Pietermaritzburg – South Africa’s cycling fraternity and the country’s general public will have a golden opportunity to be a part of a once in a lifetime experience when Cascades MTB Park plays host to the UCI MTB Masters World Championships and the UCI MTB and Trials World Championships within a twelve day window in August later this year.
“Outside of the Road World Championships, this is the greatest cycling event in the world and is the pinnacle of the mountain biking calendar!” enthused Cycling South Africa’s General Manager Mike Bradley.
“The UCI MTB World Champs is the biggest event ever in the history of South Africa cycling,” says Cycling South Africa’s General Manager Mike Bradley.
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“It is the single most important event South Africa has ever had the privilege of hosting. No cycling event this size nor this spectacular has ever taken place here before and it is definitely something everyone should seek to be a part of in whatever way they can.
“To have not only been awarded not only the main World Championships but the Masters as well really is an exceptional honour and it is now up to us as South Africans to ensure we get behind the event and show it the support the previous host countries have shown.
With previous events such as the 2010 UCI BMX World Championships, the 2011 and 2012 UCI MTB World Cup Pietermaritzburg and the 2012 UCI World Cycling Tour Final all having been staged in Pietermaritzburg the city has a rich history of hosting top international cycling events however, never quite something as prestigious as this.
“I urge all those who live in Pietermaritzburg to take ownership of this event and give it your full support whilst those from out of town start planning your trip to come watch some of the most exciting, extreme mountain biking you’ll ever witness.
“With such a wide variety to choose from there will always be something on the go of interest to you,” added Bradley.
“With trials, where guys will be jumping over a variety of obstacles, downhill, which is the extreme adrenalin pumping cycling discipline, and cross country, which is what many would have watched on television during the 2012 London Olympics, there will be a host of action of the highest standard happening at Cascades throughout!
With the UCI rainbow striped world champions jersey up for grabs in not only each of the elite disciplines but for each of the age groups of the masters event as well cyclists from throughout South Africa ought to be licking their lips at the mouth watering prospect of battling it out for such a prestigious title whilst the local elite field, led by Maritzburg resident and defending downhill world champion Greg Minnaar, stake their claim amongst the world’s greatest.
The UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships takes place at The Cascades MTB park in Pietermaritzburg from 26 August to 1 September 2013, and will be preceded by the UCI MTB Masters World Championships from 21 to 25 August. More information can be found at http://www.mtbworldchamps.co.za/
