It is a six-day mountain bike tour that will take place in and around the Little Karoo from 17 to 22 October.
According to Henco Rademeyer from Dryland Events there is a very good reason why the word "pioneer" features in the name of this tour.
About two centuries ago, when ox wagons and horses were the only modes of transport, the pioneers of the time used to explore the country by trying out different routes when they travelled from town to town.
"It is important for us to continue with this tradition when we plan the annual DCM Cape Pioneer Trek.
The tour is a celebration of what it takes to be a true pioneer. This is the reason why we keep on changing the route," he explained.
There is much poverty in some of the smaller towns. By taking the tour to different towns, the organisers aim to help the schools and charity organizations to generate an income, even if it is just for a day or two.
Riversdale and Albertinia are the two new towns on this year’s route.
Rademeyer warns that riders should take care to pace themselves during every stage and not go out too hard or too fast, because the hard climbs and tough technical sections are towards the end of every stage.
During six days the riders will ride through semi-desert sections, through forests, through thick sandy sections as well as on beaches.
Stage 1 starts at Oudtshoorn High School and finishes at Calitzdorp High School over a distance of 99km.
The 127 km stage 2 starts at Calitzdorp and finishes at Riversdale.
Stage 3 leads from Riversdale over 104 km to Albertinia.
The 86 km stage 4 starts at Albertinia and finishes at Mossel Bay.
In stage 5 riders will cover the 119 km between Mossel Bay and George.
The final stage, stage 6 streches from George to Oudtshoorn over 74 km.
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Brandon Stewart nearly crashed into a flock of sheep in the previous event.
