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3-DAY EXPEDITION
6-8 October 2023
Val de Vie Estate in the beautiful Cape Winelands plays host to
the Val de Vie MTB Expedition - an extraordinary three stage
mountain-bike race which links the sought after trails in the
Paarl Franschhoek Valley into an epic 152km journey over some of
the best mountain-biking terrain in the country.
- Stage 1 - 17km (Time Trial) Trail Inclusions : Drakenstein Mountain Range | Val de Vie Estate | 450m Ascent
- Stage 2 - 68km Trail Inclusions : Val de Vie Estate| Hawequa Forest | Wild Hog Welvanpas | Drakenstein Mountains | 1650m Ascent
- Stage 3 - 67km Trail Inclusions : Val de Vie Estate| Banhoek | Helshoogte | Boschendal | Plaisir de Merle Idas Valley Dam | Skyfall | Camissa | Klipwerf | Afterburner | Inferno | Sugarbowl | 1350m Ascent
MINI EXPEDITION:
42km - Trail Inclusions : Banhoek | Boschendal | Porcupine | Sugarbowl | Plaisir de Merle 650m Ascent
Entry
Entry Options
1. Entry including 2 nights twin room sharing accommodation at the luxurious Pearl Valley Hotel by Mantis (at the race village) and all meals - R14 000 per team of 2
2. Race entry only, excluding accommodation and meals - R6 200 per team of 2
1. Entry including non-sharing accommodation at the luxurious Pearl Valley Hotel by Mantis (at the race village) and all meals - R9 000 per rider - non-sharing hotel room occupancy with all meals
2. Race Entry Only, excluding meals and accommodation - R3 100 per rider
Single day Mini Expedition Race Entry - R410
All 3-Stage riders receive a stylish cap and T-shirt with their entry.
Programme
Weekend Programme
FRIDAY
- 09h00 - 13h30 : Registration and check in at the Pearl Valley Clubhouse
- 13h30 : Stage 1 17km TT start
- Anytime from 17h00 - 20h00 : Dinner at the Valley Restaurant signature lounge in the Pearl Valley Clubhouse for full package guests
SATURDAY
- 06h00 - 07h00 : Breakfast for full package guests at the Valley Restaurant
- 07h30 : Stage 2 Start (68km)
- 11h30 : Lunch at Backs Restaurant for full package guests
- 13h00 - 17h00 : Registration for Mini Expedition
- 18h00 : Dinner for full package guests at Reubens Restaurant at The Yard, Val de Vie Estate (complimentary shuttles to dinner)
SUNDAY
- 06h00 - 07h00 : Breakfast for full package guests
- 06h00 : Registration for Mini Expedition
- 07h30 : Stage 3 Start (67km)
- 07h40 : MINI EXPEDITION START (40km)
- 11h30 : Race Village Vendor lunch coupons for full package guests. This enables hotel guests who would like to depart as soon as they finish the opportunity to get lunch on the go
- 12h00 - 13h00 : Prize giving (results and finishing times dependant)
Stages
Daily Stages
News
Latest News
VAL DE VIE | NEW ROUTE UNVEILED!
The Val de Vie MTB Expedition will this year feature a more tempered route challenge compared to the previous two editions of the Cape Winelands signature 3 day MTB stage race, which takes place on 6-8 October at the Pearl Valley Clubhouse inside the award winning Val de Vie Estate in Paarl.
The degree of route difficulty was an interesting and keenly debated subject at last year’s Val de Vie MTB Expedition. A host of riders felt we were tad over on difficulty where we needed to be a month into Spring.
The Expedition will remain an aspirational challenge but we felt that we needed to be sensitive to a large rider contingent who relish the challenge and the total event offering, but who don’t have the luxury of enough regular long daily training rides coming out of winter.
... Read More
Val de Vie Expedition didn't disappoint!
We entered the Val de Vie Expedition on recommendation from friends who did the inaugural race last year and had nothing but good things to say about it. On account of their feedback, we had high expectations going into the weekend and we weren't disappointed.
The 3-day stage race started with a Friday afternoon time trial to ease traveling logistics for participants, but once the start gun fired ‘easy’ went out the window.
The pre-race communication was excellent but for some reason I still had it in my mind that the race would be challenging, but not overly so.
... Read More
FOOD LOVER’S ANNOUNCES VAL DE VIE EXPEDITION SPONSORSHIP
There is no such thing as a free lunch, except at the Val de Vie MTB Expedition 3-Day Stage Race! Food Lover's Market has announced its sponsorship of the Val de MTB Expedition, the Boland's signature 3-stage MTB event. As part of their support they will provide participants with scrumptious meals after every stage of next year's event, which takes place on 7-9 October in Paarl ... Read More
THE BEST 3-STAGE RACE IN SA, SAYS DE VILLIERS
The Val de Vie MTB Expedition 3-Day Stage Race is, by a
landslide, the most special mountain-bike stage race which
he has pioneered in his 20-year tenure as event organiser,
writes Expedition organiser Wynand de Villiers. Read his
insights on the creation of South Africa's extremely
popular new kid on the block in stage racing.
