The Pennypinchers Dr Evil Classic is a three day MTB stage race, organised by Dr Evil himself and, despite the doctor’s fearsome reputation, Neil Bradford is keen to return for his second go at the race.
The idea of the event organisers, Leon Evans and Zandile Meneses, from its inception has been to keep the numbers down and to make it a small and personal event, with the field limited to 350 riders. So many other events have it as their main aim to grow in numbers each year, but the Dr Evil Classic stays personal and this is probably one of its main draw cards.
The relaxed atmosphere surrounding the event, along with the really friendly and personal vibe, makes it so enjoyable for the racing snakes and the social riders. The start each day is evident to this as rider’s line up on the start line in the order they feel appropriate. If a social rider would like to line up next to the likes of Kevin Evans, and here that is perfectly alright.
The stages are also all very manageable distances with no stage being longer that 80km, all taking place in the beautiful Knysna forest and surrounding areas. The altitude gain per day is also kept reasonable making this race a perfect starting block for the novice rider wanting to do their first multi-day stage race. Do not however for a minute think that it does not cater for an experienced stage racer. Once the customary neutral zone out of Wittedrift is over and the flag drops, the racing up front is as fierce as ever.
With Wittedrift town being only a few minutes’ drive out of Plett, it is also a fantastic race to take the whole family along. There is plenty of amazing accommodation options available in Plett and also lots for the rest of the family to do in the mornings, while you will be pedalling your bicycle. The race village also caters for the supporters with snacks available for sale and a beer garden in which to sit back and relax.
Then on Sunday the 20th of September it’s the ever popular Pennypinchers Lions Karoo to Coast, one of South Africa’s most popular single day races. And for those riders who wish to add another day to the Dr Evil Classic, can make it four days of mountain biking and take advantage of the discounted entry fee offered for the Karoo to Coast for Dr Evil Classic entrants.
So, no matter what your level of expertise is on your mountain bike, the Pennypinchers Dr Evil Classic caters for you, with a personal and relaxed atmosphere which is sure to be enjoyed by all.
[box type=”shadow” width=”750″ ]Sus the Pennypinchers Dr Evil Classic: Date: 17 to 19 September 2015 Venue: Wittedrift School, Wittedrift, near Plettenberg Bay Distances: 70km, 80km and 50km Website: www.drevilclassic.com Entries: R3 450 Solo or R6 900 per team Twitter: @DrEvilClassic [/box]
[author image=”https://fullsus.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Feature-3-bio-picture.jpg” ]Neil Bradford represented South Africa for XC and DH at the 1993 MTB World Champs. Despite doing triathlons, canoeing, trail running and adventure racing, his heart still lies with mountain biking. Still very competitive, he holds numerous SA sub-vet and vet XC titles and placed 3rd in the masters and 18th overall in the 2013 ABSA Cape Epic. He is also a business owner, husband and father of two.[/author]
