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 SA NATIONAL MARATHON CHAMPIONSHIPS
Date: 3- 5 March 2023
Venue: Paarl, Western Cape
Event Organiser: Darren Herbst
E-Mail:
[email protected]
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 :
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: Pretoria, Gauteng
Event Organiser:
Entries Open: Monday 6 February 2023
Entries Close:
TBA XCO Number collection only at race venue
Program TBA
2023 SA NATIONAL ENDURO CHAMPIONSHIPS
Date: 14-15 October 2023
Venue: Cascades MTB Park, Pietermaritzburg, KZN
Entries Open: Saturday 1 July 2023
Event Program to be confirmed.
Event Program to be confirmed.
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
MOUNTAIN BIKING NEWS
YOUTH FESTIVAL AND YOUTH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
The annual Youth Festival, a popular event catering to young cyclists between the age groups of U11 – U19, will take place in Swadini, Mpumalanga.
Expression of Interest – Tour de Taiwan Managers, Mechanics, Support Staff
Cycling South Africa requires the services of Team Managers, Team Mechanics and Support Staff in
Date Modifications – Coaching and Mechanic Training Courses Level 02
Coaching and Mechanic Training Courses Level 02 hosted by the “CAC” during February alongside the African Road Championships.
