Mountain Biking in Stellenbosch

Mountain biking in Stellenbosch

Caledon Villa | Blog | Mountain-biking-in-stellenbosch

This year Stellenbosch will be part of the World Cup Series for mountain biking. World Cup Stellenbosch

The whole series consists of different races all over the world and at the end – depending on points per race – one competitor will be crowned at the series winner and will have the title next to his name. He will be honoured as the winner of the World Cup.

We as a guest house in Stellenbosch will have the honour to share some of the joy in our backyard.

The SCOTT-SRAM team is once again our guests this year. The guys in their team have become more than just normal guests – they are considered part of the Villa’s family. We also know them as hard training bikers in our lovely mountains and valleys with extra high temperatures. At the moment Andri Frishknecht [23] – European Champion Team Relay and Michiel van der Heijden [26] – Dutch Champion are staying with us for three weeks and more members of the SCOTT-SRAM team will be joining us in March.

We were first introduced to mountain biking when Thomas Frischknecht [ Team Manager and Olympic medallist ] started making Caledon Villa his home in March 2007. Since then he has been a regular guest to Caledon Villa on an annual basis and bringing more bikers to the Caledon Villa family each time!

The SCOTT-SRAM team will compete in the Cape Epic again this year. Last year they had an incredible race with their teammates winning the Cape Epic and Andri and Michiel winning the last stage – and ending well overall. When you know the bikers in the race, it becomes a real experience to all of us. We follow their progress day by day on our computer screen and the excitement grows as they approach the final day. And when they break the final tape, then obviously we feel as proud as could be – they are our team!

I cannot imagine myself being on a mountain bike for 90 minutes and not breaking some of or all my bones. It is interesting to hear these guys talk and see the passion they have for their bikes and the race. Mountain biking is all about tailwinds and position plus where you kick-off for the race. In their competitive world, two minutes could make a huge difference in the overall time. Consider the environment along the route. Think about your bike but do not hesitate trying new things and methods of crossings obstacles. Courage and endurance are main factors in gaining experience.
And remember – every day makes life a little bit better and opens new doors in all directions.

Wishing “our” team all of the best for the World Cup Series 2018!