A top-class display of quality racing is expected at round one of the Ashburton Investments National MTB Series taking place at Meerendal Wines in the Western Cape on Saturday due to the presence of a strong international field.
The season opening UCI Category 3 status event has attracted some of the biggest names in local and international mountain biking.
A number of ABSA Cape Epic contenders and world champions have confirmed their participation, including 2014 Cape Epic champions Czech Kristian Hynek and Germany’s Robert Mennen.
They will be joined by their Topeak Ergon teammate and Austria’s former marathon world champion Alban Lakata.
Team Bulls will also be present on Saturday, represented by Simon Stiebjahn and three-time Cape Epic champion Stefan Sahm.
Team Cannondale’s Manuel Fumic (Germany) and Wheeler Meerendal’s Konny Looser (Switzerland), complete a powerful international men’s line-up.
In terms of local stars, overall 2014 Series winner, Nico Bell and his RECM teammate Erik Kleinhans, will be joined by Darren Lill, Waylon Woolcock, as well as the Westvaal team pairing of Gawie Combrinck and Johann Rabie.
Also on the list is South African Olympian Philip Buys, 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.
The elite women’s field is equally impressive with the RECM duo of multiple Cape Epic winner Ariane Kleinhans and former South African marathon champion Cherise Stander, primed to make an impact.
They’ll square up again Ascendis Health’s pair of current national marathon champions, Robyn de Groot and Jennie Stenerhag, who were second and third respectively behind Kleinhans at the Attakwas Marathon a fortnight ago.
Former marathon world champion and multiple Cape Epic winner Switzerland’s Esther Suss is also in the country preparing for her assault on the 2015 Cape Epic and will be a title contender on Saturday.
Go to Ashburton Investments National MTB Series for more information.
