JAMES REID SUFFERS HORROR CRASH
Team Spur’s pro rider, James Reid suffered a horrible crash while doing some last minute training before he was supposed to head off for Wines2Whales. According to Assistant Manager at Team Spur
Tim Bassingthwaighte, James was busy with interval training on Helshoogte when the incident occurred. “James was on a final big training effort on Tuesday morning before Wines2Whales. He was doing intervals up Helshoogte and was on his final interval when the accident happened.” Apparently as James rounded a bend near Delaire Graaf, he saw a bakkie pull out in front of hom. With his head down, he proceeded to push hard for his final 10 seconds only to realise that the bakkie has now suddenly stopped in the yellow lane. He attempted in vain to swerve around the bakkie but unfortunately ended up smashing into the back of it. James fractured his right collarbone and some vertebra. It is expected that he will be out of action for a good couple of weeks. Get well soon James.
If you follow a more relaxed cycling regime, make sure not to miss the upcoming StanfordMTB-tour. This 2-day adventure will be taking place on the 18 and 19 February. The event is a non-competitive weekend MTB stage event, similar to the Houwhoek & Greyton MTB Tours. The objective is to give MTB’s and newcomers to multi-stage events (not newcomers to MTB) the opportunity to enjoy a weekend of scenic, fun and non-competitive riding. According to event organisers Johan and Gerda Kriegler, you would need to be relatively fit to complete the close to 1850m of vertical ascent. The route includes gravel roads and some very special single-track. Entries are available online at www.mtb-adventures.co.za .
FUNDRAISING SOLO FATBIKE CHALLENGE-
Most of us will be cycling a lot during the upcoming holiday season, and some will even venture onto new routes. Dewald Visser, will once more embark on an epic 800km journey from from Jeffrey’s Bay to Cape Town. His journey will start on 14 January and will take him 16 days to complete. The 50K a Day Fatbike Challenge is all in the name of charity and the cause which will be supported is the Hanno Fourie Trust. Hanno was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and he is in desperate need of a new wheelchair. The action can be followed on www.50kaday.tv or check out Facebook at 50K a day.
HELDERBERG CYCLE WORLD GETS A FACELIFT
The popular Helderberg Cycle World has become a Somerset West landmark since opening its doors nearly 5 years ago. Recently however, this Specialized store underwent a massive upgrade and overall facelift. The store gained an impressive 80m2 of space, added a designated kid’s area and even opened a coffee station where customers can relax. The Body Geometry Fit equipment was updated too to give the rider a premium experience. The store is situated right off the R44 enabling easy accessibility, the ample parking available makes it a perfect location for bike drop-offs and collections, just one of the many aspects that were carefully considered when building the store. Make sure to visit www.helderbergcycleworld.co.za
TABLE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK OPENS NEW CYCLING ROUTES
Mountain bikers can now rejoice thanks to the recent announcement that Table Mountain and its surrounds will now cater for cyclists too. The routes which span from Signal Hill towards Cape Point will now offer avid riders the oppurtiny to legally enjoy all the best Cape Town has to offer.
Table Mountain National Park announced a new mountain biking programme which has seen additional cycling routes developed at Signal Hill, Lion’s Head and above Camps Bay. Linkage routes were developed between Newlands, Constantia, via Kirstenbosch and Cecillia plantation as well as between Tokai and Silvermine. Even more plans for the future includes linking all of these trails to create a special Signal Hill to Cape Point route. The additional routes will be published on www.sanpark.org from 1 December
TOUR DE FRANCE LEGENDS TO RIDE IN ABSA CAPE EPIC
The BMC Absa Racing Team has been considerably boosted by the news that two Tour de France legends, Cadel Evans and George Hincapie, will be riding for them in the 2017 Absa Cape Epic. Evans (40), from Australia, is the 2011 Tour de France winner while America’s Hincapie (43) is a 17-time Tour de France finisher. They will compete in the Masters category. Evans, nicknamed ‘The Lung’, started his career as a mountain biker and won the World Cup in 1998 and 1999. Hincapie is one of the most legendary riders in the world, with numerous world championships, national championships and professional victories to his credit. *The 2017 Absa Cape Epic mountain bike stage race takes place from 19 to 26 March
KNYSNA BULL SOUNDS LIKE LOADS OF FUN
Yet another 3-day stage race has been added to our calendar. Keen mountain bikers can now look forward to the Knysna Bull-event which promises spectacular scenery. The event starts on 23 February with a short prologue before the real action gets underway from 24-26 February. A total distance of 200km will be traversed with little over 3500m of climbing to be dealt with. Grab your entries at www.knysnabull.bike
CONTINUITY AT CYCLING SA
At Cycling South Africa’s recent Elective Annual General Meeting – held in Gauteng on Saturday 19 November 2016 – current President William Newman was unopposed and re-elected as President for another term of office, providing continuity in the leadership of the National Cycling Federation. Yster Xatasi, currently serving as Commission Director for Youth, Transformation and Development, was elected Vice President. The position of Treasurer remains vacant. The President appealed to all our valued members for nominations for the position of Treasurer as this position is a vital and integral part of the Executive Committee. The criteria for the nomination of Treasurer are available from the Secretary General by email, secretarygeneral@cyclingsa.com.
NISSAN TRAILSEEKER FINALE: SWISS SWEEP TOP TITLES
Konny Looser and Ariane Lüthi won the men and women’s marathons respectively to score a Swiss sweep of the top titles at the final round of the Nissan TrailSeeker Western Cape Series at Bosman Family Vineyards, Wellington on 19 November.
Both Looser (BIXS) and Lüthi (Team Spur) base themselves in the Western Cape for most of the European winter and are familiar with many of the trails, particularly in the Wellington region where they have contested recent Absa Cape Epic stages.
But the strong winds and high temperatures made for challenging conditions over the 65km race, which included a high volume of singletrack. Pictured here is the men’s podium, from the left: Simon Stibjan (Team Bulls) Konny Looser (BiXS) Adriaan Louw (Contego Swift).
