The 2012 Cape Outback MTB Expedition (15 - 18 March 2012) promises to be the best one so far! Here are some of the changes:

There is a new expedition village at the truly awesome setting of Potberg

Feeding stations en-route have received a make-over

Dinner, breakfast and tented accommodation before the start will be included in the package

With some local help, the exciting motorised river crossing over the Breede River promises to be even smoother than before

Infrastructure at all the expedition villages has been increased to cater for greater numbers of riders

No wonder that excitement is already building up. Entries will close on 31 January 2012. All entries must be done online through the official Cape Outback website www.capeoutback.co.za.

Congratulations also to Johan du Toit from Gauteng on winning the Cape Outback/Tread Magazine competition. Johan won a team entry worth R11 900 and will be partnering with his sister Alta in this year's Cape Outback.

The expedition dates are 15 - 18 March 2012. The start is in Stilbaai and the finish is 400km due west at Beloftebos (near Stanford). Overnight expedition villages will be at Nona Rosa, Potberg and Strandveld Winery. Only team entries are allowed. The Cape Outback is a  full service MTB expedition and during the expedition riders will be treated to 3 delicious meals a day.

All the expedition details can be found at www.capeoutback.co.za.

"We should come home from adventures, and perils, and discoveries every day with new experience and character."    Henry David Thoreau

 Here are the NEED-TO-KNOWS about this 400km mystical MTB race:

 Entries limited to 75 teams, thus no waiting in line for food or showers.

No clovers in the route. Every expedition village is in a different location, giving the Cape Outback an unparalleled cross country experience.

Almost 50% of the route may only be accessed by cyclists once a year during the Cape Outback, giving riders exclusive access to privately owned roads.

The route runs through three nature reserves and a national park.

The route includes two river crossings, one with inflatable kayaks and the other with motorized speed boats.

A night/day stage in which the riders start the stage with full night riding gear two hours before sunrise.

A full service package which includes three delicious meals a day, an expedition tog bag with a transfer service, your own comfortable tent, complimentary bike wash and bike park, massage service and technical support.

A points system is used to determine winners. This allows riders to use different racing strategies and makes for closer racing. Refer to

the FTT points system on the website for details.

To see a 3-minute summary of this awesome event, click on the link below and turn up your volume!

 Run out and get the latest Tread Magazine and win yourself a full entry to the 2012 Cape Outback MTB Expedition

Jaco Loubser

Expedition Director

082 824 1917

For more info and online entries:

 www.capeoutback.co.za