New route pushes riders to the limit
It is based on the Olympic format of technical lap racing and is the only local mountain-biking series in which you can earn provincial colours.
The MPU Provincial Mountain Bike Cross Country Series is nearing its end as the third of four legs was decided in Sabie this weekend. Hosted by the Mpumalanga Mountain Bike Association (MaMBA), the series has been in existence since the mid-1990s.
It is based on the Olympic format of technical lap racing and is the only local mountain-biking series in which you can earn provincial colours. York Timbers invited MaMBA to host the second-to-last leg on its purpose-built cross-country course in Sabie. This excellent and one-of-a-kind course was designed and built by Jaco van Staden and has been enjoyed by some of the best bikers in the country during the annual York Enduro. The track started off with a short grass climb to evenly spread the riders before entering the first banking and into the BMX type rollers. The cyclists then raced into the first single track and then up the sheer switchback climbs connected by steep-banked downhills. A favourite feature with the spectators was the double- jump section where riders launched off two metre-high drops and into the final section of fast-swooping berms. The course is widely hailed as one of the best and most unique ever used, a fantastic asset to Sabie. Although it made participants work hard, they were rewarded with some of the best-built downhill sections in the mountain-biking world.
The final leg of the race will be held at Mankele on April 11. Winners of each race get 110 points, while 90 are allocated to the runners-up and 70 for third place.
The current leaders in the series are:
• Franco Pelser, 330, junior male
• Elizabeth Delport, 330, master female
• Luan Snyman, 330, nipper male
• Jooste Coetzee, 330, sprog male
• Patricia Notten, 310, sub-junior female
• Brett Coates 310, master male
• Dirk Lourens, 310, sub-vets male
• Ryan Terry, 310, youth male
• Marnique de Swardt, 310, youth female
• Ainsli de Beer, 290, sprog female
• Mikaela Goelst, 290, nipper female
• Divan van der Berg, 270, u/23 male
• Justin Victor, 270, senior male
• Mike Odendal, 220, junior boys
• André Smith, 220, veteran male
• Mandie Swart, 220, junior female.
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