, scenery and the festivities it is advisable to be MTB fit.

DAY 1: KURLAND – TSITSIKAMMA 95KM | 1665M

It’s hard to find a more prestigious start venue for the 8th staging of Prudential PE PLETT, than Kurland Polo Fields, the gateway to the Otters Trail.

The journey will see the LITE and TOUGH routes split right after the start. The TOUGH begin shredding their way down the SANParks single track of Salt River whilst the LITE go straight on the R102 to join up with the TOUGH. From here it is another big drop off into the beautiful Natures Valley and a long and #consistent tar climb out of the Groot Rivier Pass followed immediately by the magnificent Bloukrans Pass.

The tar is finally over and you are into some sublime, newly built single track through the Tsitsikamma Forest into Storms River Village finally concluding at our signature village for the Prudential PE PLETT, namely Tsitsikamma Falls Adventure.
Once arrived, the adventure for Day 1 is far from over. There is the offer from Dennis and his team of an afternoon of Zip Lining (3 lines of 800 meters to be exact). Hot showers, free beer & wine coupled with an intimate village vibe round off a great first day.

DAY 2: TSITSIKAMMA – SUIDERLAND 81KM | 1485M

Departing Tsitsikamma we are back into the forests of MTO and the TOUGH head down to the peninsula of Robbehoek while the LITE riders take a “shortcut” rejoining just before the beautiful Regyne Protea Farms.

Oudebosch Farm stall is the 1st Waterhole point and straight after we head into the Tsitsikamma range and our KOM climb. Each year we add a new piece of single track onto the contour lines of the MTO foresty, the 2020 event will see an additional 6km of single track being carved out. The village of Suiderland awaits and our newly decorated shed will be a welcome site as we bring the Day 2 journey to an end.

DAY 3: SUIDERLAND – ZUURBRON 78KM | 1393M

Day 3 breaks as we head out through the dairy farms descending into the Churchill Dam ravine, ensure you #KeepTheCadence over the numerous shallow river crossings. The remainder of the route sees 200 bikes traverse the Humansdorp farms, while in the distance, the Happy Valley KOM awaits.

The views stretch for miles with J-Bay and Oyster Bay offering a picturesque photo opportunity. Upon your exit at Zwartenbosch Golf Course we tackle the single tracks of Helgat and onto the Misgund Pass. The village of Zuurbron is a fine way to the end the day as Farmer Jacques opens his tracks, sheds and fields to the Prudential PE PLETT entourage year after year. There are 2 diversions for the LITE on Day 3 with the big one being the Happy Valley climb.

 

We look forward to seeing all you professional and aspiring MTB athletes there! If you haven’t picked up your entries there are only a few spots left, so head over to the Prudential PE PLETT website and book your spot!