HOEDSPRUIT – Despite a quieter winter racing schedule, Hoedspruit mountain biker Samantha Sanders continued her impressive form by claiming victory at the fifth round of the prestigious Ford Trailseeker MTB Series at Die Bosveld, keeping her hopes of a strong finish in the overall series alive.

A six-race series across four provinces

The Ford Trailseeker MTB Series is South Africa’s premier single-day marathon mountain bike series, comprising six races staged across four provinces.

With two events in the Western Cape and four in Gauteng, North-West and Limpopo, the series attracts riders of all abilities, from recreational cyclists to the country’s top elite competitors.

Beyond the prize money awarded at each race, the series also offers an overall bonus purse, with points awarded to the top 10 finishers at every event.

Consistency throughout the season is therefore just as important as individual victories.

Building an early lead

For Sanders, this year’s campaign has been one of highs and unfortunate setbacks.

She opened the series with a second-place finish at Cradle before producing a dominant performance to win the Van Gaalen race.

Those results propelled her to the top of the overall standings after three rounds.

A costly withdrawal

However, round 4 at Sondela proved to be a turning point. Illness forced Sanders to withdraw from the event, opening the door for rival Sarah Maré to take victory and move into the overall lead.

Sanders returned emphatically at Die Bosveld, crossing the finish line first to secure her second victory of the series.

Although Maré finished one minute and 33 seconds behind in second place, the result was enough to extend her advantage in the overall standings thanks to her consistency throughout the campaign.

Looking ahead to September

While the overall title is now firmly in Maré’s hands heading into the series finale in Wellington this September, Sanders remains determined to end the season on a high.

“It has actually been very quiet at the minute because of winter,” Sanders said. “We had a Trailseeker race last weekend, which was the final Gauteng event in the series, and I managed to win that. Other than that, it’s been fairly quiet.”

With several weeks before her next competition, Sanders has shifted her focus to preparation.

“My next event is only in September, so for now it’s all about training,” she said.

Sanders reflects on the season

Reflecting on the championship battle, Sanders acknowledged how costly missing a race had been but remains motivated for the showdown.

“After Van Gaalen I was leading the series, but unfortunately I couldn’t race at Sondela because I was ill. Sarah took the win there, which moved her into the overall lead. Although I won again at Die Bosveld, she finished second and extended her advantage.”

Despite the standings, Sanders has not given up on finishing the series strongly.

“Sarah heads into the Wellington finale as the favourite to win the overall series, but I still intend to compete to win the race on the day regardless,” she said.