Panorama Tour Stage Race - it begins..

Carlos Sales and I will be participating in the 2010 Panorama Tour, which takes place between the 24th and 27th of April. The tour is an impressive 4 day event with the stages departing from White River and going up to Sabie, Brondal and Kruger International Airport. Base of operations are at the Casterbridge centre, a beautiful collection of shops featuring arts and crafts, bed linnen manufacturers, an alternative movie house and the Barnyard Theatre. We didn’t come here for the shopping though, so let’s get to the business of things.
The race is a 4 day event. The first three days are long-distance events and the final day a time trial. Now, for the stages:
STAGE 1 – White River - Kiepersol – Sabie – Spitskop – White River - 115km’s and 2213m of climbing. What they don’t tell you about is the steep descent when you come down the other side of Spitskop, which if you aren’t a speed junky can be positively terrifying. Having said that, what could be more terrifying that finishing behind everyone else because you can’t go downhill?! So take your brave pills, boys and girls, because you’ll need it!
STAGE 2 – White River – Brondal – Kynamanzane – Kruger Airport - White River – A seemingly innocuous 80km’s with a mere 1192m of climbing, but the last third of the race is all up-hill, just when you want a rest. Also, careful which way the wind is blowing on this one.
STAGE 3 – White River – Sabie – Brondal – White River – 113km’s and another massive 2055m of climbing. Highlights are doing Spitskop backwards (with a more pleasant descent) and then the foot of LongTom pass, up to where you turn off for Nelspruit. The “foot” is a bit misleading, because the climb is longer than the Spitskop one, and sure to sap your energies. Once at the top an undulating descent down to the Brondal turnoff, and then a small “bump” at Heidel Eggs and then the final uphill charge from White River up to Casterbridge.
STAGE 4 - Time trial around White River – 24km with 454m of climbing. A rather meandering route around the back roads of White River culminating in the final climbs of Stage 2. Winning time in 2009 was 38minutes.. a tough time to beat.
Overall the race is 332km and a total of 5914m of ascent. This should shock our legs into submission. By comparison Namaacha, which is Maputo’s longest climb, is a 16km 500m ascent affair. We are in for a big shock I am afraid..