climbing Swartberg pass
This weekend I raced my first race since taking a few weeks off. The to Hell and Back 2day MTB stage race from De Hoek into the Gamkaskloof or Die Hel as it is also known. This is one of the oldest races in the country, one of the old classics. The 60km route into the Swartberg mountains, offers 1800m of climbing and some cool descends before returning on the same route the next day. It is also a very scenic route.
I have attended the race almost every year for the last 18 years as my family would normally be assisting the race organizers, the Van der Walt family. It was always great fun sleeping the night out in the Hell, after watching the likes of my mom and Kevin Evans racing during the day. My mom had the better of the 16 year old Evans, but he managed to make amends in later years.
I did my first H&B when I was 15, but due to the race rules for juniors later enforced I could not participate since 2009. This would be the 1st time that I would actually be racing the H&B, and I was eager.
After the start at De Hoek we sat together in a group till we went through the farms. Here Timothy Hammond and me managed to open a gap.
We hit the 8,5km Swartberg pass with a slight gap. We stuck together going up the pass and worked together to try and open the gap on the other guys. We rode together till about the 45km mark where I managed to get a gap on Tim. I tried to open a big enough gap that I could defend on day two. I climbed Heart Break Hill at a good pace and descended the pass into die Hel to take the stage win with a 3,5 minute gap on 2nd and about a 9 min gap to 3rd position.
top of Swartberg pass
Heartbreak hill day 1/fun downhill day 2
After gaining a good lead on day one it was time to relax and recover for the next day. The whole atmosphere of camping in the kloof is one of the things that makes it a nice event. After a relaxed evening of chatting and just chilling we enjoyed the braai and had a good night’s rest.
sunset
camping
Day 2 started with the big climb up Elands pass and I followed the pace set by the front group. A group of 5 rode together for most of the day. I had a problem with my rear derailleur, forcing me to stop often to put the chain back on but I managed to get back to the front group for most of the day. As we hit the back of the Swartberg pass the pace got faster and I struggled to catch up with the front runners. In the end I was lucky to finish 4th on day two, and to barely hang on to my overall lead. Timothy Hammond took second overall and Franso Steyn third.
climbing Elands pass out of die Hel
stage win
final podium
We had a great weekend and I was very happy to win this race as it has always been one of the races I wanted to win one day. It would have been nice if Kevin and my mom also raced. Perhaps next year.
Strava files day 1 and day 2
If you want to see more of Jacques Marais’s photos of the event click here
Gert
Gert Heyns Blog 
Baie geluk Gert