![\"ccs-62657-0-99142000-1424332907.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-99142000-1424332907.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nErik Kleinhans from RECM in action at the Meerendal leg of the Ashburton Investments National MTB Series.<\/span><\/p>\n The weather is a key factor at Sabie. Rain makes the already tough course an even greater challenge, but riders will be pleased to know that the hot, dry conditions of this week will extend into the weekend, with only a small chance of rain for Sunday\u2019s events.<\/p>\n The professionals will be in action on Saturday. Swiss ace Urs Huber will not be there to defend the title that he won in appallingly wet and muddy conditions last year, but his stablemate, Germany\u2019s Stefan Sahm, will be flying the Team Bulls colours in the Sabie mountains. Sahm, a three-time ABSA Cape Epic winner, comes into Sabie with top form, confirmed by his overall victory at last weekend\u2019s DUTOIT Tankwa Trek.<\/p>\n Swiss racer Konny Looser (Wheeler Meerendal) is also on the start list. His fourth place at the Meerendal event shows he is on track for a strong Cape Epic and he\u2019ll be eager to confirm that with a podium finish on Saturday.<\/p>\n Virtually every top South African will be on the start line at what is considered a key pre-ABSA Cape Epic preparation race. Three-time Sabie winner, Kevin Evans will be joined by another former champion, Max Knox in their team Biogen-Volcan colours. It will be their first domestic race of the year and they\u2019ll be up against a crop of well-raced riders.<\/p>\n Team RECM\u2019s Erik Kleinhans, runner-up at Round 1 of the Ashburton Investments National MTB Series at Meerendal recently comes in with the form of his life and will be looking for his first win at Sabie. He will be backed up by Nelspruit-based teammate Nico Bell, who will be racing in his backyard and has a handy familiarity with the route and conditions.<\/p>\n Also sure to be in the podium battle on a course that covers 115km with over 3000 metres of vertical ascent, are Team Contego\u2019s Lourens Luus and Adriaan Louw, EAI Cycling\u2019s Gawie Combrinck and Johann Rabie and Red-E Blend\u2019s Waylon Woolcock and Darren Lill. Woolcock and Lill won the final stage of last week\u2019s Tankwa Trek and are strong climbers who will relish the long ascents at Sabie.<\/p>\n In the women\u2019s event over 72km with 1850m of ascent, Switzerland\u2019s Ariane Kleinhans (RECM) will be gunning for a fourth-consecutive Sabie Classic victory. She was runner-up at Meerendal and will be motivated by the pressure of defending her ABSA Cape Epic title with Danish teammate, Anika Langvad, next month.<\/p>\n