Team Contego takes aim at mountain biking in 2016

Team Contego, a Western Cape-based mountain bike team, is setting sights on multiple objectives for 2016, including a targeted Cape Epic stage win and developing up-and-coming South African mountain biking talent.

Swedish national XCO champion, Calle Friberg (left) and South African Adriaan Louw, will represent Team Contego at the 2016 Absa Cape Epic.

Team captain and manager, Adriaan Louw, confirmed the team’s early objective is a stage win at the prestigious Absa Cape Epic in March. Louw’s Epic ally is Swedish XCO Champion Calle Friberg, whose experience and speed will prove invaluable in Contego’s Cape Epic podium quest.

Thereafter, Louw will continue competing on the South African marathon racing circuit and will give both the national and world marathon championships a tilt this year.

The other two members of Team Contego are Thembisile Mtintsilana and Luke Evans, both full-time students, who will race in regional and national events as often as their education commitments allow.

Contego, an asset management company that has invested in mountain biking for the past 10 years, has also broadened its objectives this year and is now the title sponsor of the Paul Roos Gymnasium (PRG) high school mountain bike team in Stellenbosch.

Adriaan Louw (front) and Calle Friberg of Team Contego, are aiming for a stage win and a high overall finish at the 2016 Absa Cape Epic.

Contego also hosts a unique annual VIP media event, which will see its mountain bikers take on golfers in 2016 (in 2015 the event pitted trail runners against mountain bikers); and has also thrown it’s support behind a soon-to-be-launched six-part web-based mountain bike series as title sponsor.

“Contego has been performing exceptionally well over the past year and as a long-time investor in the sport of mountain biking I’d like to transfer a similar work ethic to the youngsters of our team, Thembisile and Luke. I finished my studies before going on to race full time and the opportunities that have arisen from this specific path is something I’d like to see materialise for Luke and Thembisile going forward,” said Louw.

“Our objectives are to use mountain biking as a vehicle rather than a destination. This way we are able to give the sport more and generate real value through our involvement,” added Louw.

With regards to the Cape Epic, Louw believes that he and Friberg have a realistic shot at a stage win and a good overall finish in the eight-stage event.

“My preparation has gone very well thus far and the added pressure of keeping up with a rider of Calle’s pedigree has had a positive effect for certain. We started our partnership well with a one-two finish at a local race this past weekend. After a relatively moderate 2015, by my own standards, I’m looking forward to a year with a lot of highlights, both for myself and the various Contego mountain biking initiatives,” said Louw.

Adriaan Louw is the Team Contego mountain bike racing team captain and manager for 2016.

The team’s other sponsors are: SWIFT Carbon bikes, pOcpac, Enjoy Fitness, Darling Brew, South Wheels, Biogen, First Ascent, Squirt Lube, Adidas Eyewear, Continental Tyres and Giro Helmets.

Louw will compete at the opening round of the 2016 National Marathon Series at Meerendal, Western Cape this Saturday, while Friberg will contest the first round of the South African XCO Cup Series at Mankele, Mpumalanga.

For more about Contego, visit www.contego.co.za and for updates on the team’s progress, follow @teamcontego on twitter.