MTB bros taking on the XCO circuit
Living by their motto that fun always comes first, the brothers Michael and Joshua recently competed in the 2020 Gauteng Cycling Cross Country Cup, placing first and second with ease.
The Kanis family members are cycling crazy, according to patriarch Johannes Kanis, and it shows.
Michael, 10, and Joshua, 13, have not only been cycling since they were about four years old, but have recently entered the competitive off-road circuit.
In December, the two brothers competed in the 2020 Gauteng Cycling Cross Country (XCO) Cup at the XCOSA bike park at the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria, with Michael and Joshua taking on the two-lap Nipper and the three-lap Junior Boys categories respectively. Circuits varied from two to five kilometres per lap. Michael finished first and Joshua in an impressive second in their races.
“My wife and I also ride mountain bikes, so we do family rides on weekends with them as well, which helps their fitness. During Covid-19 lockdown, I built them ramps and obstacles in our garden which kept them active and riding throughout the period. I built a custom seat for them on my mountain bike and since they were about two, I took them riding with me while I trained,” Johannes said.
The two live, ride and compete by their family’s moto: “Fun first and competition only if they want to do it”, Johannes explained. “As part of the fun we have wheelie competitions to see who can jump the best jumps, and so on. We’ll challenge each other when we ride together on weekends, which helps drive them indirectly without huge pressure to perform.”
Though they’ve started getting a lot more attention recently, also receiving a sponsored cycling kit from Cycle2Ride, it’s still a bit too early for the boys to start thinking about going professional. But, they’re already setting their sights on the next few XCO competitions, once lockdown regulations allow it.
After only competing for the first time in 2020, they have also already competed at the Suzuki Like2Bike event in Diepsloot. Joshua and his dad also finished the 947 Cycle Challenge on a tandem road bike in 2,51 hours.
