The Cannondale Maluti Double 90 is not for the unfit, or the faint-hearted. The route starts off deceptively gently, with mild undulating hills from Clarens towards Bethlehem.
Please take care at the left turn onto the N5 towards Bethlehem, as the N5 often carries heavy traffic, including trucks. Teams are specifically requested to ride in SINGLE FILE from this turn until Bethlehem.
There’s a water point just after exiting Bethlehem on the R26, where you can also restock the energy levels with some banana loaf, bananas, potatoes and sweets.
From Water Point 1, the route follows the undulating R716 past farmlands towards Warden and Eenzaamheid. This section of the route has a good road shoulder and teams should be able to get into pacelines and post some good speeds here.
The second water point is at roughly 70 km, just before turning right at the four-way stop onto the R57 towards Kestell. Water and Coke will be offered here.
The R57 again offers a good road shoulder and with undulating hills, teams should be able to maintain some good speeds. By now, though, the undulating terrain may start to take its toll and teams will have to dig deep to maintain a good average speed in order to make the cut-off at Kestell.
Teams will meet up with their Team Support Vehicles in Kestell at the official Team Support Zone. (Please note that team support vehicles are not allowed to follow teams along the route. Teams found to be doing this may be disqualified.)
The Team Support Zone is in front of the local Kestell Hotel, where supporters and spectators will find breakfast, light meals and cold beer for sale. Please note that there is a cut-off at 11h45 for teams to arrive at the Team Support Zone and teams that miss this cut-off will not be able to continue as the event cut-off (16h45 in Clarens) will not be reached in time.
There will be a 30min “time out” at the Team Support Zone in Kestell. The team’s clock will stop once the 6th rider of the team passes the first timing pod at the team support zone. The team’s time will start again as soon as the first rider of the team passes the 2nd timing pod at the exit of the Team Support Zone.
It is not an easy ride and teams are encouraged to put in the training miles, taking into consideration the average altitude of roughly 1900m and elevation gain of over 2200m for the event.
TEAMS MUST STAY APART ON THE ROUTE: One team may not, under any circumstances, join another team along the route and teams are required to remain apart, except when overtaking.
When a team overtakes another team, they must ride in single file until clear of the other team.
STATS AT A GLANCE
• Elevation gain over the 180 km: 2220m
• Highest point in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park is 2050m (asl).
• Steepest gradient is the Mine Shaft at 22% (roughly the 155km mark)
Maluti Double 90 – Route – GPXDownload
Kestell – 11h30 (to arrive at the Team Support Zone)
Waterpoint 5 – 15h30
Finish line – 16h45
Refreshment Stations (Water & Coke):
• WP1: 40 km (just outside Bethlehem)
• WP3: 125 km (in between Puthaditjaba and Golden Gate Highlands National Park)
• WP4: 148 km (Protea Corner inside Golden Gate Highlands National Park)
Feeding Stations (water, Coke and some food):
• WP2: 70 km (just before the right turn to Kestell)
• WP5: 153 km (Red Mountains Lookout in Golden Gate Highlands National Park)
Clarens Main Road will be partially closed for the start and finish.
Blignaut Street in Kestell (Team Support Zone) will be closed for support vehicles from 09h00 – 12h00
Please support the riders at the official Team Support Zone in Kestell. The Team Support Zone will be in Blignaut Street in front of the Kestell Hotel, where cold beers, cooldrinks and coffee and light meals will be available for spectators and supporters to purchase.