Prominent South African road cyclists Jacques Janse van Rensburg and Jaco Venter, who recently formed a mountain bike team, will kick off their season at the Attakwas in Oudtshoorn on Saturday.
The former Dimension Data WorldTour riders will tackle the gruelling 121km solo mountain bike race, also known as The Hell of the South, in their Team First Move colours.
Venter said he was unsure of what to expect as it would be his first mountain bike race in a long time.
“I’m excited and I feel ready, so I’ll do my best and hope for a good result.”
He felt that the “difficult and unknown” terrain would be the challenge for him.
“From the Attakwas war stories I’ve heard over the years there are many similarities to Paris-Roubaix,” said Venter, who participated in the 2018 edition of the French race, commonly called The Hell of the North.
Jacques Janse van Rensburg (front) and Jaco Venter will start their season at the Attakwas in Oudtshoorn on Saturday. Photo: Supplied
“Good position in the important sections, reliable equipment and having enough left at the finish will be the determining factors on Saturday,” he said.
Venter added that the Paris-Roubaix was the toughest one-day race in the world and one he would never forget.
“Riders consistently fighting for position at the start of each cobbled section and then hoping to avoid crashes in front of you through the dust . . . The race is very hard on your body and your equipment and it’s a race of survival for many of us.”
Janse van Rensburg said having raced Attakwas and the Cape Epic before, he knew just how hard mountain biking was on the body.
“My pre-season training has all been on the mountain bike and in search of the roughest trails I could find.”
With regards to their partnership, Janse van Rensburg said he and Venter had raced consistently at the highest level possible for many years and were hoping to continue to do so in the mountain biking space.
“We have been and will always be committed to racing, and we’re passionate ambassadors for all the brands that support us,” said Janse van Rensburg.
