The Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer Trek, presented by Biogen, celebrated its fifteenth
anniversary in 2023. Over the decade and a half, the seven-day stage race took riders through the
Klein Karoo and across the Garden Route. It traversed high mountains and fertile plains, challenging
and rewarding by turns. It grew with the sport of mountain biking, maturing with 29ers into a
mainstay of the South African cycling calendar.
Yet one of the only constants in life is change. And 2024 is the year for change. For rebirth and
reimagination. For regrowth and renewal. As such the race will become the Momentum Medical
Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen. A five-day, UCI S1, stage race; complete with longer and
more challenging stages, but maintaining the same “race with soul” ethos which made the original
Pioneer famous.
“It was always our intention to pay homage to the pioneers of old, who trekked the ancient game
paths along the coastal plains and through the mountains into the Klein Karoo,” Henco Rademeyer
of Dryland Event Management explained. “They were not only the founders of our home town of
Oudtshoorn, but also the spiritual guides of the pioneering spirit upon which the race was founded.
Our desire was to share the landscapes with as many people as possible, to immerse them deeply in
nature, so that they too can share in this unique countryside and develop a love for it.”
“We initially envisioned a race from Heidelberg, in the west, to Louvain, in the east, following the
historic pioneer wagon trails. The dual desire to include geological and man-made features, like the
Swartberg and Kammanassie Mountains as well as the Montagu Pass meant we soon diverted from
a pure point-to-point layout,” Rademeyer continued. “We thus added an exploration element, as the
pioneers would have done themselves, to allow for the taking in of specific sights and challenges.”
“After fifteen years of developing the race’s route, we felt it was time for a change. An evolution and
a refresh,” Rademeyer noted. “The 2024 Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by
Biogen, will be a five-day event. It will maintain its UCI S1 grading, which means that elite riders will
earn UCI marathon and stage race points by taking part, and it will continue to be built around the
Race with Soul ethos which made the first Pioneer famous.”
The race will be more than a celebration of the best mountain biking in the region. It will showcase
the Klein Karoo hospitality, share the love of the landscape which the founders hold dear, and treat
every participant like the VIP they are. Each individual is sure to emerge emotionally revitalised from
the experience, even if they are physically tired after the challenging riding the punchier route serves
up.
The 2024 event will take in 380 kilometres of racing with 8 950 metres of climbing. “Starting in
George, from Glenwood House School, on the 1 st of October the race will begin with a forest and
fynbos packed singletrack day in the Jonkersberg Reserve within the greater Outeniqua Mountain
Range. It is a tough introduction to the race, with a route that seems easier on paper than it is in
reality,” Rademeyer warned. “Stage 2 will take riders over the Outeniqua, via a new and thrilling
route which approaches Louvain from the south rather than the west. Stage 3 traverses the foothills
of the Kammanassie to Oudtshoorn, through a beautifully wide series of farms and private nature
reserves. The Queen Stage then boasts the signature mountain-top finish, with Swartberg Pass
providing the decisive test of the day. The grand finale races through the rocky but magnificent
Chandelier Game Reserve, where wildlife close encounters are virtually guaranteed, before finishing
in luxury at the Queens Hotel in the heart of Oudtshoorn.”
The Race with Soul ethos will further be amplified by a finishers’ celebration with a gala dinner on
Saturday evening, after the final stage. Prize giving and a final taste of the warm Klein Karoo
hospitality as well as the hearty regional cuisine will kick off an evening of revelry. Riders can expect
to dance nearly as hard as they rode as the night hots up for an afterparty like the Cape Pioneer used
to throw in 2009…
Entries to the 2024 Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen, opened on 4
December 2023 with a special offer on a limited number of entries for the month of December,
commemorating the rediscovery of the #RaceWithSoul.
Dryland have expanded their entry package offerings, with solo riders and two person teams being
able to choose between ride only, standard tented accommodation, and luxury tented
accommodation, as well as formal accommodation packages in two tiers, namely gold and platinum.
To find out more and to secure your spot in 2024 visit www.capepioneer.co.za.
