The UCI MTB XCO world cup is back on home soil!
In the global mountain biking community, Stellenbosch is regarded as one of the mountain bike meccas of the world. Riding the mountain bike (MTB) trails that traverse the Western Cape, you can clearly see why! Big climbs, superb single track trails and great coffee.
During our summer months when the Northern Hemisphere is covered in snow and icy conditions, the pro mountain bikers descend on stellies and keep the coffee shops extremely busy (cycling and coffee go hand in hand).
Back to the world cup action though!
The last time South Africa hosted a UCI MTB world cup was in 2014, Pietermaritzburg (another special place to ride bikes, more on that another time) provided an awesome course at the cascades MTB park.
You need to rewind the history books even further (2 decades to be exact) to find the last time Stellenbosch hosted a UCI event!
What exactly is an XCO MTB race? Well it’s not the Tour de France.
The XCO part stands for cross country and MTB is the acronym for mountain biking. XCO racing is fast and furious, with the racers pushing both their physical and mental limits for the duration of the race. This racing format also has a few technical elements thrown into the mix and this adds another dimension to the race, as a rider you need to be extremely fit and have the technical MTB skills to safely negotiate your way around the course.
XCO is spectator friendly, with the riders having to complete multiple laps of the course (the men’s elite race is 7 laps). If you are in Stellenbosch this coming weekend, I would strongly recommend that you come and witness the vibe for yourself. It’s the first time I will be attending an event of this spectacle and cannot wait to be part of the crazy crowd on the course shouting support at the riders.
If you want a few more ‘finer’ details about what this weekend has in store (details about the race course and exactly where the race is taking place) and who the race favourites are, check out this piece by the Red Bull crew.
Want to stay in touch with the build-up and action? Here are a few social media handles that I recommend you follow!
If you aren’t able to make it down to Stellenbosch, Red bull have you covered! They will be live streaming the racing action.
Watch it live, here. Otherwise, see you in Stellies!
Ps. It is also a special weekend for Sunday’s Insurance, a CN&Co partner, as they will have one of their own team members, Renay Grousta, lining up among the best mountain bikers in the world in the elite’s race on Saturday! Renay, all the best. Enjoy the thrill of being back on the start line, riding in front of your home crowd and going all out for the 7 laps!
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