About

The U

Now in its sixth year, we have worked hard with our amazing event partners to up the premium lifestyle offering to go with the spectacular riding. The event is limited to 300 riders and is all-inclusive to all entrants (regardless of what accommodation you choose). This means everything is already covered in your entry fee. Thanks to our handpicked partners, every aspect, from morning coffee through race nutrition, bike wash, post-ride beers, meals and nightcap, is the absolute finest.

SAVE THE DATE: 23-25 September 2022!

THE ULTIMATE STAGE RACE EXPERIENCE

• The official custom trail kit for The U 2022, designed and manufactured locally by Enjoy
• Baristas serving any hot beverage of your choice
• Complimentary Belgian beers (La Chouffe, Duvel or De Koninck) on Friday & Saturday evening
• Hope Gin and Fitch & Leedes sunset cocktails on Friday and Saturday evening (including a Hope Gin and Liefmans Fruitesse beer and gin cocktail)
• Cadence Nutrition during Episodes 1 & 2
• A complimentary recovery massage on Saturday

ALSO INCLUDED

Custom medals with your race number
Team pics fridge magnets which are also used for seeding

Namgear bike washes
Complimentary beer tasting from the Belgian Beer Company
The friendly support from the Tech Zone team

Amazing goodies from our event partners
Personalized Number board and Medal

A Parting Gift when you leave which includes: Custom Distilled Hope Gin (using organic Buchu from the farm); Fitch & Leedes Bespoke Mixer; a bunch of fresh flowers from the farm, local potatoes and preserves.

We’re not about prize money but we haven’t forgotten about the racing snakes!

The Venturescapes Segment Challenge offers R5000 for both the K&QOM (King & Queen Of the Mountain) on both Episodes 1 & 2 (R20K in total over the weekend).

ACCOMMODATION

Choose from 3 different options

Standard Accommodation

Team @ R18 500 or Solo @ R9 500

Includes: all meals, drinks and snacks from the Friday evening until Sunday lunch, including light snacks on the Friday afternoon
Your own two-man tent & mattresses (bedding excluded)

Luxury Accommodation

Team @ R25 000 or Solo @ R17 500

Includes: all meals, drinks and snacks from the Friday evening until Sunday lunch, including light snacks on the Friday afternoon
A four-man tent for you and your partner (if team entry) with two single beds, a bedside table, shaded seating and ground cover in front of your tent with 2 camping chairs & a solar light (bedding included)

Deluxe Accommodation

Team @ R29 500, no solo options

Fully equipped luxury serviced accommodation with comfortable single beds for two evenings (bedding & towels included) *double bed available upon request
Includes:
All meals, drinks and snacks from the Friday evening until Sunday lunch, including light snacks on the Friday afternoon.
Complimentary drinks & snacks in the tent, including morning tea/coffee delivery to your tent on Saturday & Sunday
Exclusive access to the permanent ablution facilities
Designated parking area

Thank you to our event partners:

Want to collaborate?

We are all about creating memorable experiences by collaborating with amazing brands. Contact us to hear how your brand could partner with The U this year.

RACE DETAILS

It’s going to get ‘real’ out there. Real in the sense that you are going to feel the challenge in the legs and the lungs. Most importantly though, the rewards are real good in the ‘real mountain-biking’ sense. Think magically flowey sections that weave audaciously over, through, between, and under rocks. Think places fast, technical descents and a wide variety of terrain. Here is what’s in store:

The Prologue

DISTANCE: 15KM | ELEVATION: 200M | START TIME: 14:00 UNTIL 17:30

Short, but sharp, this 15km is designed so you can earn your Friday evening beer and get the car trip out of your legs. See it as a loosener to prepare you for the two days which lie ahead. The prologue has doubled in distance from previous years but without the addition of too much more elevation gain.

The route includes a few short stings called ‘Mermaids Pool,’ ‘Death by Porcupine’ and ‘Crow’s Nest’ but as with all the climbs in our trail network – what goes up, must come down. And, quite spectacularly at that.

Your finish time here will determine your seeding…

Episode 1

DISTANCE: 55KM | ELEVATION: 1400M | 4 PIT STOPS | START TIME: 8:00

Episode 1 is a mix of The U exclusive sections, original Piket-Bo-Berg trails and spectacular new additions. Most of the day is spent on the trails of Bugler’s Post. Don’t let the distance fool you, you will feel that elevation and it starts early on as riders leave the race village and follow the jeep track up Levant Hill until the first singletrack of the day: ‘Yellow Cliff Road’ – a 1.3km switchback climb with an ascent of 100 meters.

One of the many highlights of Episode 1 is the epic 5km downhill ‘Livingstone & Stanley’. This track was famously built by John Ince and LeRoux Rossouw – John, building from the top of the mountain and Le Roux, from the bottom.