2024 Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen, Route:
Stage 1: #OuteniquaOdyssey
1 October 2024
START: Glenwood House School, George
FINISH: Glenwood House School, George
Distance: 55km
Vertical ascent: 1 750m
Stage 1 is not to be underestimated, despite its short distance. It features a sapping 1 750 meters of
climbing in just 55 kilometres and is packed with singletracks. Taking in the trails and jeep tacks
which criss-cross the Jonkersberg Nature Reserve as well as the greater George Trails network of
mountain bike routes. The ascents of Tierkop and the Horse Shoe Bend will stretch and strain the
field, while the plethora of singletracks will reward those with the fitness and skill to exploit them.
On the homebound leg of the stage the rooty forest trails are shunned for flowing tracks to speed up
the race to the stage finish.
Stage 2: #DuiwelskopDash
2 October 2024
START: Glenwood House School, George
FINISH: Louvain Guest Farm, Herold.
Distance: 77km
Vertical ascent: 2 300m
Departing the coast for the interior, the route takes riders in a north easterly direction towards
Louvain. This stage is brand new and boasts a challenge of note. Packed with Saasveld singletracks in
the opening kilometres, the course joins the iconic Seven Passes Road before traversing the
Outeniqua Mountains in a northerly direction. Wild and rugged dual tracks cut deep into a
wilderness area of remote and breathtaking beauty. Steep climbs and unforgiving descents ensure
the accumulated elevation gain exceeds the 2 000 metre mark, despite the highest point of the
stage, Duiwelskop only standing 1 000 metres above sea level. From that summit the views into the
Langkloof and back to the Indian Ocean are among the highlights of the entire race, as is the descent
to Louvain. Stage 2 may prove to be the hardest of the race, though the fickle weather atop the
Swartberg Pass could change that.
Stage 3: #KharismaticKaroo
3 October 2024
START: Louvain Guest Farm, Herold
FINISH: Langenhoven Gymnasium, Oudtshoorn
Distance: 102km
Vertical ascent: 1 950m
Stage 3 is the second transition stage of the race, taking riders from the Langkloof into the heart of
the Klein Karoo. Revisiting tracks pioneered for mountain biking by the race’s infamous first route
director, Katot Meyer. The day is action-packed from the off and offers spectacular views for those
with the skills to raise their eyes from the rutted surfaces ahead of them. As the stage progresses the
vegetation changes, leaving the fertile fields of the Langkloof behind and entering the Klein Karoo
proper, via the imposing Kammanassie. Despite flirting at times with civilisation, in the form of
scattered homesteads and isolated farming communities, the majority of the route is hosted by
game reserves, including Madi Madi, Landrani and Buffelsdrift. After 102 tough kilometres of racing
the finish line at Langenhoven Gymnasium, and the final race village of the event, will be a very
welcome sight.
Stage 4: #SwartbergShowdown
4 October 2024
START: Langenhoven Gymnasium, Oudtshoorn
FINISH: Swartberg Mountain, Oudtshoorn
Distance: 83km
Vertical ascent: 1 750m
The Queen Stage of the 2024 Race with Soul features the only mountain top finish in South African
mountain biking. With 1 750 meters of climbing in 83 kilometres, the stage is slightly easier on paper
than it will be in reality. Especially if the weather gods choose to deliver cold, wind, or rain atop the
Swartberg Pass. Wildehondekloof Game Reserve provides more wildlife close encounters before the
ascent into the clouds begins. Upon reaching Kobus se Gat the riders will be able to see exactly what
lies ahead; an 8.5-kilometre climb, rising 655 meters at an average gradient of 7.6%. In previous
years the showdown on the Swartberg Pass often determined the Momentum Medical Scheme Cape
Pioneer, presented by Biogen, winners. This time out a tricky final stage offers the opportunity for
redemption.
Stage 5: #KingofQueens
5 October 2024
START: Langenhoven Gymnasium, Oudtshoorn
FINISH: Queens Hotel, Oudtshoorn
Distance: 64km
Vertical ascent: 1 200m
The final stage of the race takes riders into the famous Chandelier Game Reserve. It presents one
last chance to make up or lose time, to change the general classification standings. More steep
climbs lead into the reserve where the terrain becomes truly rocky. Punctures as well as fatigue
could play a role in determining who pulls the final First Ascent leaders’ jerseys on, in front of the
Queens Hotel. Especially given the new run into Oudtshoorn, will follow the Grobbelaars River rather
than the road to the final finish line on Baron van Reede Street.
Photo by Oakpics.com.
