The excitement is building as we gear up for the first South African National Enduro Cup of 2025, taking place on March 16th in the breathtaking Jonkershoek Valley. Expect a stunning day on some proper big mountain trails and fantastic racing organized by Western Cape Enduro. Whether you’re racing or cheering from the sidelines, this is an event you won’t want to miss!
Breaking down the stages
FULL Race – 5 Stages (+1 Power Stage for E-Bikers)
- SS1 – Red Phoenix
Length: 1.86 km / Descent: 237 m
(Contour 3-2)
High speed, exposed sections, dicey rock gardens.
JONKERSHOEK RED PHOENIX COURSE PREVIEW
- SS2 – Plumber
Length: 1.11 km / Descent: 243 m
(Contour 3-2)
Steep as it gets, tight corners, rocks, rocks, and more rocks.
THE PLUMBER – JONKERSHOEK – 2025 WC ENDURO COURSE PREVIEW
- SS3 – DH
Length: 1.3 km / Descent: 210 m
(Contour 2-1)
Fast, jumps, find the flow.
JONKERSHOEK DOWNHILL TRAIL – 2025 WC ENDURO COURSE PREVIEW
- SS4 – Iron Monkey
Length: 1.6 km / Descent: 240 m
(Contour 5 – middle of 2)
Chunky rocks, plenty of corners.
JONKERSHOEK IRON MONKEY – WC ENDURO COURSE PREVIEW
- SS5 – Armageddon
Length: 2.2 km \ Descent: 377 m
(Contour 5 – Zululand split – to the gate)
A lot of everything. If you’re not pedaling, you’re not going fast enough.
ARMAGEDON – 2024 WC ENDURO COURSE PREVIEW
- Power Stage (E-Bikers)
Climb up to mid-point on DH Trail Contour 3 and drop into the DH Stage.
Length: 1.7 km / Descent: 270 m Ascent: 80m (All Approx.)
LITE Race – 3 Stages
- SS1 – Firehut
Length: 2.3 km / Descent: 145 m
Plenty of corners and opportunities to pedal for speed.
- SS2 – Red Phoenix
Length: 1.86 km / Descent: 237 m
High speed, exposed sections, dicey rock gardens.
- SS3 – Armageddon
Length: 2.2 km / Descent: 377 m
A lot of everything. If you’re not pedaling you’re not going fast enough.
Who to watch
We are expecting to host top riders from around the country, on Sunday we get to witness the skills and power of South Africa’s top riders as they tackle the best enduro trails in the country! Here are some of the top dogs.
Frankie du Toit, the undeniable Queen of South African gravity racing.
- “I am so excited to get the National series underway in Jonkershoek! The trails are well ridden-in which will make for tough but great racing.”
Matt Lombardi, always the man with a target on his back in the Jonkershoek Valley.
- “It’s going to be a battle of attrition out there on Sunday. As much about making it to the finish line as going fast. I’m looking forward to a big day out for the first National Cup of the season”
Jason Boulle, current Enduro National Champion.
- “It hasn’t been the ideal preparation going into this one with a big crash a couple weeks back and some sickness, but I am so keen to be racing in Jonkershoek again. Some of my favorite trails to race in SA!”
Joel Heiber, Gauteng’s best and a man on a mission.
- “First round of the season and it’s Jonkers! It doesn’t get much better! I raced there two years ago and loved it. There are some talented riders down there, so my goal is to have fun and do my best to be competitive it’s always great vibes in Stellies!”
Keira Duncan, bristling with talent and speed from KZN.
- “Always excited to race at Jonkers! It’s been a while since I was there last. The trails always deliver good fun and a decent challenge. I had some injuries that set me back during off-season training but I’m looking forward to giving it full gas. I learnt a lot during my international campaigns, and I feel I should be able to bring some more strength and speed to my racing in 2025.”
Keagan Brand, up and coming elite rider from KZN.
- “I’m so keen to get back into the swing of things for the first EDR race of the year! I have raced Jonkershoek before; they definitely host some of the best trails in South Africa. I’m feeling good, in the past I always struggled with my fitness and stamina but I’m looking forward to giving it my all and seeing where I stand after all the hard training. There is some big competition out there, but I feel composed as I know I can only do as good as I can do!”
Gert Heyns, Marc Fourie, Michard Meets, Juri de Bruyn, Jordan de Goede are also some top names to watch in the elite men’s field while the age group categories are often tightly contested as well! In the Junior category, Luca Zietsman, Zander du Plessis, Pieter Venter, and others will be battling it out fiercely for the win!
Amber Cole and Tashane Ehlers are a couple of the top names in the women’s race who will be chomping at the heels of Frankie du Toit. Eryn Marais (racing in the junior category) is an up-and-coming rider with some serious talent and worth watching out for!
The women’s field has been steadily growing in the Enduro racing scene as more women have tried out this laid-back and fun format of racing and got hooked on the community vibes and awesome trails. If you’ve been unsure about checking one of these out in the past, come and see what it’s about or enter a Lite event for an easy introduction to the Enduro crowd and race format!
Beyond that, the team category is on so expect some hot competition as mates join forces to top the rankings in groups of 3! With some of the longest stages in the country, countless corners, and a good helping of rocks and braking bumps, this race will test the limits of both athletes and their bikes.
Points for the Top 5 riders per school (riders aged 8-18yrs) will be noted on the Provincial and National Logs for XCC, XCO and EDR so there will be some fun inter-school racing to boot!
Come and watch!
We encourage everyone to come out in numbers and support the competitors as they battle it out for glory. Bring your friends and family for a fun day of racing, exploration, and gees amidst the stunning backdrop of the Jonkershoek Nature Reserve.
Sunday 16 March at MTO Trails Jonkershoek.
For more info visit: instagram.com/wc_enduro/
Image Credits:
- The MTO trails in Jonkershoek offer up some of the most challenging and rewarding Enduro racing in South Africa – Credit: Retroyspective
- The Enduro racing format has been a hit for the kids blending competitive racing with technical challenges in a relaxed environment. – Credit: Retroyspective
- All Western Cape Enduro races have a “Lite” option for riders who aren’t familiar with the Enduro format that features a shorter course and less technical trails. – Credit: Retroyspective
- The 5 stages for the Full Course in Jonkershoek will be a test of endurance and bike handling for all the riders. – Credit: Retroyspective
Written by Jason Boulle
