In the Bunch

Cycling news, results, live streams, events, reviews & forum

  • Home
  • News
    • Road
    • Mountain bike
    • Gravel
    • Track
    • International
    • Features
    • Triathlon
    • Race reports
    • Blogs
    • Reviews
    • Featured event news
    • Partner content
  • Results
    • SA Results
    • International results
  • Streaming
  • Photos
  • Events
    • Categories
    • Locations
    • Add your Race
  • Find
    • MTB Trails
    • Cycle Shops
    • Add listing
  • Forum
    • View forum
    • Register
    • Login
  • Contact
    • About
  • Sign in
    • Reset password

Belgian mountain bike star tackles Tour of Good Hope

February 20, 2018, 11:48 am By In the Bunch

International mountain bike star Frans Claes will face a different challenge next month when he tests his versatility in South Africa’s premier road race, the Bestmed Tour of Good Hope.

The five-stage race, presented by Scicon and the City of Drakenstein, takes place in and around the city of Paarl in the Western Cape from March 5 to 9.

Although he now specialises in mountain biking, the 34-year-old Belgian has had experience of road racing, competing as an amateur before spending a year in the professional ranks in 2013.

Frans Claes

Belgian mountain biker Frans Claes will renew an association with road racing when he competes in the Bestmed Tour of Good Hope in and around Paarl in the Western Cape of South Africa from March 5 to 9. Photo: Sportfotograf

He is looking forward to the challenge presented by the 490km Tour of Good Hope, saying it will be an opportunity to improve his speedwork.

“I know there will be good competition and some nice climbs, which will suit me,” said Claes, who is listed third in the international marathon mountain bike standings.

He will be supported by the Alfa Bodyworks team during the tour.

Claes has been in South Africa since January, capitalising on the good weather to prepare for the forthcoming European season.

“In Belgium it’s winter with a lot of rain and cold temperatures. Here it’s hot, sometimes too hot, but I prefer the heat, so it is not so much of a problem.

“Also, the terrain here is excellent to prepare for the mountain bike season.”

Claes, who won a UCI Mountain Bike Marathon Series race in Spain last year, started his season at the Attakwas Extreme MTB Challenge in Oudtshoorn last month.

“I did Attakwas where I came fourth, after which I competed in the two-day Simonsberg Contour race, where I also ended fourth.”

The Bestmed Tour of Good Hope has 5 218m of vertical ascent and Claes will be eyeing the third (137km; 2 687m ascent) and fourth (134km; 2 900m) stages.

Exposure for your race: If you would like In the Bunch to promote your event through a series of articles, click here to ask us about our new PR product. See examples.

Next story
Previous story

MORE RELATED ARTICLES

No related photos.

FEATURED EVENT NEWS

DPD Laser and Great Zuurberg Collection poised for the long haul

Radisson Blu a home away from home for cycle tour riders

Herald Cycle Tour on a drive to give back

PARTNER CONTENT

GZT-E Day 1 - Stuart Woodhead and Alex Solomon

Age just a number at Great Zuurberg Trek E-edition

GZT 2023 - Men

Gqeberha duo peerless en route to Great Zuurberg Trek title

GZT Mens winner - stage 2

Local boys tighten grip on Zuurberg MTB race despite setbacks

GZT Mens podium crop

Campbell and Carneiro conquer the mud at Zuurberg

LATEST REVIEWS

Review: Luck MTB cycling shoes

Luck’s Ator

Review: Luck road cycling shoes

Westfalia BC 75 bike rack

Review: Westfalia bike rack

Copyright © 2010 - 2025 · Developed and managed by Full Stop Communications · Privacy Policy

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT