This past weekend's W2W Shiraz event was my first W2W event ever. What an experience! I can definitely recommend this to any first timers to a stage race. From start to finish the organization of this event stood out for me. Everything ran smoothly and the overall experience was great. The water points from Woolies were well stocked with ReHidrate, Coca-cola, water & snacks (dates, bananas, chips, sandwiches, naartjies, watermelon, jelly babies, jelly worms, ocassional banana bread, cake pieces) more than enough to get one going again and we really enjoyed the vibe at the water points. There were even some wines to be sampled en-route. Once fueled up from all the snacks the guys from Squirt lubed up the chains and you set off to the next one or to finish off for the day. Race village was outstanding! DHL provided a massive pickup area (under roof & on pallets so your bags don't get wet / soggy from the grass). Each rider has his own tent with your race number on it, clearly marked and easy to find. Each tent is supplied with a mattress (was comfy and had a good two nights sleep). Overall during the evening I hardly heard any snoring and the weren't too much noise to keep you awake (except for a few noise okes after the rugby world cup win on Saturday evening late). More than enough chill areas provided for riders with bars where you can buy refreshments (beer/coldrinks/wine). The complimentary spur burger & chips was nice after a long ride washed down with some CBC Lager. Hardly any queues waiting for food & drinks. The whole race village was kept tidy and cleaners were constantly cleaning up after people who can't bin their rubbish. We didn't spent any time in FNB lounge area (the indoor area had aircon) but it looked chilled and people were enjoying lounging around. There was a huge area for massages, a huge dining tent where you get a very nice breakfast in the morning as well as dinner in the evenings. The food was great! Really enjoyed the spread. After your ride each day you take your bike to get washed and placed in area where all the bikes are locked up during the night. Ablutions and showers was not too far away and the shower setup worked very well (warm water if you needed it). Overall it was a very nice experience, riders & W2W staff were very friendly through the whole weekend which made the experience even better, not to mention the awesome trails you get to ride on a event like this. My mind was blown by the beautiful scenery and the Gantouw Pass was an experience in itself. The finish in Onrus was great against the backdrop of the ocean and riding on the beach - you have made it! Yes the race is tough but with some training it is more than doable. Next year the route will be in reverse, starting off in Onrus and finishing in Lourensford, I don't know if I'm keen for all that climbing but I really enjoyed my first Wines2Whales and kudos to everyone for making it a very memorable experience, it was GREAT!
