Set in the mighty Hawequa mountains surrounding the Western Cape town of Wellington, The Imbuko BIG 5 in partnership with Canetsfontein is a mountain bike marathon that challenges riders like no other with 3000m of elevation gain across the technical 80 km course.
The climbs are gruelling yet they reward you with descents that are beyond spectacular. This is world-class mountain bike racing unlike you’ll find anywhere else in South Africa, as confirmed by comments from the visiting international riders. “The downhills are amazing, it is one of the nicest marathon races that I’ve ever ridden.” said Filipo Colombo of Scott-SRAM MTB Racing while Cannondale Factory Racing’s Mona Mitterwallner echoed, “I think it was one of the coolest marathons I have done.”
The 2024 event attracted a talented field of riders from across the globe including the likes of Mona Mitterwallner, Alan Hatherly, Andri Frischknecht, Candice Lill, Filippo Colombo, and riders of the Bulls Bikes Team along with a strong showing of local pros of which the Imbuko Pro Cycling boys were certainly favourites for a good result at their home race. The stage was set. The big question now was, who would come out on top?
The scintillating battle for the elite men’s trophy
The Hawequa climb that confronts riders out the gate is known for separating the boys from the men and this time around it was the riders of Imbuko Pro Cycling, Scott-SRAM, Insect Science MTB, Alan Hatherly and Johan van Zyl that turned up the heat. Johan van Zyl (Toyota Specialized) and Herman Fourie (Insect Science MTB) were two young guns in the mix who were certainly adding to the intensity of the bunch and showing hunger for a good result here.
A breakaway group formed in the final punches of climb one and on the ripping descent that followed down to the Hawequa Scouts Hall at 20 km in. Marco Joubert was leading the charge with Andri Frischknecht, Filippo Colombo, Wessel Botha, and Alan Hatherly in tow. This group of 5 world-class riders would hold together until the monumental Obiekwa Ascent, marking halfway into the 80km race, upped the ante.
Joubert, Colombo, and Frischknecht looked to be the strongest of the bunch creating a gap as they neared the top of the 3rd major climb that features the famed Cliffhanger trail. Botha and Hatherly tailed close behind the lead 3, not letting the gap stretch to more than a minute but seeming to be out of the race for the win.
The twisting singletrack ascent of the Cliffhanger to Geelbekskop, 1000 metres above sea level, saw Imbuko Pro Cycling’s Joubert besting the Scott-SRAM riders for the King of the Mountain prize atop the summit and leading the trio down the 10km trail descent that drops a whopping 800 vertical metres.
After 20 minutes of descending, it seemed the breakaway had been solidified when unexpectedly Hatherly and Botha bridged the burgeoning gap and rode onto the wheels of the lead riders in just a few short km at the base of the descent as they headed onto the 4th major climb up Groenberg.
These five would go together almost to the line but on the steep gravel slopes of the Patatskloof with 11 km to the finish, first Hatherly slipped off the back and then the uproar began. The remaining four riders traded blows for several kilometres across rocky traverses, sharp descents, and the steady grinds that made their way up to the final water point.
Colombo looked to have the break but a small slip-up crossing a wooden bridge allowed just enough for Joubert and Frischknecht to regain contact, Botha now having lost ground from these three. They began the long farm road descent down to the finish with nothing separating them. It was going to go down to the line.
Colombo had the turn of speed in the final metres to take the victory ahead of Frichknecht and the local hero Joubert. Almost a replication of the 2023 podium but with the returning Scott SRAM duo swapping their top 2 podium steps and Joubert clinching 3rd again, though this time with a much narrower time margin showing his growth as a rider over the past racing season!
Botha and Hatherly took 4th and 5th with the young Herman Fourie, teammate Arno du Toit, and Johan van Zyl close behind and just ahead of the Team Bulls riders. Truly a phenomenal showing from our South African riders against a potent international field. This is what the top riders had to say about the day:
“Marco was super strong, he pushed a super high pace from the beginning. He led through all the trails so we could follow him well on the downhills. I maybe attacked a little bit too early! I almost exploded towards the finish but it worked out in the end.
The last part was the toughest, when I attacked and got the gap and then I saw Marco closing it, that was by far the hardest moment because you don’t know exactly what’s coming up, if there is maybe some more climbing left or not, so yeah it was hard.
The switchbacks at the top of the Cliffhanger are super nice, you can really enjoy them. The downhills are amazing, it is one of the nicest marathon races that I’ve ever ridden.”
