Events

South Africans settling in for marathon world champs in Austria

· By Matt · 23 comments

Eight South African endurance mountain bike riders will line up at the start of the 2013 UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Champs in the scenic ski village of Kirchberg in Tyrol, Austria on Saturday 29 June.

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Image source: Wikimedia Commons

The elite men, represented by Max Knox, Nico Bell, Charles Keey, Lourens Luus, Darren Lill and Erik Kleinhans, will tackle a 94-kilometre course with 4,400 altitude metres. The world championship route, which is the ultra marathon loop for the annual KitzAlpBike-Marathon, presents a highly technical trail with high-speed descents, killer climbs and fast, steep corners.

2013 National MTB Marathon Champion Robyn de Groot and Samantha Sanders will be put through their paces on the 85km elite women’s route. With tough climbs and dangerous descents to be negotiated, the women will also have to tackle 3,700 metres of altitude during their race to be crowned the World Champion.

Cycling SA wishes all the athletes the best of luck for the weekend.

Comments

Eugene

Jun 28, 2013, 7:57 AM

Where is Kevin Evans?

Meezo

Jun 28, 2013, 8:19 AM

Where is Kevin Evans?

 

In Israel

Sharkie 2

Jun 28, 2013, 8:50 AM

He is not in the best shape

KnobbyMech

Jun 28, 2013, 9:03 AM

Wonder if Arianne will take part for the Swiss?

TimW

Jun 28, 2013, 9:36 AM

She is taking part and listed on start list as Swiss .... not sure if part of an official Swiss team, but as national champ I would imagine she is (same for Sauser)

Clinton H

Jun 28, 2013, 9:46 AM

4 400 meters in 94 km . You gonna remember that one for a while

Meezo

Jun 28, 2013, 9:48 AM

4 400 meters in 94 km . You gonna remember that one for a while

 

yor only now that you mentioned read again!

 

EINA!!

flat29

Jun 28, 2013, 10:29 AM

She is taking part and listed on start list as Swiss .... not sure if part of an official Swiss team, but as national champ I would imagine she is (same for Sauser)

do you have the link

Bin Laden

Jun 28, 2013, 10:46 AM

best of luck homeboys KNOX & LUUS

Dan Dob

Jun 28, 2013, 10:50 AM

And Stellenbosch's (and iRide African guide) Jennie Stenerhag is there too but representing Sweden.

TimW

Jun 28, 2013, 11:48 AM

...

4 400 meters in 94 km . You gonna remember that one for a while

 

... and the women's race, which just excludes a loop from the men's race, is 85km with 3 700m --- so there is a 10km loop in the men's race with a mere 700m of climbing !!!!!!!!!!

 

Basically the men's course is four massive climbs, and the women's three massive climbs -- who said Epic was tough!!!

 

http://www.kitzalpbike.at/en/mens-world-championship-course.html

GT22

Jun 28, 2013, 6:38 PM

Good luck Nico.

'Dale

Jun 28, 2013, 6:45 PM

4 400 meters in 94 km . You gonna remember that one for a while

 

Phew!

'Dale

Jun 28, 2013, 6:46 PM

best of luck homeboys KNOX & LUUS

 

GO SA

flat29

Jun 29, 2013, 7:52 PM

sauser 1st

meerkat

Jun 29, 2013, 9:16 PM

Sauser is a machine :clap:

 

Best our boys could do..... 30 min of the mark. We need some proper riders not ex roadies trying to prolong their careers.....

 

Oops did i say it? :oops:

Meezo

Jun 29, 2013, 9:28 PM

Sauser is a machine :clap:

 

Best our boys could do..... 30 min of the mark. We need some proper riders not ex roadies trying to prolong their careers.....

 

Oops did i say it? :oops:

 

Sauser has almost a decade more in age compared to any of the SA guys i reckon, they still got lots in them. Well almost all baring the ex-roadie :unsure:

Meezo

Jun 29, 2013, 9:30 PM

 

Sauser has almost a decade more in age compared to any of the SA guys i reckon, they still got lots in them. Well almost all baring the ex-roadie :unsure:

 

Having said that i know one shouldn't live in the past, but Burry Stander must come to mind.

udxcob

Jun 29, 2013, 11:31 PM

He is not in the best shape

 

KE just won the Knysna Mtb race

mazambaan

Jun 30, 2013, 4:38 AM

Sauser is a machine and well done Master Knox. Sure Burry comes to mind sadly.

 

Ex roadie? David George comes to mind; thanks but no thanks.

Meezo

Jun 30, 2013, 7:20 AM

Sauser is a machine and well done Master Knox. Sure Burry comes to mind sadly.

 

Ex roadie? David George comes to mind; thanks but no thanks.

 

David George a table away from me at Vida Tokai. And ex-roadie on the results would be Darren Lill, who beat he's Cannondale teammate Charles Keey.

 

I think Keey will be disappointed. He's been in good form. Then again this was(is) the world champs

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