Geiggerig Dirty Gran Fondo – another format?

Cyclocross - just an option at the Dirty Gran Fondo.

In the busy calendar of off road racing, it takes a lot for a race to stand out from the crowd. In Australia, we have a few big Marathon MTB races that are achieving ‘classic’ status, like the Kona Odyssey, Wombat 100, Convict 100, Flight Centre Epic and Highland Fling. Also, the Capital Punishment, Three [...]

Stewart and MacDonald take joBerg2c laurels

FedGroup-Itec’s Neil MacDonald (left) and Brandon Stewart celebrate their victory in this year’s Old Mutual joBerg2c. The nine-day mountain bike race started in Heidelberg, Gauteng, on April 26 and finished at Scottburgh on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast on Saturday. Photo: Full Stop Communications

Former champion Neil MacDonald, riding with new partner Brandon Stewart, notched up his second overall victory in the nine-day Old Mutual joBerg2c mountain bike race at Scottburgh on Saturday. The FedGroup-Itec riders completed the 910km journey from Heidelberg in Gauteng to the KwaZulu-Natal south coast in 34:11:05, taking four stage wins in the process. They [...]

Lady Luck smiles on joBerg2c leaders

FedGroup-Itec’s Brandon Stewart (left) and Neil MacDonald (second from left) lead Contego’s Louis-Bresler Knipe and Kevin van Hoovels on day eight of the Old Mutual joBerg2c mountain bike race on Friday. Photo: Full Stop Communications

Lady Luck smiled on race leaders Neil MacDonald and Brandon Stewart as mechanical problems beset their nearest challengers on the penultimate stage of the nine-day Old Mutual joBerg2c in KwaZulu-Natal on Friday. After a rocky start at MacKenzie Club near Ixopo, the FedGroup-Itec riders overcame a number of obstacles on the 102km stage, which included [...]

Knipe, Van Hoovels get lucky seven at joBerg2c

Belgium’s Kevin van Hoovels (left) and his Contego team-mate Louis-Bresler Knipe (second from left) celebrate as they sprint to a second stage win on day seven of the Old Mutual joBerg2c mountain bike race on Thursday. Photo: Full Stop Communications

Day seven proved to be the lucky number for Louis-Bresler Knipe and Kevin van Hoovels when they took their second stage win in the Old Mutual joBerg2c mountain bike race in KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday The Contego riders, who are both cross-country specialists, came to the fore on a fast and technical 78km stage from Hazeldene [...]

Swell-Specialized clean up at Convict 100

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Now in it’s 9th year, the Convict 100 has developed into quite a popular marathon. It has a lot going for it, being a short drive north west from Sydney, on terrain that many people ride on, and that isn’t overly technical. Maximum Adventure run a great event, and now that the course has changed [...]

Quebrantahuesos MTB – Stu’s adventures continue

Snow-capped mountains in northern Spain

Subaru-MarathonMTB.com racer Stu Spies made the journey out to the second European round of the 2013 UCI marathon series, the Quebrantahuesos MTB, in northern Spain. Here’s how the adventure unfolded. Lets start with few handy race tips, you must know many but here are some refreshers: Race tip #4001: Pay the extra for legroom on [...]

Stewart, MacDonald strengthen grip on joBerg2c

Brandon Stewart (left) and Neil MacDonald (right) celebrate their third stage win at Hazeldene farm in Underberg on day six of the Old Mutual joBerg2c mountain bike race on Wednesday. Photo: Full Stop Communications

Brandon Stewart and Neil MacDonald strengthened their grip on the Old Mutual joBerg2c when they claimed their third stage victory on day six of the mountain bike race in KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday. The FedGroup-Itec riders completed the 91km stage from Kamberg to Hazeldene farm near Underberg in 3:21:00 to take a comfortable three-and-a-half minute lead [...]

joBerg2c lead changes hands again

FedGroup-Itec’s Neil MacDonald (left) and Brandon Stewart (right) claim their second stage win on day five of the Old Mutual joBerg2c mountain bike race in Kamberg on Tuesday. Photo: Kim le Roux

Neil MacDonald and Brandon Stewart claimed their second stage win and with it the overall lead on day five of the nine-day Old Mutual joBerg2c mountain bike race on Tuesday. The FedGroup-Itec duo turned up the heat on the 98km stage from Winterton to Kamberg in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, which featured a total ascent of [...]

Knipe, Van Hoovels steal stage four of joBerg2c

Contego rider Louis-Bresler Knipe (right) and team-mate Kevin van Hoovels (centre) celebrate their stage win on day four of the nine-day Old Mutual joBerg2c on Monday. RE:CM’s Waylon Woolcock (left) and Lourens Luus (obscured) retain the overall lead. Photo: Full Stop Communications/Old Mutual joBerg2c

There was high drama on day four of the Old Mutual joBerg2c mountain bike race as Louis-Bresler Knipe and Kevin van Hoovels took advantage of a wrong turn by the lead group to snatch victory on the first of the climbing stages on Monday. The Contego riders were eventually chased down but held their nerve [...]

Woolcock and Luus storm to joBerg2c lead

RE:CM’s Lourens Luus (left) and Waylon Woolcock (right) stormed into the finish to take the stage win and overall lead on day three of the nine-day Old Mutual joBerg2c mountain bike race on Sunday. Photo: Full Stop Communications/Old Mutual joBerg2c

Former winner Waylon Woolcock and national marathon champion Lourens Luus stormed into the finish to take the stage win and overall lead on day three of the Old Mutual joBerg2c mountain bike race on Sunday. The RE:CM riders claimed victory on the gruelling 130km queen stage between Reitz and Sterkfontein Dam near Harrismith in the [...]