Paid partnership with Val de Vie Expedition
I have pioneered and managed a variety of
stage races over the years, including TransCape, the Cape
Winelands Encounter, Waterberg Encounter and the Sanlam
Invitational
... Read More
VAL DE VIE MTB EXPEDITION : THE CLASSY NEW STAGE RACE
South African mountain bikers can look forward to an
exciting new three-day stage race in May 2021 on a route
that incorporates some of the country's finest mountain
bike trails. Based at Pearl Valley Hotel by Mantis, in
Paarl, Western Cape, The Val de Vie Expedition is set to
deliver a new dimension to team racing.
If you mention Welvanpas and Banhoek, you immediately grab
the attention of committed mountain-bikers throughout
South Africa. If you include these two famous trails
networks into a three-stage race based at a world-class
venue, it adds up to an experience that has been crafted
to satisfy the most demanding mountain-biker. That's
exactly what the Val de Vie Mountain-Bike Expedition
3-stage race has done
... Read More
SHESHA FUELS LAUNCH INTO VAL DE VIE MTB EXPEDITION!
The rapid entry uptake for the Val de Vie MTB Expedition has
created a lot of expectation for the 2nd edition of South Africa's
new signature 3-Stage Mountain-bike race, which takes place on 7-9
October at Val de Vie Estate in Paarl.
The excitement has further been fuelled, so to speak, by the
announcement today that Gauteng based wholesale fuel supplier
Shesha Fuels has agreed to become the headline sponsor of the
extremely popular event.
The race will now be known as the
Shesha Fuels Val de Vie MTB Expedition, which is
a fitting new title with Shesha meaning "hurry" in Zulu. The
Expedition has certainly been in a hurry to position itself among
the top mountain-bike stage races in the country and already sits
comfortably among astute company after just one year of
presentation
... Read More
MCLEAN CAN'T WAIT FOR THE EXPEDITION!
Andrew McLean makes his debut in the Shesha Fuels Val de Vie MTB Expedition later this year and is relishing the opportunity to ride the trails in the “Valley of Life”, which have become of among the most sought after on the South African mountain-biking landscape.
“I’ve been on some sections of these routes during the Absa Cape Epic, but at the Epic you don’t get the chance to properly appreciate them, and also the beauty of the Paarl-Franschhoek Valley,” says McLean.
Val de Vie Estate is the finish venue for the Absa Cape Epic annually. “I’ve heard so much about the Val de Vie MTB Expedition; about how tough and rewarding it is, but mostly about how remarkably well the event has managed to incorporate so many top trails in one weekend as well as the hospitality.”
... Read More
HB KRUGER: ‘THE BEST RACE IN SA’
The Shesha Fuels Val de Vie MTB Expedition 3-Stage Race is now widely regarded as the complete package as far as mountain-bike trails and event hospitality is concerned. However, there is something that transcends these elements which has catapulted the race to the top of the pile in South African mountain-biking, believes respected South African rider HB Kruger (Team Valley Electrical Titan Racing).
“There is an alure about the race that I hadn’t experienced before, something that has positioned it on a different level compared to other races,” says Kruger, who lives down the road from Val de Vie Estate in Paarl.
“There was something really special about the engagement between
riders; it was as if a bunch of seasoned elder statesmen in the
sport came together; riders who had done and seen everything
before. The delightful warm atmosphere at the Pearl Valley race
village didn’t have its equal in any other event I’d experienced.”
HB is not usually one for many words or for being outspoken (he
does all his “talking” on the bike!), but he believes the Val de
Vie MTB Expedition will become the most popular MTB stage race in
South Africa.
... Read More
Partners
Partners
Val de Vie Estate, South Africa's most secure luxury lifestyle estate, offers peace of mind to residents that get to call it home.
At Food Lover's Market, you'll get everything your household needs and more.
From fresh fruit and vegetables to meat, healthy snacks, dried fruit, beverages, a deli, and a bakery for hot foods
Cycle Lab promises the best bike purchasing experience through its megastores located at Fourways Johannesburg, Cornubia Durban, Boksburg, Pretoria and Cape Town.
The Computer Shop (TCS) is an IT service provider focusing on internet, communications, consulting and support of IT and the core infrastructures surrounding it.
Services
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EPT Recovery
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Gallery
Gallery
Team
The Team
Presented by:
De Villiers National Cycling
The Val de Vie MTB Expedition is organised by seasoned race director Wynand de Villiers, who has managed and pioneered stage race events such as TransCape, the Cape Winelands Encounter, Waterberg Encounter and Sanlam Invitational in recent years.
The route director is Pieter van Wyk, who has built many of the trails in the Paarl Franschhoek Valley and enjoyed numerous years as route director for the Absa Cape Epic.
Contact
Contact Us
Location:
Val de Vie, Paarl, Western Cape
South Africa
Email:
devillierscycling@mweb.co.za
Call:
+27 83 269 7659