It’s almost time for the first race in the 2012 SA National DH series, to be held at Contermanskloof on 11 – 12 February, just outside Cape Town. Online entries close at midnight on Wednesday 8 February,…

To enter online, CLICK HERE and login with your CSA username and password and following the steps. If you haven’t purchased your CSA race license you can do so by clicking on ‘MEMBERSHIP POLICIES’ on the right of the screen and follow the steps to get a valid CSA domestic race license.

Afterwards you can click on the ‘ENTER AN EVENT’ button on your home page and follow the steps in order to get your online entry processed in time. Line entries on Friday & Saturday 10 – 11 February will be at an additional R50 late entry charge. Non licensed riders who wish to compete can do a line entry of R400 plus need to pay and additional day license fee of R75. ( R475.00 in total )

As the 2012 DH World Cup draws closer, more and more teams are finalising their product and riders testing in preparation for the coming race season. Local KZN pro downhiller Tim Bentley will once again race for Hutchinson Unitedride, as well Mick and Tracy Hannah…

Starting out as a conversation in the Morewood Bikes factory some years ago, the United Ride team was created and has come a long way since then. A diverse race team with riders hailing from France, South Africa and now Australia. For the 2012 season United Ride gains some great sponsors and continues to grow the team as we are proud to announce Hutchinson as our title sponsor and the signing of Mick and Tracey Hannah.

Mick Hannah is one of the most respected riders on the circuit known for his solid work ethic, toughness and training:

Mick Hannah

“I’m really excited to be joining with United Ride. We have very similar goals for the next 2 years and I feel like with the support of Morewood and Hutchinson and the great atmosphere within the team we can achieve all that we set out to do. I am also very excited about the opportunity to travel and race with Tracey. She is really focused right now and I think that together, along with the rest of the team, we will have a great season! Thanks very much to everyone that’s getting behind us! It’s going to be a great year!”

In the past Tracey Hannah has shown she could win by taking the Junior Womans World title. Her motivation and speed are still there as she will participate at select World Cup rounds in 2012:

Tracey Hannah

“It’s always been in the back of my mind!
Racing on the “World Cup Circuit” again! What is even more amazing, I will be racing right beside my big bro “Sick Mick” who taught me some of the things I know…… ha! I am so excited to be on the Hutchinson United Ride team, riding for Morewood bikes. Not only to be back racing but to be on a team that is going to help us achieve some of the goals that we have set out to achieve.
There is nothing better than feeling confident and ready going into a season, and because of United Ride we both can relax knowing we will be on one of the best teams out there, riding with some awesome new gear.

I am looking forward to the racing season. I can’t wait to see what unfolds in the up and coming months. I couldn’t be happier!”

Fabien “ CousCous” Cousinié / Team Manager-Rider

“In 2011, I’ve been in the top 20 during the first half of the season, I wanna do it again in 2012 but for the entire season! My study finally achieved, it’s going to be my first school free season, can’t wait for the PMB!
As a team manager, I’m really happy of the riders. More than the performance aspect, everyone has the same spirit which announce: good times!”

Tim Bentley

Our South African rider stays with the team for 2012 and will be racing the clock with style once again. After a solid first season on the World Cup circuit we are certain that he will keep improving and reach his potential.

« I am really excited to be on the team again this year! I had such a great time and i am looking forward to see what happens this season. I learnt alot last year and i hope i can use the experience to help me ! »

We are also glad to welcome  Guillaume Cauvin who finished 3^rd at the last Junior World Championship in Champéry. Guillaume fits in perfectly with the team’s spirit as he is motivated, relaxed and trains hard so it is a pleasure for us to help a young rider like him:

Guillaume “JR” Cauvin

“It’s a great opportunity for me to ride as part of the Hutchinson United Ride which is composed with such good riders. It will help me to improve my skills for sure! We’ve already done some training camp and there is good vibes. I love my MOREWOOD!”

