Johannesburg - A strong international field will contest the first round of the National MTB Series in South Africa, taking place at Meerendal Wines in the Western Cape on Saturday.
The season opener, which is a UCI Category-3 status event, has attracted some of the biggest names in local and international mountain biking.
Among the riders are last year's Cape Epic champions Kristian Hynek (Czech Republic) and Robert Mennen (Germany) as well as Austria’s former marathon world champion Alban Lakata.
The Team Bulls pair of Simon Stiebjahn and three-time Cape Epic champion Stefan Sahm would also be among the riders, while Team Cannondale's Manuel Fumic (Germany) and Wheeler Meerendal's Konny Looser (Switzerland) completed a powerful international men’s line-up.
The competition is expected to be fierce as local stars look to make the most of home-ground and weather-conditioned advantage.
Overall 2014 Series winner Nico Bell and his RECM teammate Erik Kleinhans would be joined by Darren Lill (Cannondale Blend), Waylon Woolcock and the Westvaal team pairing of Gawie Combrinck and Johann Rabie in their quest for a good start to the series.
Also on the start list is South African Olympian Philip Buys (SCOTT LCB), the Contego Swift pair of Lourens Luus and Adriaan Louw, multiple X-Terra World Champion, Conrad Stoltz, and former top South African marathon racer David George, who was back after a doping ban.
The elite women's field is equally impressive with the RECM duo of multiple Cape Epic winner Ariane Kleinhans (Switzerland) and former South African marathon champion Cherise Stander, primed to make an impact.
Kleinhans is the defending Series champion, while Stander has been intent on making a return to peak form after a relatively quiet 2014 season.
They’ll square up again Ascendis Health’s pair of current national marathon champions, Robyn de Groot (South Africa) and Jennie Stenerhag (Sweden), who were second and third respectively behind Kleinhans at the Attakwas Marathon a fortnight ago.
Sapa