Soviet: Wine2Whale for the Win
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Endurance, skill and motivation. The three things you need if you want to take on the hills of the Cape with nothing but two wheels and a strong pair of legs. With less than a week to go before the start of the 3-day mountain bike race, cyclists are making sure they are fit and ready to take on the trails. From the beautiful orchards and wine farms of Lourensford Estate, right through to the whale-watching town of Hermanus, this will be a race to remember.

And to prove Soviet is “more than just a pretty face”, the famous fashion brand has 3 teams entered into this year’s event.

“'A group of our cycling friends have been keen to take on the challenge of entering the Wines2Whales race for the past few years. This year, we decided to team up with our experienced MTB & road race friend, Achmat Joseph who was previously committed to another racing team',” says Mr. Ashraf Kathrada, Owner of Soviet Concept Stores in Cape Town, and one of the team members for Soviet.

Known as one of the “more difficult MTB challenges” in the cycling world, the Wine2Whales race is held from 6 - 8 November 2015 and consists of 3 stages, with distances of 70 - 80 kms each day. The race starts in the magnificent Lourensford Estate, nestled in the beautiful bowl of the Helderberg Mountains. Starting here, over 1 300 riders will be crossing through 13 wineries, 26 private farms, 6 mountains, historic roads and nature conservation areas, finally ending at the Onrust Caravan Park near Hermanus. The caravan park is placed in an idyllic seaside village setting. Minutes away from Hermanus, Onrust offers a relaxed, tranquil environment surrounded by natural beauty.

The 3 Soviet teams, consisting of 2 partners in each team, have been preparing for the race for some time now. Armed with an expert training program, the 6 cyclists have been training with regular rides around Cape Town and the Northern Suburbs. As preparation, the teams have also entered into a number of local league races. The riders include:

Ashraf Kathrada
Achmat Joseph
Reon Smal
Chris Skosan
Andre Oberholzer
Garth Carnell

Soviet has provided each of the cyclists with a riding kit for the event, including clothing, tees, caps and a “chill zone” area for the riders and supporters. The riders have elected to "ride for a purpose", with their chosen charity the Alpha School for Autistic Children, based in Woodstock.

“Just being part of and competing in this widely recognised, well-publicised event is an achievement on its own. But to be able to bring these children some hope in their lives is what is getting us really excited” notes Kathrada.

Soviet wishes all entrants the best of luck with the race.

If you would like to make a donation, please see banking details below. You can donate R1 per km for the total 3-day race distance of 212 km, or any amount you wish.

Please note that all funds go directly to the school banking account - please use Team Soviet as reference when donating.

Alpha School for Autistic Kids
First National Bank
Account Number: 50130041010
Branch Code: 201909