A NEW NAME GOING INTO 2012:

United Ride Team is very proud of its new partnership with Hutchinson (www.hutchinsontires.com). The brand has worked a lot on the development of some new tire compounds and profiles. The team has run some tests with the new tires and are confident to have them keeping their Morewood’s on track this season:

Arnaud Zumaglia / Hutchinson Marketing Director

“Genetically links to competition, Hutchinson built its success and reputation with the performance and quality of its products. On all kind of terrain and in all kind of circumstances, road ride or mountain ride, Hutchinson works for more than one century with the biggest names of this sport to improve its nowadays products and create the future ones.
With no doubts downhill is the more demanding discipline for the tyres, that’s why we are really proud of those new objectives with the Hutchinson United Ride. An cosmopolitan UCI team with a strong potential with whom we expect to see some international podium in 2012.
A few new tyres will equip the bikes : Dzo, Squale, Toro or Cougar which ones will lead our riders toward the best results.”

Richard Carter / Morewood Bikes (www.morewoodbikes.com)

“It is a great pleasure for us to be moving into our 4^th year supporting the United Ride team with bikes, even if not as title sponsor. They are effectively our factory team and with the addition of Mick, Tracey and Guillaume, we really believe that we have one of the strongest teams on the circuit. From its inception United Ride has worked tirelessly in the development of all Morewood products, and we look forward to their continued involvement. It will be great to have them in our home town of Pietermaritzburg for the first World Cup race in March”

Once again we would like to welcome as one of our main partners, the online bike shop ALLTRICKS. Alltricks’s team is passionate, motivated and really efficient and that aids us in functioning efficiently as a professional race team:

AllTricks (www.alltricks.fr)

“Alltricks.fr is really proud to be a part of the United Ride Team and to support each riders for the next two seasons. Its team manager’s energy and the strong potential of its pilots seduced us straight away. We were looking for a team to join and an international adventure to share and confirm our product offer competitiveness. The partnership represents for us a real showcase of what is our offer in Dh, Freeride, Dirt and 4X.
Working with all the team’s sponsors and selling their products will help us being able to advise better our customers.”

Our official 2012 team presentation will be held a few days before the first World Cup in March where we will unveil our gear sponsor and other news.

We would like to thank everyone from our sponsors to the media to our fans for their support. The future has never been so exciting and our adventure keeps going with the same core ideal : DREAM RIDE SHARE.

The very first race in the 2012 Greg Minnaar Racing Mongoose KZN provincial DH series was held this past weekend on the top part of the World Cup course. Local rider Tim Bentley of team Morewood Unitedride , fresh off the 2011 World Cup circuit, took the top step of the podium…

Event organiser Morne Odendaal compiled the following report:

“Sunday early morning, looked very promising to be a cool day but as the day and Downhill practise progressed things got hot.  The turnout for this first season event in the Greg Minnaar Racing and Mongoose 2012 Downhill series was astronomical, a whopping 60 + started, but the track claimed its usual number of casualties and only 56 riders finished.

The best time of the day, Elite Men and Overall winner title belonged to Tim Bentley, with a run of 1.55.53.  Short on his heals was Tiaan Odendaal, who took the Junior Men title and 2^nd overall with a time of 1.58.05. The podium was rounded off by Kelvin Purchase, Elite Men 3^rd overall, time 1.59.89, Hayden Brown Elite Men 4^th overall time, 2.01.07 and Sam Bull Junior Men 5^th overall time, 2.01.37.

Kelvin Purchase

Our greatest surprise of the day was the 5 Women entries, Kate Stephenson took top honours with a 3.05.41, she is a novice to DHI and only has MotorX experience, well done to these very brave ladies that took part.  With the Novices in mind, Johan Woest a visitor from Gauteng who is also a fairly newcomer to DHI did a good time of 2.44.43 which placed him 3rd in the Sport category.  This category is for novices and un-licenced riders and referred to as the Fun class, our two winners here Alex Bramley 1^st and Doug du Plessis 2^nd are “oldies” that has just not licenced yet for the season, riders please get your licences in order for us to award you points and ultimately KZN Provincial colours.

Kyle Davids

Despite very hot, dry and dusty conditions everybody enjoyed the track and a delighted Nigel Hicks knew he has built a winner, thank you to all for the hard work, help and to the volunteer shuttles a very big thank you, they have saved the day for everybody as the organisers never expected such a huge number of riders and with limited transport, uplifts would have progressed slow if they did not helped.

Looking forward to see all at the KZN Provincial Championship 10 – 11 March, part World Cup Cascades track, to all doing the CSA Nationals in Cape Town, good luck and hang the KZN banner high.”

