Barberton XCM Challenge a great success

The endurance and technical skill of cross-country; the speed and raw nerve of downhill; the explosive, elbow-to-elbow spectacle of four cross, mountain bike racing is the ultimate crowd-pleaser.

The “not so delicate as a daisy” Barberton XCM Mountain Bike Challenge combined all of the above. This renowned race took place on Saturday and was a rude awakening for those who might have feasted just a little bit too much on those festive treats during the past holiday and spent too little time in the saddle.

The challenge has over the years grown at an amazing speed in popularity, and became one of the toughest mountain bike events in the country.

The race was open to cyclists of all ages, shapes and sizes, unfit, fit and super fit and consisted out of four different categories. These included a fun ride of 20km, a half marathon of 45km, a full marathon of 75km and the ultra marathon of 120km.

The annual race kicked off the cycling calendar with a great new challenge for all cyclists. The day started off drizzly and this ensured many muddy and wet obstacles that tested the riders but made it fun for spectators. Soon however the competitors enjoyed a tough warm day on the tracks, set out to test all those that took it on.

The racers started off from the sports fields of Barberton High School and followed an incredibly scenic trail that took them up the Makhonjwa Mountains (with majestic views over the De Kaap Valley), through nature reserves, dams and very close to the Swaziland border. The race made a large loop to finish at the high school again.

In the 20km race a mere slip of a boy gave the rest a run for their money when he casually cruised into first place. Ryan Terry might only be 13 years old but he is already a force to watch in the future.

In the 45km race it was yet again a teenager boy that raced to collect the gold medal. Liam de Klerk (16) just managed to beat 18-year-old Ryan Clarke.

21-year-old Hein Engelbrecht managed an unbelievable win in the 75km when he arrived at the finish line with a seven minute lead.

The Lowveld’s cycling pride, Nico Bell (31) won the 120km Elite race.

According to Nic Eksteen, president of the Barberton Rotary Club, this race is the perfect opportunity for cyclists to test their fitness and skill. Eksteen was excited about the changes to the routes that included single tracks that made the race just so much more exciting and challenging.

LAYOUT PLEASE BLOCK:

Mountain bikers come in all shapes, sizes and ages. Cross-country suits light riders with great endurance and technical off-road ability. Downhill and four cross is more explosive, favouring more powerful sprint athletes. Mountain bike racing has categories for all ages and abilities, from fun races to mountain bike marathons to elite competition at world and Olympic level. Away from racing, the mountain bike scene is huge, with trail centres throughout the country offering routes to suit a wide range of ages and ability levels.