In August 2020 Jacques Marais, Peter van Kets, Zane Schmahl and Peter Kirk set out on a 9 00km, 9 province, tour of South Africa. The aim was to highlight an adventure travel destination in each province for their Beyond Expeditions trip. The adventure was supported by Isuzu South Africa and Dunlop Tyres South Africa. To find out more about it visit www.beyondexpeditions.co.za. 

Diverge Podcast

2: Beyond Lockdown

The story of the Covid-19 pandemic is still unfolding. A strange podcast for a strange time. Seamus Allardice looks at the effects of the Covid-19 crisis, thus far, on the South African cycling industry where events have been cancelled or postponed, bicycle shops are closed and manufacturers have shut their doors. When they open will the economy be in a fit state to allow racing to resume? That we don't know, but what we do know is that everyone seems to be on Zwift and if the pro athletes, like Sarah Hill, can beat the boredom and complete their workouts they may well be stronger than ever when the lock-down lifts. Read the Lock-down story in the May issue of Full Sus, which will be available online. 

1: Lockdown: Covid-19 Cancellations & Postponements

The 11th season of the Spur School's MTB League saw participation records broken in most regions. Following the highly successful 2019 final, to which the best performers from each region were invited, Seamus Allardice sat down with the league's founder Meurant Botha and Oliver Munnik. To find out more about the Spur School's MTB League visit www.spurmtbleague.co.za (https://www.spurmtbleague.co.za/) . 

30: Meurant Botha & Oli Munnik Talk Spur School's MTB League

The Maloti 100 Miler is a mountain bike race between Barkley East and Maclear, in the Eastern Cape. It covers 162km, takes in 2 966m of climbing and ascends South Africa's third highest mountain pass, Naude's Nek. Aside from reaching 2 600m above sea level, where the air is pretty thin, the road surfaces are exceptionally rough. It is definitely not a gravel bike race. But Seamus Allardice didn't bring another bike along and he was set on test riding the Canyon Grail CF SLX 8.0 Di2. The bike, though not the recommended weapon for the race, handled the terrain better than the show's host. Tune in to hear how it went and what to expect for the 2020 Maloti 100, which is set to take place on the 26th of September. Links: Canyon Grail CF SLX 8.0 Di2 Specifications (https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/road-bikes/gravel-bikes/grail/grail-cf-slx-8.0-di2/2204.html?dwvar_2204_pv_rahmengroesse=2XL&dwvar_2204_pv_rahmenfarbe=GY%2FBK#all-components-section-tab) Maloti 100 Website (https://www.maloti100.co.za/) Pre-Race Story on Diverge.info (https://diverge.info/2019/09/23/crisis-im-riding-100-miles-this-weekend/)

28: Maloti 100: Cycling at 2600m above sea level

On the 13th and 14th of September, Diverge Podcast host, Seamus Allardice took part in the Torpedo SwimRun Wild. New to the sport of SwimRun he had no idea of what to expect, but knew it would be an adventure. Tune in to hear all about that adventure and for an interview with Richard McMartin, one of the founders of Torpedo SwimRun South Africa. Want to know more about the sport? Check out Swamble Fun and Adventures in SwimRun (https://diverge.info/2019/09/16/swamble-fun-and-adventures-in-swimrun/) on www.diverge.info or visit www.torpedoswimrun.com (https://torpedoswimrun.com/) .

27: SwimRun Wild

Nicky Giliomee (Seattle Coffee Co) and Jaco Pelser (Southern Africa Roadtrippers) took part in the 2019 Momentum Health Cape Pioneer Trek, presented by Biogen. They along with their teammates for the 6 day stage race, Cherise Willeit and Oliver Lennard, kept daily audio diaries of the experience for the Diverge Podcast. Here's how the Race With Soul unfolded for the quartet of mountain bikers. 

26: Nicky & Jaco's Cape Pioneer Trek Audio Diaries

The route for the 2020 Absa Cape Epic has been announced. It takes in 647 kilometres with 15 550 metres of climbing, over 8 days in March next year. Visiting the towns of Ceres, Tulbagh and Wellington on the trail from Cape Town to Val de Vie. Watch the route launch video here: www.youtube.com (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4j1zb79-a0) And take a look at the route profiles here: www.cape-epic.com/2020-route (https://www.cape-epic.com/riders/the-2020-race/2020-route) (While listening to the latest episode of the Diverge Podcast). 