Sam Bull

Results of Event 1 # – UPPER WORLD CUP TRACK – 29 January 2012

Overall

Position  Name                                    Cat.      Best Time

1          Tim Bentley                             EM       1.55.53

2          Tiaan Odendaal                      JM       1.58.05

3          Kelvin Purchase                    EM       1.59.89

4          Hayden Brown                       EM       2.01.07

5          Sam Bull                                   JM       2.01.37

6          Travis Browning                   EM       2.02.00

7          Kyle Davids                            JM       2.02.10

8          Brad Purchase                       EM       2.03.43

9          Jonathan Philogene            YM       2.04.18

10        Sven Pottow                          JM       2.04.50

11        Michael Reid                          JM       2.04.71

12        Alex Bramley                        Sport    2.07.07

13        Shane Martin                         JM       2.07.78

14        Andrew Martin                     YM       2.09.70

15        Louis Smith                            JM       2.10.70

16        William Stevens                    EM       2.11.59

17        Nigel Hicks                             SVM     2.12.29

18        Steve Jackson                       EM       2.17.39

19        Dave Dinkelman                   EM       2.18.35

20        Christopher Philogene      SJB       2.18.76

21        Chad Curtis                             EM       2.21.39

22        Justin Burns                           EM       2.21.43

23        Dustin Rudman                     EM       2.22.59

24        Doug du Plessis                     Sport    2.23.06

25        Kyle Du Toit                           EM       2.23.27

26        Dylan Jacklin                         YM       2.23.45

27        Gregg Brown                          YM       2.25.09

28        Dave Drummond                  SVM     2.27.03

29        Chrisjan Smit                          JM       2.27.72

30        Mark Sydney                          SVM     2.33.41

31        Dean Henning                         SVM     2.33.82

32        Jay Dempsey                          SVM     2.34.57

33        Lawrence Henning               VM      2.35.95

34        Nic Venter                               EM       2.38.65

35        Joshua Bull                              YM       2.40.79

36        Craig Richards                       EM       2.42.29

37        Johan Woest                          Sport    2.44.43

38        Conrad Davies                       SVM     2.44.93

39        Marc Klopper                        SVM     2.45.90

40        Leigh Hand                             SVM     2.50.01

41        Leon Cronje                            VM      2.51.63

42        Anthony Purnel                    VM      2.54.48

43        Matt Lamont                          Sport    3.00.11

44        Conrad Marais                       Sport    3.00.43

45        Mike Bradley                          VM      3.01.28

46        Kate Stephensen                   EL        3.05.41

47I       van Revesz                             SVM     3.11.40

48        Roxanne Baney                     EL        3.14.53

49        Clinton van der Merwe      Sport    3.15.61

50        Joanne Hoyer                       EL        3.17.99

51        Peter Hoyer                            MM     3.23.40

52        James Bentley                       MM     3.24.98

53        Kathryn Fourie                     EL        3.34.35

54        Richard Vogt                         Sport    3.37.57

55        Dyton Gous                            SVM     3.46.83

56        Claire Wager                          VL        3.59.34

57        Jesse Pauls                             SJB       DNS

58        Alasdair Fey                          EM       DNS

Photographs supplied by Conrad Davies.

Part two of the top Western Cape downhill rider’s profiles features Johann Potgieter. We catch up with him on a small practice track at the foot of Table Mountain.

Hometown: Bellville, South Africa
Age: 25
Team: Canfield Factory (as of 2012)

Background:
During high school, Johann was introduced to the Downhill racing scene by one of his friends’ brothers and in 2003 got his first proper Downhill bike, an Xtension, which lead to him winning his first Downhill race at Magic Forest in 2004. After finishing school the next year, Johann worked at his local bikeshop where he got his first sponsorship in the form of a Kona, kick starting a very successful racing career.

Racing career:
Backtracking to 2004, Johann went overseas to take part in the World Champs and learned a thing or two about how the real Downhill racing world works. Several years of racing in the local DH series passed when Mongoose stepped onto the scene in 2010, providing a two year sponsorship and in 2011 Johann made his first real impact overseas. He took a win in an Austrian and German cup, and got a 5th and 3rd in two European cup races. It was during this time that the Canfield Brothers team took note of him (and Stefan Garlicki) and offered them a spot on the team for 2012.

From here:
This year Johann will be riding for the Canfield Brothers Factory team, taking part in the World Cup races as well as the European cup races.

“I would like to thank Redbull, Von Zipper and Mongoose for their support. Without you it would not have been possible”.