New sponsor for MTB series

SATURDAY, 7 February will mark the start of the official KZN Mountain Bike Series for Enduro and Downhill which takes place over a period of four months.

The event will be sponsored by NMI–DSM and promises to be the most exciting and successful competition to date.

The series is in fact a double-header, comprising two separate disciplines, namely Enduro and Downhill, which are awarded separate overall points for the season. Enduro is currently the fastest growing mountain biking discipline in the world and attracts different types of riders, ranging from the professional rider to the average weekend rider, regardless of their age.

This type of race will include a number of timed stages on descending trails combined with open untimed climbs. This part of the series will aim to ultimately test the riders’ technical handling skills of the bike as well as endurance and climbing. This year has already seen a dramatic increase in entrants into this category of the race and approximately 150 riders can be expected to participate.

Meanwhile, the Downhill category is often referred to as the Formula 1 of mountain biking, appealing largely to adrenaline junkies as it is always high-paced and jam-packed with high-flying antics. This part of the series includes full speed and extreme racing as it is a race against the clock while facing rocks, roots, drops and jumps. There are approximately 50 to 80 riders from across the country participating in this category, which is on par with the number of entrants that enter the national events.

Nigel Hicks, Downhill and Enduro commissioner for KZN Mountain Biking, said: “We are delighted to have a big title sponsor like NMI-DSM involved with our event because, not only does it allow us to create a bigger and better event for our riders, but for the spectators too! This type of event is critical for the growth of mountain biking as a sport in South Africa and the series really tests the skills and endurance of local riders, so we can truly recognise the best talent that our province and country has to offer.”

Spectators have a lot to look forward to during the first leg of the series as there will also be a chance to take some of the high-powered and intrepid NMI-DSM vehicles for test drives on the gravel roads in the picturesque surrounds of the Karkloof Valley.

The series starts at Karkloof Country Club outside Howick, proceeding to St Ives/Big Wheel Cycles MTB Park in Lions River, with the final round at Giba Gorge MTB Park in Pinetown where the overall series winners will be revealed.

Finally the stand-alone KZN Championships will be held at Cascades Bike Park in Pietermaritzburg where the 2015 KZN champions for Enduro and Downhill will be crowned. This partnership and adrenalin-filled line-up is sure to make this year’s KZN Mountain Biking Series one to remember.