Laerskool Selection Park’s mountain biking team brought its 2026 Gauteng Schools Mountain Bike League season to a close at Modderfontein Reserve on September 5, after another determined performance in exceptionally difficult weather conditions.

Strong winds, cold temperatures and challenging riding conditions tested the young cyclists, but the local riders once again showed the commitment and resilience that have characterised their season.

The team competed across all five Gauteng Schools MTB League events during the year and accumulated a combined 1 601 points.

Among the standout individual performances was Lihandru van Dalen (7), who completed an impressive season with 700 points and finished third in Gauteng in his age group. His five race results included two second places, followed by seventh, ninth and 13th.

Twelve-year-old Lian Style had a consistent season, finishing seventh in Gauteng with 670 points.

Lian never finished outside the top seven during the entire five-race series, recording placings of third, seventh, sixth, fifth and seventh.

Jacques-Louis van Dalen also showed impressive consistency and determination throughout the season, completing all five rounds and finishing with 134 points.

While Selection Park did not qualify a school team for the national championships this year, team supporter Brian Style told the Springs Advertiser that the riders’ individual performances demonstrated that the school has young cyclists capable of competing among the best in Gauteng.

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Style said the results tell only part of the story. “I am incredibly proud of these children. Throughout the year they kept showing up, kept giving their best and finished every race they started, no matter how difficult it became,” he said.

He said the final event was a fitting example of the team’s character, adding that the conditions were extremely tough, but the riders still got onto their bikes and raced.

“Life does not always reward you for your effort, and sometimes your hard work goes unnoticed, but if you continue to show up, keep developing and refuse to give up, you will always grow,” Style said.

According to Style, one of the biggest opportunities for Selection Park going forward is to grow participation in the sport.

A larger pool of riders would allow the school to build greater team depth and compete more effectively against some of Gauteng’s largest and strongest school cycling programmes.

“Selection Park has already shown that it has the talent. The opportunity now is to build around these riders, encourage more children to participate and give the sport the support it needs to grow,” he said.

He said the 2026 season can already be regarded as a success for the riders not only because of podiums and Gauteng rankings, but because of the determination, courage and sportsmanship they displayed every time they represented their school.

“They have made their school and their families proud. They are a wonderful example to other young athletes – and they are certainly heroes in my eyes,” Style said.