Sus the Gauteng Cycling XCO Cup Race #2
Date: 14 Mar 15
Venue: Voortrekker Monument
Report by: Armand du Toit (@Armand_duToit)
XCO, never say die! XCO in Gauteng is back and even greater than ever before!
The Gauteng XCO Cup series kicked off this year with great enthusiasm! Race #1 took place on 14 February 2015 at the Voortrekker Monument. Not only was this event well organized but also very well supported with an astonishing 201 participants – the most participants ever to participate in a Gauteng XCO Cup race! Competition, especially among the youth and junior categories, was amazing! With 45 and 34 participants respectively the first event set the bar for the year’s participation. Even though the course wasn’t that technically demanding it surely was physically challenging.
Challenging it was, but the amazing participation record was broken again when 231 medal chasers entered for Race #2, which took place on 14 March 2015 also at the Voortrekker Monument. Yet again competition in the Youth and Junior categories was tremendous. With 60 riders in the Youth category, 47 riders in the Junior category (including males and females) and 12 participants in the Elite category, this was a race worth getting excited about!
As with XCO races, the start is the part one doesn’t want to miss. Bar to bar, wheel to wheel, adrenalin levels was almost tangible as focused riders waited for the countdown… Ignited with the shot of the gun, heart rates raced, cleats clipped like an army drill, and gears fired like a machine gun! In a cloud of dust and rocks flying all over the place, the aggressive fight for the single track ahead, was launched!
As opposed to road racing, lines are crossed more than could be expected of a taxi in Gauteng Central, and the stampede more vigorous than a herd of Blue Wildebeest!
As the pace settled, a single file of competitive riders bolted up the first brutal hill of the course. Attacks started popping up soon in the race and it was clear that this was going to be a fight to the end!
The first technical descent proved to be just as unforgiving as the climb, but twice as much fun! Getting some brakes heated up, managing lines between the rocks and drifting those corners made each pedal stroke upwards worth it! Focus, controlled breathing, skill, speed, momentum and technical handling are amongst the factors that need to be applied for swift safe descents over the rocks. Pinch flats are a reality and tyre pressures had to be inflated accordingly.
Warm, dry, dusty conditions took its toll on many riders as the early afternoon sun was blazing down with no mercy whatsoever. The pace was high and dehydration a reality which made it compulsory to swop your bottle for a new fresh drink at the feeding/tech zone, located at the start of each lap.
With some shade in the second half of the track slight cooling was granted from the blistering sun, and fun multiplied! Switchbacks, tight twisty corners and various obstacles contributed to the challenging pleasure of each lap! Time flies when you’re having fun, soothing the suffering from the heat and high pace.
The route offered great spectators’ value and access to some of the most technical sections were only a few minutes’ walk apart. From the feeding / tech zone, the single tracks across the hills were covered by eager riders pushing those gears towards the top! Race #2 wasn’t as forgiving as Race #1 and the technical complexity was clearly “cranked up”!
Overview on XCO
“XCO” is the abbreviation for “Cross Country Olympic” which is the only mountain bike discipline practiced at the Olympics and the most common discipline in mountain biking. Races consist of short course / lap racing with laps varying between about 4.3km and 5.3km a lap. The amount of laps for each category is based on your age and gender. Categories with batches of riders varying anything from ten to as much as 120 in a batch (as in World Cup races), start at the same time and consist of a sprint towards the single track that is usually 500m – 1km from the start.
As opposed to Cross Country Marathon racing (XCM), XCO racing is much shorter but much more of a sprint race, with a very high intensity maintained throughout the race. The courses consists of very challenging obstacles varying from drop-offs, jumps, berms, rock gardens, a lot of single tracks, sharp and twisty turns and a lot of short steep climbs and descents. There are always at least one or two flat sections for some recovery and rehydrating. One technical / feeding zone is situated close to the start of each lap and is the only section on the course where a rider is allowed to have outside technical or nutritional assistance.
XCO races are focused on technical handling, explosive power mixed with endurance and a lot of mental focus. As already mentioned, there are a wide variety of factors that play a role in how efficiently one races. Experience and good preparation are key aspects for these kinds of races. It is however, always a challenge, no matter how experienced you are, hence the fun, thrill and the participation rate growing.
Due to the nature of XCO racing it is also very spectator friendly. As with most other races the vibe is absolutely amazing and the day out is not as long as many other MTB events, which makes it a fun day out for the whole family, young and old.
“With mountain bike XCO growing at an incredible rate, more and more opportunities arise for mountain bikers to become involved in this wonderful mountain bike discipline. The Gauteng Cycling XCO Cup Series offers all participants an opportunity to compete with the best in our province” are the words of Pierre Nel the Gauteng North Cycling Mountain Bike Commissioner.
The SA XCO Cup Race #2 will take place on 28 March 2015 at the Voortrekker Monument with a track that will consist of even more exciting technical sections.
Gauteng XCO Cup Race #3 will take place on 11 April 2015, followed by Race #4 on 9 May 2015. As mentioned the Gauteng XCO Champs will be the wrap up and the final big one for the year’s XCO racing in Gauteng and will take place on 13 June 2015.
State of XCO in Gauteng
The 2015 Gauteng Cycling XCO Cup Series consists of 4 races during which participants accrue provincial log points. These log points determine seeding positions for the Gauteng Cycling XCO Championships that will take place on 13 June 2015. These races were planned to start off with an easy track and to grow in technical and physical demand as the Series unfolds.
XCOSA is the appointed cycling organisation to host all the XCO provincial races for 2015 and contrary to previous years, started in February 2015. All secondary schools in Gauteng are invited to participate at great discounts on entry fees for learners. The same for all Gauteng based cycling clubs. Furthermore, notices and reminders via email to all registered cyclists in the province are regularly conveyed. Updated information like video clips on the XCO track to be used on the next race is posted on XCOSA’s Facebook page and has proven to be extremely popular with around 2,500 hits on a posting.
The 2015 Gauteng Cycling XCO Cup Series seems to be hitting it’s mark and draws the best provincial riders. Even though the numbers participating seem to be much less than with XCM (marathon), the impact of XCO riders on the mountain bike industry exceeds that of XCM by far as XCO is practiced by the best of the best mountain bikers! – Gauteng North Cycling Mountain Bike Division
Armand du Toit is a competitive and enthusiastic mountain biker and overall sports person. As a junior XCO African Continental champion and 2nd ranked SA junior XCO champion, he specializes in MTB and XCO racing. Over the years he has gained a vast experience in cycling and cycling related cross training, MTB racing, mechanical and nutritional experience. Armand is a brand ambassador for PURE Nutrition Technology and Highveld PFS. Additionally, he provides MTB skills coaching, cycling maintenance courses and high altitude training camps at AfriSki for experienced and less experienced athletes.
In his fulltime capacity, Armand is Geographical Information Systems specialist.
Twitter: @Armand_duToit
