eMalahleni all set for Spur race this weekend

Course designers, Patrice Gautier and Adele Tait, have combined forces to bring riders an exciting 6,5km route with an altitude gain of up to 100 meters that will most certainly test riding skills and fitness levels.
Winding through some wattle forest tracks and over rocky grasslands teeming with wildlife, the route will be both challenging and memorable.

The race will take place on Saturday, June 20. The course will be open for warm up from 08:00 to 09:30 with racing for primary school riders starting at 10:00 on the shorter 2km track, which includes single track and jumps.
High school learners will set off from 11:30 on the longer track and do proper cross country laps consisting mainly of single tracks, jeep tracks and a small piece of graded road. With the permission of Shamwari a nice single track was laid out just behind the school.

The Spur Schools Mountain Bike League is in full swing and early indications are that the league will quickly reach its target of 10 000 entries for the 2015 season.
Two months into this year’s season, more than 2 000 youngsters have already mounted their bikes in an effort to make it to the top of the league.

Industry experts are confident that the sport will continue its meteoric growth, especially in view of the recent announcement that the sponsor has extended their sponsorship for a further three years.
This economic boost and continued support of the sport will ensure that schools mountain biking remain in great shape until at least 2017.
Mountain bike fans from across Sub-Saharan Africa, including South Africa and neighbours Zimbabwe and Namibia will take to the track in nearly 60 races leading up to the finals at Bekker School in October.

The action-packed finals will once again see schools as well as provinces competing for the coveted Spur schools mountain bike league trophy and top spot on the provincial log.
The project was launched in 2009 as a joint initiative between Amarider and Spur Steak Ranches and its humble beginnings saw 900 riders participating in the initial 20 events. Founded by Meurant Botha, Amarider is a national trails advocacy organisation aimed at improving and promoting trail opportunities around Southern Africa.
Various rider development programmes have been implemented successfully and numerous mountain bike tracks are being built in association with regional municipalities, schools and land owners.

In addition, there has been a definite increase in the number of female riders at league events, which is encouraging for the continued growth of the sport.  While only high school learners qualify for the national finals, organisers have also noticed a national surge in primary school participation, which augers well for the future of the sport.

For further information follow us on @SpurMTBleague, log on to SpurSchoolsLeague on facebook or visit their website. For enquiries contact Philna Gouws at 082 853 1846 or philna.g@curro.co.za.