Kargo Pro MTB Team’s Brendon Davids will be lining up against KwaZulu-Natal’s favourite cross-country stars to take on the sublime singletrack trails of the well-liked Hilton forests for the opening round of the 2016 KZNMTB XCO Provincial Series on Saturday 6 February.
Davids, who took the title at the KZN Provincial Road Championships last month, is feeling strong on the road and mountain bike, and is determined to take this weekend’s cup race by the horns. “It’s always great to get a win for the team. I definitely feel that the different disciplines help ease the monotony that can sometimes come with training. I’m a huge fan of racing on the road, so I like to jump at any opportunity to race the skinny wheels.
Kargo Pro MTB Team’s Brendon Davids, is eager to take to the trails at the opening round of the 2016 KZNMTB XCO Provincial in the forests of Hilton on Saturday 6 February Photo credit: Gavin Ryan/Quick Pix
“The road bike also gives a lot more consistency when training as the roads are generally smoother, which allows me to get better quality in some of my sessions,” he said.
After competing in the first leg of the National XCO Cup Series at Mankele MTB Park (Mpumalanga) at the weekend and finishing 5th in the Pro-Elite class, the 23-year-old is raring to go. “Training has been going well thus far, although I’ve only just begun to work on my intensity. This past weekend’s race was a little frustrating for me as a few issues out on the track left me constantly trying to chase back to the leaders – however I’m pretty happy with where I am at the moment with my preparations and I’m hugely motivated for the next National XCO Cup in the Western Cape.
Looking ahead to the KZNMTB XCO Provincial Cup, Davids said: “I think this weekend is going to be a interesting one for me. I’m now hitting the intensity pretty hard, especially this week. So you never quite know how the legs will respond after a tough week of training, however I’m pretty psyched to nab another good result, especially after last weekend.”
Davids mentioned that he and teammate Alan Hatherly often enjoy “sparring” each other out on the courses that aren’t too technical. “It’s essentially making ourselves a punching bag for the other out on course – it helps simulate the efforts we’ll be doing at the next National XCO,” he added.
According to Davids, the XCO course in Hilton has no real climbing, which he believes will increase the intensity when racing the distance.
The opening round of the 2016 KZNMTB XCO Provincial takes place in the forests of Hilton at Hilton Christian Fellowship (opposite Grace College on the Hilton College Road) on Saturday 6 February 2016. Entries are open and close at midnight tonight (Wednesday 3 February 2016). (http://www.roag.co.za/eventinfo.aspx?EventID=1731).
For more information, contact Rebecca van der Linde info@kznmtb.co.za.
