We enjoyed our experience at PE Plett. Instead of writing a recap of each stage, I'll provide some thoughts on our overall experience from this 4-stage MTB event.
COST
- Total cost: $2171
- Event: $690 per person (includes 4 days of riding, 3 nights luxury tent accomodations and 10 meals)
- No hassle package: $134 per person (shuttle pick up/drop off at Port Elizabeth airport, pre-event luxury tent accomodation, dinner and breakfast)
- Hotel in Port Elizabeth (Courtyard Port Elizabeth): $93
- Hotel airport shuttle: $12 each way
- Bike transport: $96 one way (bikes and bike case transferred from Cape Town Giant Bike Store so we didn't have to fly with the bikes to the event)
- Flights (Cape Town to Port Elizabeth): Safair $280 ($140 per person, round trip)
- Safair Bike fee from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town: $30 ($15 per bike)
LOGISTICS
As with most stage races, the start and finish are in different locations. I would say that most people who were local had someone drop them off at Kurland on Wednesday morning before the start of stage 1 and then pick them up at Zwartenbosch on Saturday, at the conclusion of the event. The distance was 84 miles between the two locations. There was also an option to drop off your car at Kurland and pay someone to drive it to the finish. People who were not from the Plett or Port Elizabeth area used this option. Then there was the shuttle bus option (which we used) which was very convenient and affordable. The drive from Port Elizabeth airport to Kurland took about 3 hours (140 miles), which includes a 30-minute stop for road construction. From Zwartenbosch to the airport, it took a little less than 2 hours (64 miles). We opted to use a service to transport our bikes (and bike cases) from Cape Town to the start of the event (instead of flying with our bikes) because we didn't want to risk anything happening to our bikes or dealing with the hassle of transporting them around. We had paid for our bikes to be transferred back to Cape Town but there was an issue with not having enough drivers so we ended up flying back with our bikes, which wasn't an issue. Cape Town holds the biggest timed bike race in the world in March (35,000 cyclists) so the smaller airlines (like SAFAIR) are used to transporting bikes. We were allowed one luggage each to be transported from stage to stage. We packed one suitcase and Karel brought his Trimarni transition bag. We left our other suitcase of items we didn't need at our hotel where we would be staying for 3 nights in downtown Cape Town after our event. With over 200 athletes participating in the event, I'd say the staff did a great job with organizing everyone with all of the logistics of this stage event. We flew into Port Elizabeth on Monday evening and it was nice to see the area (home of IM South Africa and the host of the 2018 IM 70.3 World Championship).
Morning run in Port Elizabeth
Photo from PE Plett
Routes/Courses
This was my first mountain bike stage race, my 2nd stage race event and my first time camping. I really enjoyed the experience. Although my mountain bike skills are improving, this course was not very technical in that it was primarily jeep roads with very little single track. The first stage had the most single track, which was only a few miles. The event could have been a gravel bike stage race because of the vast amount of gravel/dirt/forest roads and trails. There was a lot of climbing which I enjoyed. Whereas I really enjoyed each stage and felt like I was able to keep up with the race dynamincs and feel confident with my skills, Karel would have preferred more single track as that is where his strength lies. We both have a lof of experience with group riding (Karel has much more experience than I do but I learned from him) which helped us perform well on each stage. The scenery was beautiful as we rode through the garden route and Tsitsikamma Forests and had many views of the Indian Ocean. Karel and I found ourselves riding with similar people for each stage and we got to know others while also getting to know their strengths and weaknesses. Because Karel and I were riding solo (not as a mixed team), we both had to look out for ourselves, whereas other riders were on a team and could look out for one another. I found myself with 2-3 other teams (one was the leading women's team) and another solo rider so I often had to work extra hard as I knew no one was going to be there to help me out if I got dropped or had any issues. Stage 1 was the most enjoyable stage for me as I felt like I wasn't really racing but just riding my own race. Stage 2 was the hardest stage for me as I felt like it was full on racing and the descends were fast and there were several switchbacks (descending) on loose gravels. Stage 3 was nothing like I assumed it would be as I thought it would be flat and fast until the final climb but it ended up having a lot of technical climbing (loose rocks/steep short climbs). Stage 4 was challenging with the wind and a lot of short steep climbs and with it being the last stage, there was a lot of fatigue in the body. Karel had two mechanicals on stage 2 (seat post dropped down and a chain link got stuck) which cost him a lot of time and he moved from 3rd solo male to 4th. I heard a clinking noise throughout most of stage 2 and after the race when I told Karel he realized I had broken a spoke in my rear wheel. I would have preferred slightly longer stages. Stage 3 was supposed to be a little longer but forest fires caused the route to be shortened. 3-3.5 hours is still a long time on the mountain bike as the miles go by slowly (10-15 mph). The terrain was mostly dusty and sandy. There were a few muddy sections.
