![\"ccs-62657-0-29512500-1464954806.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-29512500-1464954806.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Kargo Pro Cycling Team’s Alan Hatherly and fellow cross country aces Brendon Davids (Trek) and Julian Jessop (Concept Cyclery Ballito powered by Burry Stander) will look to lead the charge for 60km Sappi Karkloof Marathon glory at this weekend’s 2016 Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival at Karkloof Country Club. Anthony Grote\/ Gameplan Media<\/span><\/p>\nSunday\u2019s 60km showdown is expected to be a battle of youthful enthusiasm as the highly skilled cross country trio of Brendon Davids, Alan Hatherly and Julian Jessop \u2013 all 23 years or younger \u2013 square off for a place on this year\u2019s title and a place on the coveted podium.<\/p>\n
2013 race winner Davids (Trek) and Kargo Pro Cycling Team\u2019s Alan Hatherly \u2013 the man who led for much of the first two thirds of last year\u2019s race \u2013 are both eager to overcome recent XCO disappointments while Jessop looks to the race as a chance to transition into his marathon-heavy second half of the year.<\/p>\n
Brandon Stewart and Matthew Wilkinson are also expected to play a role in this year\u2019s clash while Kargo\u2019s Andrew Warr, Leeroy Emslie (Leigh\u2019s Cycle Centre), Jedson Tooms and Warren Price will also be hoping for a top ten finish with former Sharks centre, Jeremy Thomson also taking on the challenge.<\/p>\n
The women\u2019s race was set to welcome South African Marathon champion Robyn de Groot to the region for the first however a crash two weeks ago saw the Team Ascendis Health rider dislocate her shoulder and, in so doing, tore her AC ligament and fracture the head of her humerus.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really enjoy riding in KZN and have had great experiences on the trails in and around Pietermaritzburg previously but have never actually been to Karkloof before and so I was really looking forward to finally getting there this year!\u201d explained a disappointed yet graceful De Groot.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have heard a lot about the Karkloof Classic and it has been on my calendar for the past two years but just hasn\u2019t worked out so I was looking forward to giving it a go.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was going to form part of my build up to this year\u2019s Marathon World Champs but unfortunately my injury has meant I\u2019ve had to scrap all of that as my arm is in a sling and I\u2019m still in a bit of pain.<\/p>\n
\u201cI enjoy giving new races a go, otherwise things can become a bit stale, so hopefully next year I\u2019ll be able to come up and take part!\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
De Groot\u2019s absence has opened the door for defending champ Jeannie Dreyer to challenge for a third title at the event however the Merchants rider will receive strong competition from Kargo\u2019s in-form young duo, Frankie du Toit and Hayley Smith.<\/p>\n The 40km aQuell\u00e9 Half Marathon, which has received a complete route makeover ahead of this year\u2019s race, also takes place on Sunday while the family-focused 20km aQuell\u00e9 Family Ride and 10km aQuell\u00e9 10km Kids Ride will ensure riders of all ages and abilities can enjoy a morning in the saddle.<\/p>\n Prior to Sunday\u2019s action though, KwaZulu-Natal\u2019s rapidly growing Enduro community will enjoy their time on the region\u2019s renowned trails as they throw caution to the wind and take on the four short, sharp time sections of the adrenalin pumping event.<\/p>\n Tiaan Odendaal and Kim Westbrook. Anthony Grote\/ Gameplan Media<\/span><\/p>\n Defending champ Tiaan Odendaal has won the past two editions of the clash and is back again in 2016, eager to make it three in a row.<\/p>\n He will however have to overcome the stiff challenge of the likes of Hilton Frost (PYGA Industries), Craig Paul, David Hogan, Andre Pretorius, Jedson Tooms (ROAG Racing), Heiko Redecker, Shane Martin and Sharjah Jonsson and possibly Tim Bentley and Travis Browning as well.<\/p>\n The ladies race is set to be one of the most richly talented Enduro events to take place in the province in recent times as Kim Westbrook \u2013 also a two-time defending champ \u2013 looks to hold off the flying Sabine Thies and Kathryn Fourie as well as the challenge of Tamryn Taylor, Michele Reynolds, Tamika Haw and Nadine Nunes.<\/p>\n A strong Merchants Change a Life Running Team presence in both the 21km and 10km trail running events will see the Valley of a Thousand Hills outfit eyeing out a strong podium presence in both races while the balance of the 350-plus trail running field hope to soak up the wealth of spectacular sights and sounds of the region when they enjoy the 5km event.<\/p>\n The popular two day event also offers participants and spectators alike the opportunity to soak up the race village\u2019s plethora of food and drink facilities and bike wash and retail outlets as well as enjoy the recently revamped clubhouse\u2019s diverse facilities.<\/p>\n The 2016 Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival takes place at Karkloof Country Club on Saturday, 4 and Sunday, 5 June. Saturday’s 21km, 10km and 5km trail running races start at 07h00, 07h30 and 08h00 respectively while the STIHL Karkloof Enduro gets underway at 12h00. Sunday’s programme includes 60km, 40km, 20km and 10km mountain bikes events with racing starting at 07h30. More information can be found at www.karkloofmtb.co.za<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The feast of trail adventure that the 2016 Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Adventure\u2019s diverse programme offers will attract thousands of mountain bikers and trail runners to the KZN Midlands this weekend. The well-established STIHL Karkloof Enduro at midday on Saturday and the full line-up of mountain bike events on Sunday \u2013 headlined by the 60km […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":42269,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[421,1318],"featured_location":[],"class_list":["post-18073","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","tag-karkloof-classic","tag-sappi-karkloof-classic"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18073","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18073"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18073\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42269"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18073"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18073"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18073"},{"taxonomy":"featured_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured_location?post=18073"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/a>Merchants’ Jeanie Dreyer will have one eye on a third 60km Sappi Karkloof Marathon title when she squares off against Kargo Pro Cycling Team’s Frankie du Toit and Hayley Smith at this weekend’s 2016 Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival at Karkloof Country Club. Anthony Grote\/ Gameplan Media<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/a>Owen Bengo, together with the rest of the 350-plus field, will take on the all-new 21km, 10km and 5km trail run events at this weekend’s 2016 Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival at Karkloof Country Club. Anthony Grote\/ Gameplan Media<\/span><\/p>\n