The globe’s top endurance mountain bikers will converge on the Cascades MTB Park for this year’s UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships on Sunday.
Current Swiss national champion and Team RECM star Ariane Kleinhans (left) and Toyota Biogen rider and recently crowned South African national marathon champion Robyn de Groot (right) were out on course on Thursday practicing ahead of the 2014 UCI MTB Marathon World Championships. Photo: Darren Goddard /
Gameplan Media
The most prestigious MTB marathon event on the international calendar visits African shores for the first time in its eleven year history and will add to the already impressive list of international cycling events the City of Choice has played host to previously.
Switzerland’s Christoph Sauser aims to clinch his fourth rainbow striped World Champion’s jersey – having already claimed victory in 2007, 2011 and 2013 – and in so doing, successfully defend a World title for the first time in his career.
The Specialized Racing sensation is joined by no fewer than four other former men’s World Champions – fellow Swiss cross-country ace Ralph Naef (2006), Belgium’s Roel Paulissen (2008 & 2009), Alban Lakata of Austria (2010) and Greece’s Periklis Ilias (2012) – and is one of more than half a dozen title contenders.
Lakata is one such hopeful eager to make the top step of the podium his own once more while Germany’s Karl Platt, Urs Huber and Steffen Thum, together with Colombia’s Hector Paez Leon, will have similar intensions.
Cross-country specialists Jaroslav Kulhavy (Czech Republic), Moritz Milatz (Germany) and Ralph Naef (Switzerland) have also made the journey out to South African shores and will no doubt consider themselves a part of the potent contenders mix.
James Reid (Trek SA) and Kevin Evans (FedGroup ITEC) look to represent the host nation’s strongest challenge whilst Rourke Croeser (Kargo Pro MTB) may well feature in the top 20 as well.
The women’s race is another mouth-watering affair as former winners and podium finishers aplenty litter the world class field.
Although five-time and defending women’s World Champ Gunn-Rita Dahle (Norway) hasn’t made the trip, former World Champs Sabine Spitz (2009) of Germany, Switzerland’s Esther Suss (2010) and Denmark’s Annika Langvad (2011 & 2012) are in set to be in Sunday’s line-up.
