In five weeks and two days, the Southwell Road will be alive with colour and excitement as a few hundred mountain bikes and a few e-bikes make their way from Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown – that’s the G) to Port Alfred (at the sea – that’s the C!). This year’s G2C mountain bike race takes place on Sunday 28 July 2024.
The first G2C was in 2013, organized by the Saints & Sinners Cycling Club. Pennypinchers (now BUCO) stepped up as sponsors from the start and BUCO has remained the event’s main sponsor. Talk of the Town is proud to be the event’s media partner.
There are two distances – 58km and 70km – with minimum ages of 15 and 19 respectively. The 70km race starts at 9am and the 58km at 9.15am. The 70km race adds a 17km stretch through a single jeep track in Albany Trails past Sibuya Game Reserve. Both 58km and 70km events finish with a steep decent through the Riverview Waterfront Estate and finish at Port Alfred Country Club in a festive family friendly atmosphere with food and drinks on sale. More details at https://g2c.co.za/
But we’re not leaving it there. if you’re reasonably fit, have a mountain bike and would like to do this great event but haven’t got a clue how to prepare for it, we’ve got your back with the 6-week Zero to Hero training programme from Cycle Asylums Peter Southwood. He’s compiled it based on his experience with the management of various local sponsored teams – the Toyota Cycle Lab U16s, ASG Junior team and ASG U23 team, as well as his own serious recreational cycling experience.
The Zero to Hero G2C training programme is a plan for a rider aiming to do 3h30 for the 75km race. Adapt this programme for the shorter 53km route – adjust your riding time to match your intended finishing time.
- This article was first published in Talk of the Town, 13 June 2024. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays.
