The RH77-Factory team took a bold approach to the Old Mutual Wealth Double Century on Saturday, going hard to each checkpoint with the aim of completing each leg with just six riders. Though this left them exposed to time loses if anyone punctured it did enable them to blitz the course and win the 2024 title in commanding fashion: https://diverge.info/2024/11/24/double-century-rh77-factory-wins-fiercely-contested-2024-race/
#DoubleCentury #RoadCycling
After a highly successful 2024 edition Abbott World Marathon Majors have announced that the Sanlam #CapeTownMarathon has passed Stage 1 of the selection process which should see the race become #AfricasFirstMajor in 2026. https://diverge.info/2024/11/21/cape-town-marathon-passes-stage-1-of-awmm-candidacy/
#RoadRunning #RoadMarathon #Marathon
The all-conquering Toyota Specialized team completed their clean sweep of FNB #Wines2Whales stage victories on the final day of the 2024 Shiraz race, from Oak Valley to Benguela Cove, today. Matt Beers and Alex Miller’s margin of victory was 7 minutes and 42 seconds. Imbuko’s Marco Joubert and Wessel Botha held Honeycomb Pro Cycling at bay on Stage 3 to secure second, ahead of Tristan Nortje and Marc Pritzen. https://diverge.info/2024/11/10/wines2whales-total-domination-by-toyota-specialized/
#MTB #MountainBiking
Alex Miller endured a bad looking crash, with just a few scraps and bruises, en route to victory on Stage 2 of the FNB #Wines2Whales Shiraz race. For the second day running the Toyota Specialized team were joined on the podium by Imbuko and Honeycomb Pro Cycling. Read the story of how the day unfolded here: https://diverge.info/2024/11/09/wines2whales-miller-survives-stage-2-crash-to-win-with-beers/
#MTB #MountainBiking
Toyota Specialized's Matt Beers and Alex Miller engaged power mode to surge to victory on Stage 1 of the FNB #Wines2Whales Shiraz today. Behind them Imuko's Marco Joubert and Wessel Botha were second, ahead of Tristan Nortje - who dislocated his shoulder on Gantouw Pass - and Marc Pritzen - who suffered two poorly timed dropped chains. Read about what happened on the course from Lourensford to Oak Valley here:
https://diverge.info/2024/11/08/wines2whales-toyota-specialized-engage-power-mode-on-day-1/
#MTB #MountainBiking
The #TankwaTrek is more than just a tough but rewarding UCI S1 grade stage race. While mountain bikers come to the Koue Bokkeveld for the riding, they return for the warm hospitality of Dryland and Kaleo Guest Farm. Find out what to expect in 2025 here: https://diverge.info/2024/10/29/tankwa-trek-expect-the-best-at-the-2025-race/
The #CapeTownTrailMarathon saw Collin Kanyimo and Catherine Williamson racing to victory and earning a cool R50 000 each for their efforts. In the 22km Siboniso Soldaka won his 3rd successive title and Mila Geldenhuys dominated the women's race: https://diverge.info/2024/10/19/cape-town-trail-marathon-williamson-kanyimo-win-2024-titles/
#CapeTownMarathon #TrailRunning
#ToHellAndBack is the OG South African #MTB stage race. For 30 years it has remained boutique without the bourgeoisie implications. Read on to find out why experienced mountain bikers return to Die Hel to ride into Gamkaskloof and back out: https://diverge.info/2024/10/16/to-hell-and-back-as-jy-weet-weet-jy/
#MountainBiking #EcoBound
Gravel has been growing in South Africa for the best part of a decade, but it seems to have reached a maturity where world class stage races are now possible. Cape Epic founder, Kevin Vermaak will be using his MTB stage race organising experience to launch #GravelBurn a 7-day, 850km, gravel race through the magnificent Eastern Cape. Read about it here: https://diverge.info/2024/10/12/gravel-burn-7-day-gravel-stage-race-launched-in-the-eastern-cape/
