Races We Love
The Cape Town Cycle Tour MTB Challenge.
2 MARCH | STELLENBOSCH 1 / WHY RIDE IT?
Cycling is one of the few sports in which weekend warriors can share the start line of a Saturday morning race with the world’s top pros. Thanks to our beautiful weather, spectacular trails and great road routes, our summer always sees an influx of big international names – and March, and its flood of big events, is always the peak. This year is no different, and once again the Cape Town Cycle Tour MTB Challenge will be an event twinkling with international stars.
2 / WHO WON LAST YEAR?
In 2018, this iconic event was won by New Zealand’s Sam Gaze, who famously went on to win the elite men’s race at the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Stellenbosch the following weekend. For his MTB Challenge win, Gaze out-sprinted his teammate Howard Grotts as well as Mathieu van der Poel, who had a stellar season at the 2018 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup to finish second overall. The rest of the top 10 included the likes of Florian Vogel, as well as South Africa’s Matthys Beukes and Phil Buys (PygaEuro Steel) and Gert Heyns.
3 / WHO’S LINING UP THIS YEAR?
The likes of Gaze and Simon Andreassen – who will be riding the Cape Epic with Christoph Sauser in support of Grotts and Kulhavý – will be on the start line again come 2 March. But so too will our own Alan Hatherly, who won – besides a list of other accolades – the U23 UCI XCO World Championship in 2018. Hatherly will be lining up at both the Cape Town MTB Challenge and the Cape Town Cycle Tour the following weekend, for the first time – this ahead of his maiden Epic campaign with Sam Gaze, also in support of Grotts and Kulhavý. “I’ve never actually managed to make it down for the MTB Challenge, or the Cycle Tour for that matter,” Hatherly said. “The timing has just never worked out for me to do it previously, so I’m quite stoked to do it. “Watching Sam win last year was quite awesome, so I’m really excited to be out there and in the mix,” he added.
4/ I’M NO ALAN HATHERLY – WHAT ARE MY ROUTE OPTIONS?
The MTB Challenge offers something for every skill and fitness level, and 2019 will once again feature three routes – 20km, 40km and 60km – each specially designed by Meurant Botha, Dirtopia’s trailbuilding expert. In 2018 the routes were consolidated into one day and all at a new venue, to great success; and this will continue in 2019. The short route offers a good mix of scenery – from sheltered forest sections, to open vineyards on a high hill – and is perfect for those still honing their MTB skills, or looking for an enjoyable ride with family and friends. The two longer routes (40 and 60km) are tougher and more technical, specially for the racing snakes and serious enthusiasts up for a challenge.
5 / CAN I STILL ENTER?
Yes. Enter online here: capetowncycletour.com