The cream of world mountain biking raced through the dusty streets of a little-known Western Cape township this week.
Former world champion and reigning Olympic gold medallist Jaroslav Kulhavy (Czech Republic) was there. So was four times Absa Cape Epic winner and himself a multiple world champion, Switzerland’s Christoph Sauser. And reigning Absa Cape Epic champion Kristian Hynek (Czech), former world champion Alban Lakata (Austrian), Sweden’s Emil Lindgren, Switzerland’s Fabian Giger and top South Africans too.
The women’s field included famous names such as Denmark’s world marathon champion Annika Langvad, her Absa Cape Epic partner Ariane Kleinhans of Switzerland, and her countrywomen Esther Suss.
The occasion? The Aramex songo.info Champions Race, a dash of little more than an hour in which the riders do several laps, starting and finishing on a soccer field and taking in the streets of Kayamandi Township, Stellenbosch.
Songo.info is the brainchild of local community leader Songo Fipaza and Sauser. It was initiated in 2008 when the two men met and it got off the ground a year later.
In essence, songo.info seeks to address many of the social ills faced by children in the township: “In our vision we see a community where there is significantly reduced alcohol and drug abuse, crime and social deviance, and teenage pregnancy. Our children have access to education, skills transfer, and knowledge on personal development and environmental care. Children are protected and have a safe place to grow and develop,” says its vision statement.
According to locals among the thousands who turned up to watch on Wednesday evening the songo.info clubhouse and BMX track – perched on the bank above the soccer field – has become a haven for local children. It is a place where they go to learn, sometimes to eat and to relax in a safe and controlled environment.
And to ride their bikes.
On Wednesday they roared with delight when the MC called Sauser up to the start line. They shouted “Coooool Harvey” as Kulhavy sped to the front of the field soon after the start. They gave an enormous cheer every time local success story Sipho Madolo (he raced in the Marathon World Championships last year) went past.
Afterwards Sauser had to be rescued by a security guard as he was mobbed by scores of young children, all wanting to high five the great Swiss athlete or just be in his proximity.
And the result? In the circumstances it probably doesn’t matter, but the men’s race was won in a tight finish by the Kulhavy, with Lindgren only seconds back.
The women’s race went to Langvad with her Absa Cape Epic partner Kleinhans second and their great rival Esther Suss third.
Absa Cape Epic form watchers would not be able to draw too many conclusions because of the short nature of the event, but Langvad and Kleinhans look like they are mighty strong: the pair raced away together until Kleinhans was delayed by a slipped chain.
Kulhavy’s strength was evident from the gun and he and Sauser will start as favourites, but the Topeak Ergon pairing of Hynek and Lakata stuck with the mighty Czech to the finish and are both evidently in great shape.
It’s going to be a thriller.
