Strauss bringing Epic legs to Wolwespruit XCO
Just three weeks after competing and placing second overall at the 2017 Absa Cape Epic with OMX Pro Teammate Annie Last, South African MTB XCO Champion Mariske Strauss will be headed to the second round of the 2017 SA National MTB Cup Series XCO in Wolwespruit on Saturday 15 April. “I’m very pleased with this […]
Summer series rocks the Midlands
KwaZulu-Natal mountain biker Stuart Marais blitzed the tacky and slippery four-kilometre cross-country course during the second round of the 2017 KZNMTB Provincial XCO Cup Series at St. Ives in the Midlands in an incredible time of 1:15:43 today. Stuart Marais kept consistently excellent lap times to take the Batch A victory at the second round […]
Jessop refocused for National Cup No.2 at Wolwespruit
Under-23 South African Cross-Country National Champion, Julian Jessop, is trading off his early season endurance stage races for some high intensity prep-work as he builds up towards the second round of the 2017 SA National MTB Cup Series XCO, which takes place at Wolwespruit Bike Park in Tshwane on Saturday 15 April. Julian Jessop is […]
Race Report: Subaru Cape Town WC XCO MTB Series #3 Bloemendal
The third event in the Subaru Cape Town WC XCO MTB Series took place at Bloemendal wine farm in Durbanville on Saturday. We headed out at the crack of dawn to join in the fun. Darryn Stow on his way to second place in the Sub Vet men’s race. Photo credit: Theo Bruwer. The track […]
Interview: Jenny Rissveds
Jenny Rissveds needs no introduction. An XCO rider for the Scott-Sram MTB Racing Team, she won the gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic games, is the current U23 XCO World Champion, and ranked fourth overall in the World Cup XCO in 2016, where she raced Elites while still under 23. She is in South […]
Fast and furious racing action at first XCO Cup
The country welcomed a host of local and international riders to the first 2017 LOAD National MTB XCO Series event, which took place at Rhebokskloof Wine Estate in Paarl on Saturday 25 February. The Western Cape winds made sure to give riders more than what they had bargained for compared to an already challenging cross-country […]
Exciting XCO season openers for Team Spur’s Hatherly and Lüthi
The first cross-country (XCO) round of the 2017 SA MTB Cup Series went down at the Hero Adventure Trails at Rhebokskloof Wine Estate on Saturday, 25 February. The first of four events in the country-wide series boasted one of the most star-studded international fields ever seen at a local XCO race. Team Spur’s 20-year-old XCO […]
Race report: National MTB XCO Series Rhebokskloof
On Saturday 25 February, Rhebokskloof wine farm outside Paarl hosted the first 2017 LOAD National MTB XCO Series, in combination with the second event of Subaru Cape Town WC XCO MTB Series, and the World Junior World Series. The UCI points on offer, combined with the fact that a large number of pro riders have […]
The science of cross-country mountain biking: What does it take to succeed in XCO?
Cross-country mountain biking or XCO (the acronym given to the Olympic discipline) has increased in popularity in South Africa and globally over the past few years. So much so, that famed South African artist, Jack Parow, even wrote a song about it, Eksie Ou. Poor attempts at humour aside, the growth of this particular cycling […]
Massive international field for first SA XCO Cup
Aside from local rider entries, race organisers have received 34 entries from over 14 different nations so far ahead of this weekend’s 2017 SA National XCO Cup Series event at Rhebokskloof Wine Estate in Paarl on Saturday 25 February. This also forms part of the UCI (cat 1) Junior World Series. Martin Gluth is feeling […]
Race Report: Subaru Cape Town WC XCO MTB Series #1 Slanghoek
After my first taste of cross country racing in the 2016 Subaru Cape Town WC XCO MTB Series, which you can read about here and here, signing up for 2017 was a no-brainer. There is nothing quite like an XCO race to get your adrenalin pumping and endorphins flowing. Mariske Strauss on her way to […]
Change to KZNMTB XCO Cup Series format
Along with the changes to the Gravity Series format, the 2017 KZNMTB XCO Cup Series will also see adjustments, with the format being based upon the racing of riders against those of equal ability rather than age and gender. Along with the changes to the Gravity Series format, the 2017 KZNMTB XCO Cup Series will […]