It was a family affair as brothers Matthys and Gerrie Beukes won their respective age categories at the third round of the Madibaz XCO Series at Nelson Mandela University in George on Sunday. Matthys, who finished third at the SA National MTB Championships last month, said he woke without plans of racing but the enticing […]
Archives for August 2017
Rocky trails at the Shimano MTB GP
It’s been a while since I put a number on at one of the Rocky Trail Entertainment Shimano MTB GP events. But even since moving to Brisbane two years ago, it’s always great to get to one of the events run by the Martin and Juliane Wisata, who make up the husband and wife event […]
Reflections on the Grand Raid
Related Event: Grand Raid
Grand Raid BCVS is arguably the biggest one day classic in mountain bike marathon racing. It’s an event I’ve always wanted to compete in, 125km from Verbier to Grimentz with over 5000m of ascent through the beautiful Swiss mountains. This year was the event’s 28th edition. I don’t get nervous about too many races but […]
Redback Wrapup
Related Event: The Redback
Yesterday The Redback’s sixth and final stage took in 45 kilometres of desert trails, sand traps, and rock features. We lined up just south of the Telegraph Station, the town’s trail hub, and rolled up the bike path, at a neutral pace. I hoped to catch sight of the dingo munching on a dead kangaroo […]
The Redback rolls on – Stages 4 and 5
Related Event: The Redback
If you think of all the sports in all the world, from archery to zorb football, then divide all these sports into their different disciplines, so that gymnastics becomes parallel bars, pommel horse, the rings, beam, and so on, you’d have what – a couple thousand? I can lay these sports end to end on […]
Mongolia Bike Challenge stages 5 and 6: Legends crowned!
Related Event: Mongolia Bike Challenge
With an incessant, pounding rain in the Nomad ger camp in Mongolia the night before stage 5 much of the bunch were feeling apprehensive about this shorter but very difficult stage. The rain added an extra element of stress to what was already shaping up to be a brutal and decisive stage in this years […]
The Redback time trial – Stage 3
Related Event: The Redback
I woke this morning on day two of The Redback in Alice Springs to what I thought was a truck reversing into my hotel room. Turns out the wind had blown up overnight and was roaring through the courtyard of the Mercure, shaking the ghost gums and kicking up sand. It brought cooler weather, with […]
The Redback Returns
Related Event: The Redback
What’s my favourite thing about mountain bike stage racing, you ask. The camaraderie? Wrong! The epic scenery? Wrong! Visiting new places and experiencing new cultures? That’s great, but wrong! Nope, it’s the buffet breakfasts. So. The Redback got off to a good start for me when I hit the buffet at the Mercure Alice Springs […]
Mongolia Bike Challenge stages 3 & 4. Into the Wilderness!
Related Event: Mongolia Bike Challenge
Stages 3 and 4 of Mongolia Bike Challenge 2017 have now been run and won. With plenty of drama taking place over the past 2 days we now have a change in leadership for both the women’s and the men’s category. I last wrote reporting on the ‘queen stage’ of this year’s race, however now […]
Beers and Hammond secure Trans Baviaans
Matt Beers and Tim Hammond of Spot Africa Ryder Red E held off a late challenge from Team Bianchi to take overall victory at the 14th edition of the Trans Baviaans Mountain Bike Race which finished in Jefferys Bay this weekend. The 230 kilometre non-stop race from Willowmore in the Karoo to Jeffreys Bay on the […]