SA Cross-Country Mountain Bike champs at Thaba Trails
The 2023 SA XCO Championship and SA XXC Championship are taking place at Thaba Trails between April 14 and April 16.
The brand new, purpose-built XCO course is located in the Thaba Eco Park and the start and finish will take place from Balwin’s Thaba Eco Lifestyle Centre.
XCO (Cross Country Olympic) is the Olympic discipline of mountain biking. The SA XCO Champs form part of the National XCO Series. The SA XCO Cups take place around South Africa, with riders participating from not only South Africa but all over the world. The first XCO Cup took place in Stellenbosch in February.
For this year’s XCO Championship, Gauteng will proudly host the event. Thanks to Thaba Trails and Balwin, this championship is set to raise the standard of XCO across South Africa.
A purpose-built course of 4.3km with 200m of ascent per lap has been designed by Wendell Bole and his team at Thaba Trails.
Three very exciting technical A-lines will add excitement not only to the riders but also to the spectators. Bulldogs boast a massive boulder over which riders enter blind and then navigate their line through various natural rock obstacles.
Matt’s Way is a super steep descent with several drops. Riders enter here at high speeds and can either jump and clear the drops or they can be rolled at lower speeds.
Butcher’s is a series of steps over which the riders need to negotiate both their speed and ability.
All of these A-lines do have B-lines, which are not as technical, and can be rolled, to accommodate the less experienced riders.
These three A-lines will prove to be great spectator points. Come along and support the riders and be sure to bring your bells and strong voices, to cheer them on.
For the first time in South Africa, the XCC Championship (cross-country short course) will be held on Sunday for Elite Men and Women only.
This is a super fast-paced race where endurance and tactics are tested to the limit. This specific race only lasts 20 minutes and will see riders doing laps in super fast times, guaranteed to set them beyond their limits.
Spectators are welcome to the event. Access routes have been created to take spectators into the reserve to the specific A-lines.
The race village around the lifestyle centre will be a hub of activity with great energy and vibes.
For more information, contact Wendell Bole on 082 900 0749.
