Gravel and Dirt, Done and Dusted

Kadhan Olivier
Recently, Hollard hosted a series called the Gravel and Dirt series, which a few Gimmies took part in. The trails were long distance, meaning the shortest trail was 40km (except for the last race which was 25 km.). The senior series consisted of eight events, and the junior category consisted of seven.

The events were called X-Ride, one of which was held at Oanob Dam near Rehoboth and which the Gimmies could not take part in; West Coast MTB, which was held in Swakopmund; Otjiwa Eagle Ride, which was held at Otjiwa Lodge near Otjiwarongo; Africa Safari Lodge MTB Festival which took place at Africa Safari Lodge near Mariental; Ugab Terrace XCM at Sofienhof Lodge near Outjo; MTB Dirt Attack near Okahandja; Sky Ride at Heja Lodge near Windhoek; and finally, Gobabis MTB Challenge at Goba Lodge in Gobabis. The Gimmies who took part in this spectacular series were Justin Vosloo, Monique du Plessis, Marlynne Brandt and Kadhan Olivier.

As a participant, I feel that Hollard as well as the trail builders and organizers planned the trails perfectly. There was only one event that was surrounded by controversy and that was MTB Dirt Attack as the routes were marked very unclearly and some riders took shorter routes as a result of the unclear marks. All in all, it was an awesome series and I am looking forward to taking part again next year.

Marlynne Brandt, who also took part in the event, felt the following about the series:“The Hollard series had its ups and downs this year but that is what makes cycling so fun. You never know really what to expect. My absolute favourite race in the series for 2017 has to be Africa Safari Lodge MTB Festival. With the beautiful terrain and fantastic route, the MTB Festival has become one of my most memorable cycling experiences. During the race, I saw a few animals and fell off my bike, but that’s all part of cycling. My least favourite race was the Dirt Attack. Dirt Attack was the most challenging and terrifying route that I have endured. I was not expecting the elevation and many patches of dense sand halfway through the race. I had many negative thoughts about not finishing and feeling very exhausted but I just reminded myself about how far I have come and that I have the ability to carry on until the finish line. I eventually crossed the finish line. I felt very proud of myself and my cycling buddy, Kadhan, who stuck with me. The feeling of putting on my finisher’s medal made me forget all about how much I had struggled.”
Many cyclists have said that they enjoyed the series and that they look forward to the next series. I am sure the cyclists are wondering what Hollard has in store for them next year. They will just have to wait and see.