The first leg of the MTN Nissan National Mountain Bike series is set to kick off in Barberton, Mpumalanga on 28 January. This race once again promised to bring the best, and worse out of each cyclist, young and old, fit and unfit.

This race also forms the foundation for the Barberton Rotary Club to raise much needed funds for a number of different charities. The Barberton Rotary Club has been part of this event for the past 14 years. According to Pieter Ferreira, President of the Barberton Rotary Club they are very excited about the event, and trusts that they will build on the number of entries.

The challenge for any rider with aspirations of winning the MTN Barberton ultra-marathon on 28 January next year will be to beat Max Knox (Ghost).

This will not be easy.  Knox has proven during the last three years that he has no equal when it comes to conquering the mountains around Barberton.

 It is actually quite difficult to find the right adjectives to describe Knox's performance.

‘Impressive’ does not really do justice to the way in which he ‘destroyed’ riders such as Kevin Evans and David George (360Life) as well as Burry Stander (Specialized) on the mountain slopes.

In 2010, after about 80 kilometers of hard racing, Knox, Burry Stander and Kevin Evans were still racing neck and neck and at that point it seemed to be anybody’s race. But, in a matter of just three minutes, the situation changed dramatically at the bottom of the last serious climb.

 Knox attacked and then literally ‘flew away’ from Stander and Evans.

They had to look on despondently, with no answer, while Knox disappeared from their sight. He increased his advantage with every pedal stroke and eventually finished more than ten minutes ahead of Stander and Evans.

The way in which Knox completed his hat trick of victories this year (2011) was actually quite uncanny. It was almost a carbon copy of what had happened on the slopes of the Barberton mountains in 2010. Not surprisingly, Knox again attacked on the last big climb, about 40km from the finish.

His acceleration during the climb up the mountain was so severe that no other rider was able to stick to his wheel.

David George (360Life) valiantly attempted to catch up with Knox, but his legs failed him.

A unique aspect of the MTN Barberton ultra-marathon is that it has some of the toughest climbs of the entire series.

The big climb starts at about 10 kilometers and finishes after about 17 kilometers.

The moment they get to the top, the riders are challenged by a steep and very fast downhill section where they have to keep their wits about them if they do not want to crash.

The second half of the race consists mostly of rolling hills with a challenging technical section towards the finish.

 There is always a good chance that the cyclists’ riding skills will be further tested by muddy conditions.

Those who had followed the 2009 race will probably still remember Burry Stander’s spectacular crash when he came around one of the muddy corners at full speed.

According to Fritz Pienaar, one of the MTN race directors, either the MTN Barberton ultra-marathon or the marathon is a must-do for every rider who is planning to compete in the ABSA Cape Epic because it will give them a good indication of their form.

All seven races in the MTN series will take place in some of the most scenic places in South Africa, but the beauty of the scenery will be lost if the riders are not given time to appreciate it.

Having an event like this in smaller towns such as Barberton is also a major economic boost for the town. It will also give riders the opportunity to really discover South Africa.

Barberton is nestled in the heart of the Makhonjwa Mountain lands in the De Kaap Valley. It is one of the oldest inhabited regions on Earth and is the core of a proposed World Heritage Site. Cyclists will pass through Mountainlands Nature Reserve and Greenstone Wildlife Estate. These are just some of the scenic areas that cyclists will pass through the race, not even to mention the breathtaking views.

The town is also regarded as somewhat of a relic of the gold fever that gripped the Lowveld in the 1880s.

Some of the oldest sedimentary rock formations have been found in this valley. Unfortunately the hills have been picked bare over centuries by treasure hunters, including the gold rush.

Graham Barber and his cousins descended into the valley along with thousands of other prospectors.  It was the Barbers who had found what they called Barber’s Reef. Legend has it that this reef was so rich in gold that it literally sparkled.

Many of the old buildings still stand.  Gold was mined from the oldest and richest gold and silver deposits in the world.

The Fortuna Mine Trail in the hills above Barberton evokes images of the hardships endured by prospectors in their search for gold.

The only known verdite deposits in the world are found in the rocks of the Barberton district. For hundreds of years verdite in powdered form has been used by sangomas (traditional healers) for promoting fertility.

In spite of all the mining activities, the wildness of the area will still surprise visitors with its unspoilt heady mix of indigenous riverine and mountain forest, savannah, bushveld and sharp, crystal streams.

One of Barberton's most elegant old buildings, Belhaven, is now a museum, furnished in the style of a wealthy Edwardian family home.

 Two other museums depicting the early days are Fernlea House and Stopforth House.

 There are Heritage Walk signposts around town and a number of hiking trails in the hills.

A slow stroll from the town centre will take you into a gentle wooded ravine where you can see Purple Crested and Knysna Turaco, and Narina Trogon.

 Another walk includes a kilometer long tunnel used in the old days to move ore from a mine to a long vanished crusher.

Within a 12 kilometer radius of Barberton there is access to half a dozen nature and wildlife reserves.  The Kruger National Park can be reached within an hour and there are some lovely hiking routes as well, some of which include picnic areas. Barberton is also a really exciting area for adventure sports, particularly paragliding and micro-light flying, as well as endless 4x4 mountain trails and trails for mountain bikes, quad bikes and horses.

There will be four different races in which you can compete;

·         The ultra marathon (120 Km) is a combination of the marathon and half marathon routes

·         The marathon (75km) for the professional, tough and hardy.

·         The half marathon (45km) for the average mountain bike rider and

·         The fun rides (10km & 20km) for the family group, the joyful of heart and the not so tough

This is a race fit for the whole family and definitely not to be missed. Pre-registering can be done on www.advendurance.co.za; you can also register on 27 January 2012 at Barberton High School from 15h00 to 21h00 and Saturday, 28 January from 05h30. All races will start and end at the Barberton High School (S25º46'31,7" E31º03'04,5").

Barberton Tourism will assist you with accommodation. Please call Astrid 013 712 2880 or 082 959 6670. This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

You can book your camping as well at the High School Res.

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Visit our website www.barberton.co.za.

The Tourism office will be open on Saturday as well as Sunday. Do visit us and find out what we can offer you to enjoy our town.