Food
I had paid a little extra for vegetarian meals throughout the event but at our first dinner (Tuesday, pre event) they forgot to prepare me a meal. So I ate salad and rice. For two lunches I had vegetarian 'sausage' (which was just ok) and for dinners, my vegetarian meals were veggies and cheese (which I am learning is what most people associate with the vegetarian diet). With so much great vegetarian food in South Africa, I was really disappointed with my meals. Breakfast was fine as I could eat eggs, yogurt, granola, fruit and toast but the lunch and dinner meals were really lacking in protein (and flavor). Karel enjoyed his meals and there were plenty of meat options. I had brought protein powder (which I had after every race) and I also had a few Honey Stinger protein and nut/seed bars. There was plenty of food for lunch and I never found myself hungry after a meal but the meals were not well balanced for me. I did enjoy all of the options for lunch, especially the fruit. I was also disappointed in the lack of bottled water. There was always a big jug of water to fill our bottles but there was an endless amount of free Heineken beer (including non alcoholic) and wine but water was not as easy to access.
Photo from PE Plett
People/vibe
We met a lot of people throughout the four stages. It was easy to get to know those who we rode with each day. Most people were from South Africa. We met a couple from Germany and a few guys from France. We were the only people from the United States. The event had a mix of fitness levels. There was a category for E-bikes which was great because it allowed for a variety of fitness levels. There were several couples participating in the E-bike team category and several older individuals who may not have been able to complete an event like this without the added assistance. There was a battery aid station for the E-bikes and most people used the assist on the climbs. The E-bikers were also very nice and supportive to us "muscle" assist athletes. Cape Epic is a popular 8-stage MTB race in March and a lot of teams were using PE Plett as preparation for Cape Epic. This brought the competition level up as there were a lot of very fit and skilled mountain bikers. But there was also a large handful of people who were completers. They were not racing for a podium spot but they were there to have fun, chill and socialize. I'd say the majority of participants were between the age of 40-65. In the afternoon, there was a lot of relaxing happening. This was a little challenging for me and Karel as the Wifi wasn't strong and we really wanted to use the afternoon period to work on the computer. We did a short run of 3-4 miles in the late afternoon of stage 1 and 2 to add in a little more training stress to the event. The weather after stage 1 was cool and drizzly so we didn't take advantage of the pool at the lodge. We dipped into the cold pool after stage 2 as the weather was a little nicer. Stage 3 was hot and the pool was crowded. There were stretch classes in the late afternoon and we joined in for a 45 minute session after stage 2. Dinner was at 6pm (lunch started at 12pm) and the award presentation was at 7pm. We loved the beanbag chairs for relaxing. There was also a charging station for our gadgets (we brought portable charging banks as well). I will say that when I had the solo female leader jersey on for stage 2, 3 and 4, I felt like I had more support/respect in the field as a solo female, compared to stage, 1 so that was a nice feeling.
Event staff
The event staff was awesome. With these smaller events, the event staff got to know everyone on a first name basis. As the women solo leader, I received a leaders jersey and got to line up at the front of each stage (2, 3 and 4) and I was often greeted with nice words from people of the staff. The photographers and media crew were amazing and they did an exceptional job with pictures and highlights on social media throughout the event. We received a lot of cool stuff in our registration packet and we also received pillow gifts in our tent in the afternoon of each stage which was a nice surprise. We got a nice water jug, headlamp and drip drop nutrition. Everyone was really nice and really helped to make this event extra special. The courses were well marked and Mike and his family really put their heart and soul into this event (which has been happening for 12 years). This year they also added a Tour (more laid back, non competitive version of the 4 stage event) which started the day after we finished. One of the coolest parts of the event was the helicopeter that followed the racers around for each stage. They took some great pictures!
Camping
I really enjoyed the camping experience. It was nice to have our tents set up for us and the tents were large. Karel and I could have easily shared a tent (like the teams did) but we received our own tents as solo riders. We had a cot in our tents and comfortable pillow and beddings. Our tents were assigned to us. It was easy to get our luggage to and from our tents before stage 1, 2 and 4. I liked that we stayed in the same place after stage 1 and 2. Immediately after each stage we went to the showers. The showers were cold and we were limited (encouraged) to a few minutes to help save water. There were several portopotties and they were incredibly clean. There was a company there cleaning after every use. We never had to wait more than 10 minutes for a shower. There was a bike cleaning station where we paid $2 per bike (the money went to the Kwamo cycling academy). There was a coffee truck to purchase coffee, drinks and snacks. There was also instant coffee available at breakfast. The only issue with the tents was where they were placed. They were near the race venue and this meant that trucks would drive through the tent area early in the morning or there would be a lot of noise from staff workers in the evening. I slept just ine but Karel is a lighter sleeper and he really struggled with sleep. The weather was great in the evenings and I was never hot. It was the perfect temperature to snuggle under the blankets. Stage 2 was the coldest night and Stage 3 was the warmest night (but still comfortable).
Overall, we really enjoyed the event. This was such a cool way to see a different part of South Africa, meet people and make new friends, ride our mountain bikes and be competitive in a race environment.
Here are some pictures from the event (I took the most pictures during stage 1, no pics on stage 2, and a few in stage 3 and 4).
Photo from PE Plett
Photo from PE Plett
Photo from PE Plett
Photo from PE Plett
Photo from PE Plett
Photo from PE Plett
Photo from PE Plett
Photo from PE Plett
Photo from PE Plett
Photo from PE Plett
Photo from PE Plett
Karel - 3rd solo male, 11:03.43
Marni - 1st solo female, 11:36.56
157 miles of mountain biking and over 13000 feet of climbing over four days.
Here's a video recap from the event, including our tips for racing in an international event.