25: 2020 Absa Cape Epic Route Analysis

The BMT Fairtree mountain biking academy team of Luyanda Thobigunya and Zola Ngxakeni won an entry to the Swiss Epic, in the south eastern canton of Graubünden, by winning the Exxaro Development category at the 2018 FNB Wines2Whales. This is their story from the five day Swiss stage race. For more information on the BMT Fairtree academy please visit www.bmtsa.co.za/social-responsibility (https://bmtsa.co.za/social-responsibility/) . To find out more about the Swiss Epic and to view all the photos and videos from the race visit www.swiss-epic.com (http://www.swiss-epic.com/) . 

24: BMT Fairtree at the Swiss Epic

Gravel is growing in South Africa and 6 local event organisers have combined to establish a 7 event gravel/mountain bike 100 Miler Series. The series will visit 3 provinces in it's inaugural year, starting with Ride the Karoo in February and ending with Race to the Sea in October 2020. For all the details click here: https://diverge.info/2019/07/30/introducting-a-100-miler-series-across-south-africa/ Also featured in the show is a brief recap on the Stellenbosch MTB Challenge and a look ahead at the 2019 Trans Baviaans. 

23: Gravel Grows with 100 Miler Series

The South African XCO Championships, at Thaba Trails in Johannesburg, saw Candice Lill win her first senior national title. Alan Hatherley meanwhile won his third. In the Western Cape the Chas Everitt Around The Pot Overberg 100-Miler, presented by SEESA, was held in sub 10 degree weather conditions. And two new gravel races were launched, including one from a brewery to a brewery. 

22: Lill Wins SA Champs & New Gravel Races Launch

Join host Seamus Allardice as he starts to provide more regular, or that's the plan at least, programming by focusing on weekly news round-ups from the world of cycling, trail running and other adventure sports. This week he kicks off with a look back at the Andorra and Les Gets rounds of the UCI MTB World Cup, catches up with Robyn de Groot and previews the South African XCO Championships, which take place in Johannesburg on Saturday 20 July. Also on Saturday is the 3rd edition of the Chas Everitt Around the Pot Overberg 100 Miler, presented by SEESA. And Seamus has FOMO already, as he's missing this year's race. For more on these events and more visit www.diverge.info (https://diverge.info/) . 

21: SA Champs Preview & Around the Pot FOMO

In this episode of the Diverge Podcast Seamus Allardice chats to, 6 time South African Mountain Biking Marathon Champion, Robyn de Groot. De Groot is recovering from surgery to rectify iliac artery endofibrosis, which is the narrowing of one of the main arteries transporting blood to one's legs. Her recovery has come at a better than expected rate as she notched up her first post-operation win alongside Samantha Sanders at the 2019 KAP sani2c in May. Since then she has also won the Knysna MTB Challenge and will line up to defend her SA XCM title on the 29th of June at the Nissan TrailSeeker in Buffelsdrift, Gauteng. To find out more about Robyn you can visit her website: www.robyndegroot.com (http://robyndegroot.com/) . Or follow here on Instagram (@robyn_de_groot (https://www.instagram.com/robyn_de_groot/) ) and Twitter (@robyndegroot (https://twitter.com/robyndegroot) ). 

20: Robyn de Groot

Join host Seamus Allardice as he chats to the Discovery George Mountain Ultra Trail's Zane Schmahl and Jacques Mouton, initially atop George Peak and then later over lunch at the Ground Zero Bike and Trail Park. Zane is the race director for the ultra trail running event, which also features a Vertical 1K challenge, from the outskirts of the Southern Cape city to the summit of the region's second highest peak. To find out more about the Discovery MUT please visit www.georgetrailrun.co.za. 

19: Discovery MUT

In this episode of the Diverge Podcast Seamus Allardice spoke to Summit Fin's Candice Lill. The former Junior Cross-Country Bronze medalist and London 2012 Olympian had recently returned from a European racing block where she fought her way to two top twenty results in the opening rounds of the UCI MTB World Cup. These results come off the back of her second position at the Absa Cape Epic in March alongside German Adelheid Morath.  For more information on Candice you can follow her on Instagram or Twitter @Candice_MTB (https://twitter.com/Candice_MTB) . 

18: Candice Lill

Following her joBerg2c victory, alongside Mike Posthumus, Seamus Allardice caught up with Amy McDougall. The dormakaba rider is a two time world single speed champion, the winner of the inaugural Absa African Women's jersey in the Absa Cape Epic last year. 2019 though has been difficult for the former hairdresser, turned professional mountain biker. But after her big win at South Africa's longest stage race she's feeling confident and is once again happy to be on the bike.

17: Amy McDougall

The Diverge Podcast explores South Africa's ultra-endurance crazed sporting industry with Seamus Allardice. From the Absa Cape Epic, the Tour de France of mountain biking, to weekend missions in the mountains; and everything in between, including bike packing, trail running and hiking. On or off the beaten track the Diverge Podcast is your guide to long-distance adventures in South Africa.

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