#Gravel #GravelBike
Insect Science overturned a 53 second deficit to win the 2024 #CapePioneer on the final stage in Oudtshoorn, on Saturday, 5 October. By contrast, Efficient Infiniti's march to victory, in the women's race, was entirely serene. Read the full story of Stage 5 here: https://diverge.info/2024/10/05/cape-pioneer-final-day-drama-earns-insect-science-2024-title/
#MTB #MountainBiking
A dramatic 66km break and a sprint finish atop the Swartberg Pass ensured for a captivating day of racing at the #CapePioneer on the Queen Stage. Yet the status quo remains heading into the final day. PYGA Euro Steel lead by 53 seconds. And Efficient Infiniti have all but won the women's race. Read the full report here: https://diverge.info/2024/10/04/cape-pioneer-insect-science-efficient-infiniti-win-queen-stage/
#MTB #MountainBiking
Stage 2 of the 2024 #CapePioneer featured a challenging 73.5km routh which provided a mix of surfaces, from smooth to rugged and rough. Two long climbs hardly split the men's field with PYGA Euro Steel only distancing Insect Science on the final descent. Efficient Infiniti cantered to victory in the women's race. Read the full report here: https://diverge.info/2024/10/02/cape-pioneer-pyga-euro-steel-and-efficient-infiniti-double-up/
#MTB #MountainBiking
With the Absa #CapeEpic spending two days in Paarl in 2025 there's no better time to launch a big bike shop in the Winelands town. #CycleLab will be servicing that growing cycling community there from their new store, which opens on the 25th of October 2024. Read about the new #bikeshop here: https://diverge.info/2024/09/26/cycle-lab-expands-into-the-winelands-with-paarl-store/
#Cycling #BicycleShop
Once you've forgotten the pain of riding up MAC, you're ready to ride #TransBaviaans 24HR MTB Race again. After my post-race humbling at JBay I've forgot the hardship of scaling the Mother of All Climbs. Read about my #Baviaanskloof and #JeffreysBay misadventures here: https://diverge.info/2024/09/09/trans-baviaans-kook-slams-the-baviaanskloof-forgetting-mac/
#MTB #MountainBiking
Stage 5 of the 2024 SPAR #SwissEpic provided a fitting finale to the #EpicSeries race through the magnificent trails of Graubünden. It did however not provide any major upsets as Gian Schmid and Lukas Flückiger defended their yellow CIOVITA jerseys, despite the aggressive racing of the KTM Alchemist Brenta Brakes team. The women in orange, Monica Calderon and Tessa Kortekaas were even more controlled in their victory, adding a fifth stage win to their Swiss success.
https://diverge.info/2024/08/25/swiss-epic-fluckiger-secures-third-title-alongside-schmid/
#MTB #MountainBiking
CANNONDALE ISB SPORT and KTM Alchemist Brenta Brakes added to their overnight leads with victories on Stage 3 of the 2024 SPAR #SwissEpic. The men in yellow, Lorenzo and Nicolas Samparisi claimed their second stage win; while the women in orange, Monica Calderon and Tessa Kortekaas, added a third to their great Graubünden performance. https://diverge.info/2024/08/22/swiss-epic-victories-in-orange-and-yellow-on-stage-3/
#MTB #MountainBiking #EpicSeries
Wilier Vittoria fought back from tenth on Stage 1 to win Stage 2 at the SPAR #SwissEpic; on Wednesday, 21 August. The Italian team had been distanced by their countrymen and the overall race leaders, KTM Alchemist Brenta Brakes, on the ascent of the Scaletta Pass but Fabian Rabensteiner and Samuele Porro descended into Davos faster. In so doing they were able to catch Lorenzo and Nicolas Samparisi before the line and force a sprint finish, which they then won by a slender margin.
