MOUNTAIN BIKING
The first mountain bike competitions were held in California (USA) in the early eighties. Since then the discipline has grown very fast, in all aspects. The first World Championships to be officially recognized by the UCI dates back to 1990. A World Cup was set up the following year.
The mountain bike disciplines comprise the following formats:
Cross-Country Olympic (XCO)
Cross-country is part of the Olympic programme.
Cross-country races are held over undulating circuits (with technical descents, forest roads, rocky paths and obstacles) of 4 to 6 km. The race varies from 1 h 20 minutes to 1 h 40 minutes depending on the category.
Cross-country Marathon (XCM)
The Cross-country marathon events are a long version of cross-country held over a course of 60 to 160 km. A special feature is that riders from all categories, from enthusiasts to professionals, race together. The marathon is held in a mountainous region.
Downhill (DHI)
Downhill is a race against the clock in which the rider negotiates a succession of fast and technical passages. The participant must demonstrate courage as well as sharp technical and piloting skills in order to affront tree roots, banked sections, bumps, jumps and other natural obstacles along the way. Speeds reach around 80km/h in the men’s races and 70km/h for women.
Enduro (END)
Enduro events includes several liaison stages and timed stages. The times achieved in all timed stages will be accumulated to a total time. An enduro course comprises varied off-road terrain. The track should include a mixture of narrow and wide, slow and fast paths and tracks over a mixture of off-road surfaces. Enduro racing requires athletes to use a combination of endurance, speed and technical skills.
Cross-country Eliminator (XCE)
The Cross-country eliminator event must be between 500m and 1000m. It’s is a fast-moving, dynamic, action-packed format in which four riders race in heats on technical tracks featuring obstacles such as jumps and bridges. Competitions begin with a qualifying heat that takes the form of an individual timed lap of the circuit, as a result of which the fastest 32 men and 16 women qualify for the main competition. The fastest two riders in each heat thereafter qualify for the next round, with the format continuing until only four riders remain to contest the final.
Four-Cross (4X)
In four-cross (often abbreviated to “4X”), four participants set off together to ride down a track that alternates banked corners and jumps. The races are very rapid (between 30 seconds and one minute) and give rise to fierce and closely contested confrontations between the riders. The winner is the first to cross the finish line. The four-cross races take place over several qualifying rounds.
2023 SOUTH AFRICAN YOUTH FESTIVAL
Dates: 11 – 13 July 2023
Venue: Oudtshoorn
Event Organiser: Eden Cycling
Queries: Corne Bence – 071 886 3787
10:00- 13:00 Registration
(Church Hall Bontebok Street)
13:00 Managers Meeting
14:00 Criterium (Church Hall Bontebok Street)
08:00 Managers/Safety Meeting
09:00 Road Race (Highgate circuit)
14:00 Team TT (Highgate circuit)
09:00 MTB XCO (Quad Club)
13:00 MTB Oval track racing (2 X Bunch Events) 15:00 Final Prize giving
2023 SA NATIONAL MARATHON CHAMPIONSHIPS
Date: 3- 5 March 2023
Venue: Paarl, Western Cape
Event Organiser: Darren Herbst
E-Mail:
darren@paarltrails.com
More information: www.paarltrails.com
- 10:00: Bike Fest – Paarl opens
- 12:00 – 19:00: Registration & Number Collection for various races opens
- 10:00 – 19:00: Bike Fest Expo
- 16:00 – 18:00: Schools & Junior Short Track Race. Individual & Relay
- 06:00: Late number collection
- 07:00: 85km Ultra Marathon
- 07:00 Elite Men 19+
- 07:05 Elite Women 19+
- 07:20 Sub Vet Men 30-29
- 07:23 Veteran Men 40-49
- 07:25 Open 19+
- 08:30: 62km Marathon