Filippo Colombo – Scott-SRAM
“For sure it is the best riding I’ve done in marathon racing. Here it is a lot of fun racing these trails, they are really good and in really good shape. I enjoyed riding here, even though it was tough, the course is really nice to ride. It was easier for me to follow Marco because he knows the trails so I saved a ton of energy this time. Last year I was more destroyed after the race!
Andri Frishcknecht – Scott-SRAM
“I had a super good day, the legs were good. After the first climb I felt good and I thought I’ll go for the KOM, so I sat in the front and rode a hard pace. Then the other boys came back after the Cliffhanger trail and Colombo sent it in the last 5km and it ended with me and the Scott boys but I just didn’t have enough to take the sprint. I tried but I couldn’t get rid of them today!
I feel super good about the performance today. We went way quicker than last year on the Strava sections. It was a good day out and now I’m just frothing for Epic, I think the legs are good. Myself and Wessel were up there today so it should be good!”
Marco Joubert – Imbuko Pro Cycling
A relentless two-horse race for the elite women’s title
In the battle for the women’s title, the initial Hawequa Climb would also play a notable role. The 700-metre vertical ascent up the loose and rutted forest roads sets the tone early-on for what is a notoriously challenging day in and out of the saddle. Leading the charge from the word go was South African marathon champion Candice Lill along with her 2024 Absa Cape Epic partner, and World Marathon Champion, Mona Mitterwallner.
Keeping the pressure on behind them was Namibian Marathon Champion Vera Looser, though the intensity with which the leading women were hitting the steep slopes of climb 1 seemed to be just too high to match. Looser’s Efficient Infiniti teammates, Danielle Strydom and Sam Sanders, held 4th and 5th position behind the Namibian but their time gaps to the leaders were already being measured in minutes on the first climb.
Come the first descent, Lill utilised some local knowledge and opened up the throttle to put a small gap (just under a minute) on Mitterwallner. The Austrian rider had kindly offered her spare bottle to our national champ (who dropped hers on the climb) but that didn’t lull Lill into going easy, she was out here to win!
These two riders, who shared a World Marathon Champs podium together in 2023 as victrix and runner-up, would lead the remaining 60km of the course keeping the pace high on the long grind up to the ceiling of the route at the Cliffhanger trail and down its countless switchbacks as well!
Descending technical trails and clawing their way up steep climbs, Candice Lill, (racing for Seattle Coffee co and Symbtech e-Fort) didn’t put a foot wrong and rode through to a repeat victory with a three-and-a-half minute gap to the 2nd placed Mitterwallner (representing Cannondale Factory Racing). Efficient Inifniti’s Vera Looser closed out the top 3, another 16 minutes behind 2nd. Danielle Strydom and Samantha Sanders rounded out the top 5.
Lill proved once again just how efficient she is in dealing with tough and technical terrain. Her partnership with Mitterwallner for the 2024 Cape Epic looks promising without a doubt. Here are the comments from the fast women at the 2024 Imbuko Big 5:
“I don’t know what it is about this race, I think it is just so suited to me. I enjoy this type of climbing because it isn’t just getting you bored, it’s changing the whole time with singletrack and interesting corners and then on the descents I can just pin it! I just really enjoyed this day!
On the first climb Mona was still with me, she actually gave me a bottle because I dropped mine (“thank you Mona”), and then on the singletrack I started making a bit of a gap. Obviously I know these trails pretty well from doing them over the years so that was my strength today.”
Candice Lill – Seattle Coffee Co / e-Fort
“Physically, I have to admit I trained a bit much this week. Just coming from winter, I do so much training because there is no racing, then racing starts and I’m still in the training mood. I also knew that Candice would attack on the places where I would not be happy and she did just that but I still enjoyed the race because the views were great! I think it was one of the coolest marathons I have done! It was hard but that is what we want so yeah, I enjoyed the day.”
Mona Mitterwallner – Cannondale Factory Racing
“It is a long day. I like the course. It is an awesome course and luckily what goes up must come down here. The last 20 km are not my favourite though, they bite me every year but it was a good day out. I did improve from last year so I’m actually happy with my performance. But yeah, I hear there is a big gap to the front so let’s see what I can still do about that. That Cliffhanger descent is so nice. It’s so flowy, you can just let go. It is one of my favourite in the whole world!”
Vera Looser – Efficient Infiniti
