When my usual riding partner pulled out a couple of weeks before the Potberg and De Hoop MTB Challenge I thought it would be the perfect race for my old mate Jacques Rademan to join me on. It would be Jacques’ first stage race, and as it has got a far more of a chilled ride or tour vibe I figured it would be a nice low pressure introduction to multi-day riding. Plus, Jacques spent many a weekend pedalling around De Hoop with me back in our primary school days so he was keen to get back to an old stomping ground too.