MBABANE – The air at the Ngwenya Border Gate at 5am did not just feel cold; it bit.
Wrapped in the thick, pitch-black darkness of a winter dawn, about 50 cyclists stood shivering but eager, their breath turning to mist under the harsh border lights. Then, the signal came.
In an instant, a constellation of flashing LED bike lights sliced through the gloom. With the high-voltage hum of tyres on tarmac, the peloton moved out as a single, glowing organism, flanked by the reassuring strobe lights of police vans, escort cars, roaring motorbikes and ambulances. Among them were Eswatini Tourism Authority officials, watching a vision come to life: a rolling festival of human endurance connecting one edge of the kingdom to the other.
This was the AlphSZ Border to Border 240km challenge, a gruelling journey from the high hills of Ngwenya all the way down to the lowveld of the Lavumisa Border Gate.
The starting line was a melting pot of accents and jerseys. While a dominant local contingent set the pace, roughly 20 per cent of the 200-plus field was made up of international riders who had trekked from the cycling hubs of Johannesburg, the rolling hills of White River and Nelspruit and the coastal breeze of Durban, all drawn by the legendary reputation of Eswatini’s terrain.
As the sun finally broke through the mist and warmed the tarmac, the riders settled into their echelons. The first major milestone came with a quick, tactical stop at Mhlaleni, in Matsapha. Muscles were warm, but the real boost came a few kilometres later as the pack rolled into Manzini, welcomed warmly by the Municipal Council of Manzini.
The peloton cruised into Somhlolo Park, turning the green space into a vibrant oasis of bright Lycra and clanking gears. This was the halfway haven. Cyclists eagerly grabbed refreshments, downing energy drinks and stretching out tight calves while the air filled with the sounds of official gratitude. In a beautiful touch of hospitality, the city council presented special gifts to every single cycling club present, anchoring the event in true Eswatini warmth.
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