War stories from the old Ox Wagon Pass are bound to be shared over post-ride beers – built in 1889 the 5km ascend is a lung buster, which brings you back up the mountain to Bugler’s Post. From there it’s dirt-surf time on ‘Blaaukop,’ ‘Jakkelskloof,’ ‘Owls Corner,’ ‘The Bug,’ ‘Fairy Meadows’ and another U exclusive ‘Ek is Lara’!

Rondekop marks the return to Mouton’s Valley farm and by then you will be able to taste the finish line, but, not before the epic ‘River Run’ and ‘A Bridge Too Far’ downhill sections.

Episode 2

DISTANCE: 57KM | ELEVATION: 1100M | 4 PIT STOPS | START TIME: 8:00

Episode 2 takes in the finest of the trail network on the Starke’s farm, Mouton’s Valley. The riding is technical (both on the climbs and descents) but fast and flowing if you have the skills and the legs. In some sections, it’s almost impossible to comprehend how the trails were imagined, let alone crafted. Criss-crossing the hills above the race village, the trails weave audaciously over, through, between, and under rocks to create a near perfect flow on terrain.

Make no mistake – it’s no manicured bike park (or walk-in-the-park, for that matter) the trails are physically and technically challenging, but generous in their rewards. These include U exclusive singletracks: ‘Sonop,’ ‘Sunshine,’ ‘Castle Rock,’ ‘Looking for Moses,’ ‘Finding Moses,’ ‘Greystones’ and ‘Greystones Express.’

It’s real mountain-biking in the ‘proper’ sense of the word. The U is all about baggies and beers and chilled vibes.

RIDER RESULTS

2021

2019

2018

2017

THE U

Frequently Asked Questions

Substitution

Substitutions can be done via the Entry Ninja Platform. These late substitutions will get the complimentary kit in the sizes ordered by the original entrant. Please note a substitution fee of R500 is payable online when online entries close, with R1000 thereafter (R500 online, up until 9 September 2022, R1000 on the day, 23 September 2022).

Visit the Entry Ninja Help Desk for more info or use the online chat functionality.

Cancellation Policy

All cancellations (and substitutions) need to be done via the Entry Ninja Platform

OUR CANCELLATION POLICY:

• Up to 3 months before the event – 75% (24 June 2022)

• Up to 2 months before the event – 50% (23 July 2022)

• No refunds in last 2 months & no carryovers (24 July 2022)

What does my entry include?

Entries are all-inclusive and cover all meals, drinks, snacks and accommodation. You will also receive a survival kit and parting gift. Read more about the full experience, above.

Can we ride the trails outside events or hire the Summer House for a private gig?

No. This is for your own safety. This is a working farm and trail maintenance is not done throughout the year, and although we like it rough and natural we would not sleep at night wondering what could go wrong if there were riders out on the trails. In addition the trails span remote areas which are challenging to access with vehicles in case of an emergency – when we host events we take the necessary precautions to mitigate that risk. There is also not cellphone reception everywhere.

Seeding

The prologue sorts the racing snakes from the weekend warriors. The Prologue is a short loop done in a time trial format, which gives you a taste of all the good things to come for your weekend in MTB paradise. The Prologue opens at 14:00 with the last riders hitting the trail at 17:30. You do your lap whenever suits you. If for some very good reason you cannot be here in time to complete your Prologue lap you’ll have to start in the last batch for Episode 1. We’ve also been persuaded to bump riders up a batch or two thanks to a donation towards our charity.

Prize Money

It’s not about the money, honey. If you’re ‘racing’ The U for the Prize Money then we’re afraid you’re doing it for the wrong reasons. That being said, there are loads of great prizes sponsored by our amazing event partners. These include spot prizes the likes of ‘Chatty Cathy’ awards to the ‘Bier, Boep and Baggies’ award among others. You don’t need to be in the front bunch to win them. Quite the opposite… We do also cater for the Aaaai batch though, with prize for all category stage winners on Saturday and Sunday. In addition there is the Venturescapes Segment Challenge: With R5000 for both the K&QOM on the Venturescapes Segment Challenge on both Episodes 1 & 2 (R20K in total over the weekend).

Obviously your bike, helmet & shoes – remember e-bikes are welcome
If you booked Standard Accommodation, your sleeping bag and pillow – we supply you with your own nifty tent & mattress
- Bedding is included for Luxury and Deluxe Accommodation
A flashlight or headlight
Toiletries, towel, earplugs
A Power Bank and your own charger
Bug spray and antihistamines
Water will be supplied but if you’re a serious water guzzler bring some
Some extra layers, it gets rather chilly as the sun sets on our beautiful race village
Finally, a sense of humour and a thirst for adventure (some skill and a little fitness will also go a long way!)

Supporters

No spectators or their pets allowed as these are working farms with no public access roads to trails.
In addition, the race village infrastructure and catering is geared for rider numbers as part of the premium all-inclusive experience. (There is food or drinks for sale to the public)

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