On Saturday, 11 March 2023, the King Price Trailseeker MTB (Mountain Bike) race took place at the beautiful Buffelsdrift Trail Park on the outskirts of Pretoria North.
2200 avid mountain bikers from all over the country flocked to Buffelsdrift, a well-loved trail destination for passionate mountain bikers, to line up for the second edition of this popular MTB Series. The first event in the 2023 Series was held in January earlier this year in the Western Cape.
Among the top Elite mountain bikers lining up were Philip Buys (PYGA Euro Steel), Jan Withaar (24/7, Merida, BA Withaar), Michael Foster (PYGA Euro Steel) and Shaun-Nick Bester (Bester Performance). In the ladies’ race seasoned riders Sarah Hill, Samantha Sanders (Team Efficient Infinity Racing), Theresa Ralph, and Elrika Harmzen (Wintergreen BarrierBreakers) would have a fierce battle on their hands.
Participants could choose between riding a 70 km, 40 km, 20 km or 10 km distance based on their level of fitness and expertise.
In the 70 km Marathon Phil Buys, current SA XCO Champion, raced home to comfortably claim the overall win in a time of 02:31, with Shaun-Nick Bester in second with a time of 02:34 and Michael Foster clinching third in a time of 02:35.
Samantha Sanders proved victorious in the Ladies Marathon, clocking a speedy time of 03:00, with Sarah Hill second in a time of 03:01 and Elrika Harmzen third in a time of 03:07.
This Series also doubles as the official schools XCM league, dubbed the Schools Cycling South Africa Cross Country Marathon Series (SCSA XCM Series). The schools series is specifically aimed at schools competing against each other in various age categories. Learners proudly represent their various schools and earn points for their school, with the winning schools announced at the end of the Series.
The King Price Trailseeker events, organised by Faces Advenduranc, have become much-anticipated events on the South African MTB calendar, not only attracting serious competitors, but also families looking for a fun and active day out.
“Our aim is not just to promote the sport of mountain biking but also to get people of all ages and abilities to experience the thrill and beauty of the great outdoors on their bicycles. Our events are a testament to the power of sport in bringing people together and promoting a healthy, active lifestyle.” – Fritz Pienaar, MD of Faces Advendurance
Next up in the Series is King Price Trailseeker #3 Van Gaalen on 10 June 2023.
