Luxury Accommodation, Breathtaking Scenery and a 147km MTB Rush

From Franschoek (Boschendal) to Paarl (Nederburg), this 3-day mountain bike race will leave you exhilarated and feeling like royalty with a 5-star hotel stay

Tackle three days through the Cape Winelands at the most beautiful MTB race in the country.

The Liberty Winelands Encounter is back for its fifth edition: 147km of trails, speed and pristine scenery. Riders can look forward to a bucket list experience from Franschhoek to Paarl while staying in world-class hospitality at five-star venues along the way.

WINELANDS ENCOUNTER TERRAIN AND ROUTES

Route director Johan Kriegler says that they’ve created a combination of single-track, gravel roads, jeep tracks and climbs, which would be “doable for most riders”.

The challenge starts off at a new venue, the Boschendal Wine Estate in the Franschhoek Valley, and Kriegler says this opens some new territory for the experienced Encounter racer. “The first eight kilometres will cover new territory, before going back to the Boschendal tracks, climbing to the highest point and going down the single-track on the other side.”

The second stage takes riders on a circular route, which starts and finishes at Le Franschhoek Hotel. Here riders will be able to stay over for Friday and Saturday night. The third and final stage will finish at the Nederburg Wine Estate in Paarl.

Kriegler says that the route was made to be manageable so that riders can enjoy the scenery along the way. he does, however, add that “there are a few challenging sections, such as the climb to Matoppies before waterpoint one on the second day, which is quite hectic”.

LIVE IN THE LAP OF LUXURY

“The main elements of this event are that it incorporates some of the most beautiful mountain-bike trails in the country with top-quality accommodation to make it a weekend to remember," says Kriegler.

The luxury side of this three-day offering is accommodation at the Le Franschhoek Hotel on nights one and two. This is a five-star hotel nestled in the middle of the Cape Winelands. It offers a pristine setting and elegant rooms perfect for a relaxing evening after a long day out on the bike.

TICKETS TO THE LIBERTY WINELANDS ENCOUNTER

Note that you can participate in teams of two or solo. Packages include an event T-shirt and jacket. The basic entry package costs R8000 per team or R4400pp. This includes breakfast and lunch, but not accommodation. The complete accommodation package costs R12000 per team and R6050pp and includes accommodation at Le Franschhoek Hotel on Friday and Saturday evenings. This package is limited to 80 rooms.

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Know where you can go for a ride with our list of cycling routes.

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Discover how you can keep fit with our section on sport in Cape Town.

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