I was very impressed, this weekend; to find that there are some race organizers who still have the courage to arrange real mountain bike races! I was in Oudtshoorn for the 6th leg of the Mazda Drifter series. The race was pretty badly attended, whether this is because of the economy, or simply that people are too chicken to try some real hard mountain biking is debatable.
For me, I found it refreshing that there are still courses that can provide 81km of only jeep and single track. Not a dirt road in sight! And certainly no tar.

The race traverses some of the harshest countryside that the Karoo has to offer. Sharp rocks, dust and hundreds of thorn trees. I think the DNF list was longer than the finisher list. I counted 5 Pros that I floated past on my new Spark, as they fell prey to the worst that Oudtshoorn has to offer. For me, it was one of the best races I have done in a long time. The route is not technical, I think we must differentiate between technical and rough. Technical courses mean that there are areas you are too scare to ride and they occur frequently. This race is simply rough! There is no chance to rest. The descents are rocky and windy and you have to maintain your concentration on the fast flats, or you will puncture.

Maxxis tyres saved the day for me again. I finished, unscathed. Well done to Henco and his team for putting hardcore back into mountain biking. My only hope is that all those happy mountain bikers out there, who spent so much money on their full suspension “wunder” machines will find the courage to bring them to Oudtshoorn next year for some REAL riding.