- 08:30 Junior Men 17-18
- 08:33 Master Men 50-59
- 08:35 Sub Vet Women 30-39
- 08:38 Veteran Women 40-49
- 08:41 Junior Women 17-18
- 08:50 Open 19+
- 09:10 E-Bikes 19+
- 14:00 – 18:00 Enduro ( Lite and Full )
- 08:00 – 20:00: Bike Fest Expo
- 08:00 – 20:00: Bike Fest Test track
- 14:00 – 14:30: Kiddies Push Bike Race
- 15:00 – 15:30: Kids 5km Race
- 07:00: Late Number collection
- 08:00: 43km Half-Marathon
- 08:00 Youth Men 15-16
- 08:03 Youth Women 15-16
- 08:05 Master Women 50-59
- 08:08 Gr Master Men 60+
- 08:11 Gr Master Women 60+
- 08:25 Open 19+
- 08:40 E-Bikes 19+
- 09:00: 26km Quarter-Marathon
- 09:00: Sub Junior Boys 1314
- 09:03: Sub Junior Girls 13-14
- 09:10 Open 11+
- 08:00 – 17:00: Bike Festival
- 08:00 – 17:00: Bike Test Track
- 14:00 – 14:15: Kiddies Push Bike Race
- 14:30 – 15:00: Kids 5km race
- 17:00: Bike Fest – Paarl closesProvisional Race Routes :
NB: These are provisional Routes and subject to change at anytime :
Results
2023 SA NATIONAL Downhill CHAMPIONSHIPS
Date: 25- 26 March 2023
Venue: Sabie, Mpumalanga
Event Organiser: Justin Victor
Contact Information: 0725876524
Entries close: Tuesday 21 February 2023
TBA
Team Relay
Short Course
Awards Ceremonies:Team Comp – Team Relay – XCC
2023 SA NATIONAL XCO CHAMPIONSHIPS
Date: 15- 16 April 2023
Venue: Thaba Trails, Gauteng
Event Organiser: Gauteng Cycling
Entries Open: Monday 6 February 2023
Entries Close: 11 April 2023
09h00 – 15h00 XCO & XCC Number collection only at race venue
10h00 – 16h00 XCO & XCC Official Practise
16h00 – 16h30 XCO & XCC Riders and Team Managers Briefing
07h00 -12h00 XCO & XCC Number collection only at race venue
08h00 Sub Jun Boys
09h15 Youth Men
10h30 Elite Women
10h32 Under-23 Women
10h34 Junior Women
10h36 Youth Women
10h38 Sub Jun Girls
10h40 Master Women 30+
12h30 Junior Men
14h00 Elite Men
14h02 Under-23 Men
16h00 – 17h00 XCO and XCC Official Course Practise
07h00 – 10h00 XCO and XCC Number Collection
08h00 Sprog Boys
08h02 Sprog Girls
08h04 Nippers Boys
08h06 Niper Girls
09h00 Sub Vet Men
09h02 Veteran Men
09h04 Master Men
09h06 Grand Master Men
10h45 XCC Elite Women 19 yrs +
11h30 XCC Elite Men
RESULTS:
2023 South African National Championships Results:
2023 SA NATIONAL xCO MTB SERIES
DATE: 04 February 2023
VENUE: Coetzenburg, Stellenenbosch, WC
ENTRIES CLOSE: Tuesday 31 Jan 2023
Note: There will be no Nippers & Sprogs at SA XCO Cup events for 2023. Organizers will arrange skills sessions for these two age groups.
DATE: 27 May 2023
Venue: Happy Valley, Bloemfontein, Free State
Entries Open: Monday 17 April 2023
Note: There will be no Nippers & Sprogs at SA XCO Cup events for 2023. Organizers will arrange skills sessions for these two age groups.
DATE: 24 June, 2023
Venue: Koedoeslaagte, Parys NW (UCI Cat 1)
Entries Open: Monday 29 May 2023
Note: There will be no Nippers & Sprogs at SA XCO Cup events for 2023. Organizers will arrange skills sessions for these two age groups.
DATE: 22 July 2023
VENUE: Cascades, Pietermaritzburg KZN (UCI 1)
ENTRIES OPEN: Monday 26 June 2023
Note: There will be no Nippers & Sprogs at SA XCO Cup events for 2023. Organizers will arrange skills sessions for these two age groups.
2023 SA NATIONAL DHI MTB SERIES
DATE: 21-22 January 2023
VENUE: Paarl, Western Cape
EVENT ORGANIZER: Helen Erlangsen
DATE: 01-02 April 2023
VENUE: Giba Gorge Park, Durban, KZN
EVENT ORGANIZER: KZN Gravity
DATE: 29-30 April 2023
Venue: Jonkershoek, Stellenbosch, Western Cape
Event Organizer: Helen Erlangse
2023 SA NATIONAL ENDURO MTB SERIES
DATE: 18-19 February 2023
VENUE: Thaba Trails, Johannesburg, Gauteng
EVENT ORGANIZER: Gauteng Cycling
DATE: 08-09 July 2023
VENUE: Summerplace, Waterberg, Limpopo
EVENT ORGANIZER: Cycling SA
DATE: 10 September 2023
Venue: Jonkershoek, Stellenbosch, Western Cape
Event Organizer: Christiaan Steffens
[MEC id=”11700″]

