There are not many stage races in South Africa that adventurer Paris Basson has not ridden. So he knows where to find the best riding all along the country’s coastline – because he needs to split his time between the bike and the surf board after all. Having already explored many of the back roads the BUCO Dr Evil Classic utilises, to link between forestry roads and singletracks, he knew exactly what was in store on Friday’s second stage of the 2018 race.
“The weather was awesome” Basson, who has recently signed for the dormakaba team to partner Nico Pfitzenmaier in stage races, said. “Today the route was super-fast but super hard. At under 50 kilometres long it was really compact, which made for exciting riding. It was awesome to race head-to-head with the kids (stage winners Rogan Connelly and Aidan Smart from The Bike Shop). They’re half my age so they must be twice as fast” he laughed.
“My girlfriend stays up here, so I’ve been basing myself here quite a bit and training on these roads a lot. It’s so easy to go for a 150 kilometre ride and other than the logging trucks you hardly see a vehicle, so you feel a lot safer on the roads. I’ve been riding the gravel roads around Uniondale a lot on my cyclocross bike too and have really been loving it. Jbay is just up the road too. So I watch the charts and surf when it’s good. The balance to life in the Garden Route is perfect for me” he continued.
Turning his attention back to the Dr Evil Classic, Basson was eager to point out that the final stage would be right up his alley. Despite spending a lot of training time gravel grinding his technical riding skills have always set Basson apart. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow, it’s more my scene with more singletrack. So hopefully I’ll be able to rev it with the kids” the concluded with a smile.
Mountain biking fans, not taking part this weekend, can follow the action as it unfolds from Plettenberg Bay on the BUCO Dr Evil Classic’s social media handles. Fans can watch the @drevilclassic stories on Instagram for regular updates and sneak peeks from the course. The event Facebook page, Dr Evil Classic, will feature daily photo albums and all the essential information will also be shared via @DrEvilClassic on Twitter. For more information on the event as a whole please visit www.drevilclassic.com.