New venue Wolwespruit gears up for exciting XCO Cup Series

[News bot]

The third round of the Stihl 2016 SA XCO Cup Series will be heading to a brand new venue on the calendar at Wolwespruit Bike Park in the City of Tshwane on Saturday 26 March. Wolwespruit is a mountain bike and trail run park located in Erasmuskloof, Pretoria. Named after the spruit that runs through it, the park's hand crafted single track trails provide a flowing and adrenaline filled adventure for beginner to advanced skilled riders and runners, and on 26 March, will keep the country’s top cross-country specialists enthralled as they race to accumulate UCI points in the UCI Category 1 event.

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[bertusras]

So I went to have a look at the racing yesterday, what a fun day in the sun! 
 
Wolwespruit brought some new upgrades to the park, which included a new rocky decline, the youngsters didn't seem too bothered by it.
 
http://i.imgur.com/YUEF9TL.jpg
 
Even after taking a tumble...
 
http://i.imgur.com/pt6KRzS.jpg
 
Not to be outdone, the girls also had no fear charging down the course!
 
http://i.imgur.com/jRAf3Fs.jpg
 
http://i.imgur.com/wrhoOqV.jpg
 
Versus Socks were well represented at the event!
 
http://i.imgur.com/Iy66k4r.jpg

Nicola van der Walt didn't think too much of the course it seems

 

http://i.imgur.com/oL1ojmZ.jpg

 

Absolutely blasting down "Dare the Dip" before disappearing into the valley

 

http://i.imgur.com/2e9EGk2.jpg

 

 

[bertusras]

The Elite Women had zero fear in sending it down the rocky drop-off at the top of the hill, Cherie Vale and Mariske Strauss showing some excellent bike handling skills in the process

 

http://i.imgur.com/ves7nlb.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/iPO5Box.jpg

 

Whilst some of the other ladies were a little more cautious in their approaches

 

http://i.imgur.com/D91XxN3.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/AC3fgpo.jpg

[bertusras]

The Youth Men went out guns blazing from the get-go, charging up the second of the two climbs of the lap

 

http://i.imgur.com/GSkxPSG.jpg

 

Less than any fear displayed down the rocky single-track as well

 

http://i.imgur.com/xOinpAC.jpg

 

Some of them maybe went a little hard with some pucker moments, but I saw no crashes up there!

 

http://i.imgur.com/tyLQp0O.jpg

 

Pieter du Toit gave it everything, but ended up getting pipped for the win by a mere two seconds

 

http://i.imgur.com/32MXLGb.jpg

 

These small drop-offs made for some excellent photos through the day!

 

http://i.imgur.com/JsVVzpJ.jpg

 

Liam de Klerk flying over the newly constructed triples 

 

http://i.imgur.com/hnEy9BH.jpg

[bertusras]

The sharp rocky climb on the forest side had even the Elite Men out of their saddles

 

http://i.imgur.com/qaimfyc.jpg

 

James Reid controlled the race from the front and won by a comfortable twelve seconds after six gruelling laps, even though he makes it seem super easy

 

http://i.imgur.com/h3qTxoG.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/FVLBP3Y.jpg

[Guest notmyname]

Nice one dude. Thanks for the pictures.

 

 

 

 

Not a dropper post in sight.

[Patchelicious]

Nice pics!

[CogitoErgoSum]

Nice pics! Thanks. One day when I am grown up and fit I want to do an xco race

[bertusras]

Nice pics! Thanks. One day when I am grown up and fit I want to do an xco race

 

Holy smokes, these guys and girls are fit. I've cycled at Wolwespruit many times and usually after one lap I'm pretty poked. They just go at it over and over and over.

[Milkman]

Nice pics !! It's got to be one of the hardest sporting discipline's in the world. Not only are you revving your heart rate for more than an hour , you also have to concentrate the whole time. Big respect to all the XCO riders out there.

[Pikey]

Some very sweet pics....damn no dropper and gunning it off those drops.

[Danger Dassie]

Wolwespruit, head and shoulders one of the best venues so far. Some incredible future potential to be had there. 
Not too unrealistic to consider as an African Champs or even WC venue in the future.

[bertusras]

Not a dropper post in sight.

 

 

damn no dropper and gunning it off those drops.

 

Yeah, nuts! Unfortunately this shot is just out of focus, but it shows the manoeuvring required sans dropper post:

 

http://i.imgur.com/5PsthnC.jpg

 

This however was my favourite thing of the day. Narrowest. Bars. EVER!

 

http://i.imgur.com/G5VNo7i.jpg

 

Guess your arms need to be that big of your leverage is that little 

[ddj]

Thanks for the pictorial report back on the race. I have seen no reports on the race nor winners etc. I spent an hour or so at the event towards the end of the men's elite and it was quite a treat. You failed to mention that James Reid won by 12 sec, notwithstanding going down somewhere on the course. Made me feel better knowing how challenged I am by Wolwespruit every time I ride there. 

 

As a matter of interest, can anyone give a short report back on how Sunday, or the Open day went as sponsored by Tshwane Municipality. I was sorry I could not make it.

[RocknRolla]

Nice reporting.

 

Thanx for sharing.

[ddj]

Cycling SA posted this report today

 

http://www.mygeni.org/photoalbum/Cycling_South_Africa/national-champions-dominate-third-xco-cup.mygeni?aid=4239