In the UCI Women’s’ race the 15 kilometre long, 1 100 metre, ascent of the Scaletta Pass allowed Cannondale ISB Sport to further extend their overall lead over Efficient Infiniti. Monica Calderon and Tessa Kortekaas now lead the orange jersey battle by 9 minutes and 32 seconds.
https://diverge.info/2024/08/21/swiss-epic-wilier-vittoria-fight-back-to-seize-stage-2-victory/
#MTB #MountainBiking #EpicSeries
Stage 1 of the SPAR #SwissEpic saw dramatic racing with the five-star favourites faltering and underdogs seizing their opportunities. The day came down to a sprint finish which KTM Alchemist Bentra Brakes won, but were only officially awarded the stage honours after a UCI Commissaire’s investigation into a potentially irregular sprint: https://diverge.info/2024/08/20/swiss-epic-ktm-alchemist-brenta-brakes-win-dramatic-stage-1/
#MTB #MountainBiking #EpicSeries
Insect Science's Arno du Toit & Keagan Bontekoning sealed the 2024 #TransBaviaans title, on Saturday evening, in style smashing the course record by 22 minutes. Jess Wilkinson and Rebecca van Huyssteen won the women's race in commanding style: https://diverge.info/2024/08/12/trans-baviaans-insect-science-smash-the-course-record/
#MTB #MountainBiking
Matt Beers rode to a dominant victory in the 2024 B-well #AroundThePot 100 Miler on Saturday. The Toyota Specialized rider was joined atop the podium by Catherine Colyn, while Joshua Scherer and Nicola Freitas. Read the full story here: https://diverge.info/2024/07/28/around-the-pot-beers-dominates-2024-race/
#gravel #cycling
On 8 July we took a group of kids for a #SnowDay mission up Mont Rochelle, above Franschhoek. Aged 4 to 8 their physically capabilities were obviously diverse. Here's a look at how we managed it, what we learnt, & how you can help create adventure memories for your kids too: https://diverge.info/2024/07/10/snow-day-adventures-with-little-adventurers/
#snow #adventurewithkids #hiking
Cannondale ISB Sport secured their fourth stage victory and wrapped up their #AndorraEpic in style, while Buff Megamo controlled Stage 4 to win the GC title with a 2nd place on the final day. Read about how the race was won here: https://diverge.info/2024/07/07/andorra-epic-buff-megamo-cannondale-isb-secure-titles/
#MTB #Andorra #EpicMTBSeries
Monica Calderon & Tessa Kortekaas effectively secured the #AndorraEpic Pyrenees crown with a dominant Queen Stage performance yesterday. While Hans Becking & Wout Alleman ceded time to Scott Cala-Bandida setting up a nervy final day for Buff Megamo: https://diverge.info/2024/07/06/andorra-epic-calderon-and-kortekaas-all-but-crowned-queens/
#MTB #Cycling #Andorra
The 2024 MUT by UTMB saw a record number of runners take to the trails of the Outeniqua Mountains, of George. Among the stand out performances of the weekend were Douglas Pickard and Maria Marincowitz's Miler victories. Read all about the races here: https://diverge.info/2024/05/28/mut-by-utmb-douglas-pickard-wins-2024-title/
Epic Insights: Read the pre-race reflections of Matt Beers, Howard Grotts, Nino Schurter, Sebastian Fini, Andreas Seewald, Hans Becking, Lukas Baum, Georg Egger, Vera Looser, Alexis Skarda, Samara Sheppard, Sofia Gomez Villafane, Candice Lill & Mona Mitterwallner: https://diverge.info/2024/03/17/cape-epic-no-free-rides-and-focusing-on-the-process/
#CapeEpic #AbsaCapeEpic #CapeEpic2024
The #PedalProject, is community-based mental health support programme which utilises mountain biking as a vehicle for empowering children from the historically disadvantaged communities of Maccassar, Strand, and soon Jamestown outside of Stellenbosch. At the 2024 #CapeEpic the charity will be facilitating a race within a race for 5 UCI women's teams as they #PedalForGood: https://diverge.info/2024/02/20/pedal-project-creates-reason-to-race-with-pedalforgood-jersey/
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