PAOLA DAMILANO
MTB Director

DELLAH PAUL
Coordinator, Administration, National Series and Events Commissioner and National Teams Commissioner

GREVILE RUDDOCK
High Performance and Convenor of Selections

ALEC LENFERNA
Youth, Development and Transformation

ANDRE BOTHA
Safety & Security

ANNELIZE ZIEHL-OWENS
Schools CyclingSA

MARTIN FOURIE
Technical

NIGEL HICKS
Downhill

TIM KEEP
Veteran and Masters
SELECTORS PANEL
Convenor of Selectors | Grevile Ruddock |
XCO Specialist | Ian Smith |
XCM Specialist | Greg Stedman |
DHI Specialist | Nigel Hicks |
Women Representative | Dellah Paul |
PDI Representative | Ian Goetham |
PROVINCIAL COMMISSIONERS
Eastern Cape | Shane Bridger |
Free State | Jacques Koekmoer |
Gauteng | Paola Damilano |
Kwa-Zulu Natal | Greg Stedman |
Limpopo | Natasja Ehlers |
Mpumalanga | Shane Snyman |
Northern Cape | Dirk Oberholzer |
North West | Sias Le Roux |
Western Cape | Geoff McGiven |
Western Province | Karl Beaton |
REGIONAL COMMISSIONERS
Amathola | Shane Bridger |
Gauteng (XCM Commissioner) | Enzo di Sante |
Central Gauteng | Paola Damilano |
Northern Gauteng | Michael Byleveld |
Southern Gateung | Christo Faasen |
Eden | Marike Vreken |
Overberg | Marius Voigt |
West Coast | Sunet Steenkamp |
Metro | Geoff McGiven |
Winelands | Ian Goetham |

DARYL IMPEY
Men’s Road Cycling

KERRY JONKER
Women’s Road Cycling

DAVID MAREE
Men’s Track Cycling

CLAUDIA GNUDI
Women’s Track Cycling

VACANT POSITION
Men’s Mountain Biking

SARAH HILL
Women’s Mountain Biking

BYRON ROBERTSON
Men’s BMX

VACANT POSITION
Women’s BMX

PIETER DU PREEZ
Men’s Para-Cycling

TONI MOULD
Women’s Para-Cycling

ERNST VAN DYK
SASCOC Athlete Commission
AGE GROUP | FIRST NAME | LAST NAME | GENDER |
Elite | Lilian | Baber | FEMALE |
Elite | Ansune | Fourie | FEMALE |
Elite | Tyler | Jacobs | FEMALE |
Elite | Candice | Lill | FEMALE |
Elite | Madison | Mann | FEMALE |
Elite | Andrea | Schöfmann | FEMALE |
Elite | Kayleigh | Stevenson | FEMALE |
Elite | Mariske | Strauss | FEMALE |
Elite | Karla | Stumpf | FEMALE |
Elite | Rimari | Sutton | FEMALE |
Elite | JANICE | VENTER | FEMALE |
Elite | Karla | Stumpf | FEMALE |
Elite | Danielle | Strydom | FEMALE |
Elite | Massimiliano | Ambrosi | MALE |
Elite | Matthew | Beers | MALE |
Elite | Jordan | Boshoff | MALE |
Elite | Wessel | Botha | MALE |
Elite | Philip | Buys | MALE |
Elite | Johan Fourie | de Villiers | MALE |
Elite | Michael | Foster | MALE |
Elite | Jason | Miller | MALE |
Elite | Luke | Moir | MALE |
Elite | Phillip | Naude | MALE |
Elite | Tristan | Nortje | MALE |
Elite | Unathi | Nxumalo | MALE |
Elite | Matthew | Scott | MALE |
Elite | Jaedon | Terlouw | MALE |
Elite | DANIEL | VAN DER WATT | MALE |
Elite | Johan | van Zyl | MALE |
Elite | Kai | Von During | MALE |
Elite | Arno | Du Toit | MALE |
Elite | Alan | Hatherly | MALE |
MOUNTAIN BIKING NEWS

South African Gravel Championships 2023
Cycling South Africa Announces SA Gravel Championships on the 13th of August in Conjunction with Harvard House GoGravel Midlands, KZN.

2023 CAC Mountain Bike African Championships Team Announcement
CyclingSA and the Mountain Bike Commission are excited to announce the riders selected to represent South Africa for the CAC Mountain bike African champs for 2023.

CAC MTB African Championships 2023
South African is set to host the CAC MTB African Championships 2023 for 2-4 June 2023 at Thaba Trails, Gauteng.