The good doctor, Leon Evans, also known as Dr Evil has a better prescription than an apple a day: enter the 2023 Dr Evil Classic. Now in its eleventh year the event will boast more singletrack than ever, as Plettenberg Bay continues to evolve as a mountain biking Mecca. It will however not lose its ethos as a fun race\/ride where every participant goes exactly as fast or slow as they like\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cWe focus on ensuring that every rider, and even every rider\u2019s supporters, have a fantastic time at the Dr Evil Classic,\u201d co-founder Zandile Meneses promised. \u201cThis year\u2019s race will take place from 21 to 23 September, leading into the Karoo to Coast on Sunday the 24th<\/sup>. The stages are relatively short, but are packed with great riding and will continue to showcase some of the best mountain biking on offer around Plettenberg Bay.\u201d<\/p>\n The long weekend\u2019s activities begin with a relaxed registration at Wittedrift High School; on Wednesday, 20 September, before the racing starts from the school, outside Plett, on Thursday morning. All three the stages have been refreshed for the 2023 race, with the opening day boasting major changes. These include a new point-to-point format on Stage 1.<\/p>\n \u201cStage 1, will remain the longest day, at 58 kilometres long, with the most meters of climbing,\u201d route director Erik Klootwyk noted. \u201cBut it now starts at Wittedrift High School and finishes at Cairnbrogie. The course begins with a climb from the village to Protea Wilds. With a chunk of the day\u2019s 1\u00a0400 metres of climbing done, the route snakes into the indigenous forests, fynbos and plantations of Petrus se Brand. There 20 of the most spectacular jeep track kilometres await; followed by a historic visit to the Coffee Pot, where the early Knysna foresters hauled yellowwood, ironwood and stinkwood logs, which had been felled in the deep forests. After sneaking under the N2 the race heads into Harkerville for more scenic forest riding en route to Cairnbrogie Dairy Farm, via two of the famous MTO singletracks \u2013 for a taste of what lies ahead on Stages 3 \u2013 before crossing the stage finish line.\u201d<\/p>\n The next two days start and finish at Cairnbrogie,\u201d Klootwyk added. \u201cIt is the access point for some of the most incredible trails you\u2019ll ever ride.\u00a0 Along with the network of singletracks on the Cairnbrogie property, which we\u2019ve been using since 2018, the park also provides a trail head for the amazing MTO Forestry tracks in the Kranshoek Plantations. Uniquely, only for the Dr Evil Classic, the riders will also be treated to the iconic Harkerville trails, on Stages 1 and 2.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhile mountain bikers can visit SANPark\u2019s Harkerville forest year-round they cannot ride from the Cairnbrogie trails, through MTO\u2019s property and into the national park,\u201d he explained. \u201cThis is a treat reserved for our race entrants. Stage 2 in 2023 will explore the best of the riding in Harkerville. The route for the day is 52 kilometres long and features 1\u00a0050 metres of climbing. It begins with the Cairnbrogie Coastal Singletracks, high above on the cliffs with views of the ocean. Exiting the farm, riders will follow the coast into the Harkaville, the home of some of the most famous indigenous forest singletracks in the country. Having looped through those iconic trails the race heads back into the MTO plantations for another teaser of what\u2019s to come, before finishing at Cairnbrogie.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStage 3, after hints and sneak peaks on Stages 1 and 2, explores the amazing MTO Garden Route Trails in depth,\u201d Klootwyk smiled. \u201cThe route is 40 kilometres long, with 800 meters of climbing, and boasts, exceptional, manicured singletrack. These trails have been built by a small team of trail builders and were sponsored by private companies, so we are really proud to be able to show them off. The final stage will include trails like The Dummy Run and Cliff Hanger; as well as climbs like Alpe d\u2019Joe and The Crawler. I will guarantee you this will be the best day you will ever have on a bike!\u201d<\/p>\n The doctor\u2019s orders are simple: enter the Dr Evil Classic to have fun on the bike and enjoy the beauty of Plettenberg Bay throughout. Along with the amazing riding and breath-taking scenery Plett offers a plethora of attractions. For the non-riders there are thus ample reasons to accompany the mountain bikers to the race, while for the riders the afternoons and evenings can easily be whiled away on the beach or in one of the town\u2019s many great restaurants. Thus, there are many reasons to enter the 2023 Dr Evil Classic, all of them great! Visit www.drevilclassic.com<\/a> to secure a spot now.<\/p>\n image: <\/em>The manicured MTO Garden Route Trails as well as the singletracks of Cairnbrogie and Harkerville await. Photo by Oakpics.com.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"