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”.

It’s racing time again, with the first of the 2012 SA National DH series kicking off in Cape Town on 11 & 12 February. Contermanskloof bike haven will once again play host to the first race of the season and with all of the new teams being formed at the end of 2011 it promises to be another great event…

The Contermanskloof farm has become synonymous with mountainbiking in Cape Town and rightly so, as it has previously hosted the 2011 DH SA Champs and is home to some spectacular cross country and trail routes. Other exiting events include the ‘Lake Jump’ event last year, but the focus once again is on the DH community who will entertain the crowds and challenge each other on this testing course. Proudly hosted by the Western Cape DH Club and Cycling South Africa, it promises to be a good start to the 2012 DH season.

How to get there:

Take the N7 towards Malmsberry and then take the Vissershok turn off to your right (gap in the island). Follow Vissershok road to the 4 way intersection. At the intersection turn right into Contermanskloof road.  For those people coming from Durbanville  you can also go along the Fissershoek Road but you will turn left at the 4 way intersection into Contermanskloof road, the entrance to the Venue is 2km from the 4way intersection on your left hand side and will be sign posted.

GPS coordinates -33.80019,18.572731

Entries:

Riders with a valid CSA racing license can enter online CLICK HERE , or enter at the venue 0n 10 & 11 February at an additional R50 late entry fee. Riders without a valid CSA racing license are also welcome to enter but have to purchase a day license at an additional R75. The day license allows you to participate in the sports class and does not allow you to accumulate points in the series. 

Come and watch some of our top local pros like Johann “Pottie” Potgieter, Andrew “Needles” Neethling, Stafan Garlicki and many more of the country’s best DH riders battle it out for the number one spot on the podium.

With the increased interest in cross-over disciplines in mountainbiking, trail riding has become a a staple for your everyday mountain biker. Flowing singletrack, fast descents and the inevitable climb all make for a good trail. The esphotograpy crew had this to say about the local Jonkershoek trails…

Just a few kilometers outside picturesque Stellenbosch lies the Jonkershoek nature reserve. The complete playground for all forms of mountain biking and hiking, accessible all year long. Playing host to various downhill and cross country races, the area also has a large network of all-mountain trails for those who like to pedal uphill as well as the thrill of a fast open downhill.

Jonkershoek offers a trail for all levels of riding, and for a couple of bucks, you get access for the whole day (year passes also available). Winter months usually brings a fair bit of rain, turning some trails a bit muddy and the tree roots a bit slippery, making riding slightly more interesting. It’s also a good time for fixing and building new trails – thanks to Bennet Nel for the great effort he puts in. During summer, the mercury pushes up into the mid 30’s celsius, but luckily the nearest section of pine forest is never far away.

Part 1 features an unnamed trail close to the entrance of the reserve.

The first in a three part rider profile series, local Cape Town downhiller turned pro, Stefan Garlicki recently caught up with the esphotograpy crew. Giving you the inside scoop on what makes this young rider tick, and what lays ahead for the future…

Hometown: Paarl, South Africa
Age: 21
Team: Canfield Factory (as of 2012)

Background:
Stefan raced motocross from 1999 until 2009 and has always been obsessed
with anything that has 2 wheels. His achievements in motocross include a WP
championship title in his division in 2006 as well as a couple of runner-up
finishes. Unfortunately, due to the very high costs involved, he was not
able to compete at National level. After finishing high school in 2008, he
went to Europe to work and travel. During his stay in the UK, he started
racing 4X and ended 6th overall in the UK rankings. Pleased with this
result, he wanted to carry on when he got home to SA but there was no real
4X racing scene, so he decided to try BMX and downhill racing instead. His
BMX season produced a 9th spot in the 17 and over expert class for that
year. However after purchasing his first downhill bike in December 2009,
and finishing 5th overall in the SA DH champs, everything changed.

Racing Career:
In 2011 Stefan decided to focus on riding and finished 2nd in the first
provincial series race, where he beat Andrew Neethling (current world
number 9), into third. The winner was Johann Potgieter, 3 times SA Downhill
champion, who was only 0.6s faster than Stefan. Johann and Stefan were the
only 2 riders to beat Neethling on home soil in 4 years. He went on to
finish 4th in the African Continental Championships and then 3rd in the
South African Championships. On both occasions he was only 3s off the
winner, Andrew Neethling. His plan was to head to Europe between May and
September to race for a season over there to gain more experience. However,
the first UCI world cup was in Pietermaritzburg so he decided to do that
before heading to Europe. Unfortunately he dislocated his shoulder during
practice and wasn?t able to race. After completing physio treatment, Stefan
traveled to Europe and experienced racing on a different level. He had no
idea what to expect as it was his first time racing overseas, but was happy
with his results, the highlight of which was definitely getting 2nd place
at a German IXS Cup in Illmenau, against 500+ riders.

From here:
For 2012, Stefan was lucky enough to get a spot on the Canfield Factory
team, which will be based in Schladming, Austria. The team will be focused
on all the European races eg, World cups, IXS cups etc.

“I am so grateful that I have this opportunity and can’t thank them enough!
I would also like to thank all my sponsors who gave me a chance in 2011 -
Red Bull SA, Adidas eyewear, Giant Bicycles, Leatt, Csixx, Cycles Africa
and Titanium Designs, things would’ve been very difficult without you guys.
I would also like to thank everyone who has helped me along the way, my
parents, the VD Merwe family, Chris Nixon, Mark Hopkins, Myles Kelsey,
Johann Potgieter and many more, sorry I cant remember everyone. Also a big
thanks to Ewald Sadie. I can?t wait to go racing this year, its going to be
a ripper!”

It is still summer and what better way to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air than on your bike. Local DH pro Stefan Garlicki will help you to do just that. On 4 & 5 February it is time for the third annual  AVIS Van Rental Downhill challenge  held at the Taal Monument in Paarl. Event organiser Stefan Garlicki had the following to say…

This is a press release to inform you about the Avis Van Rental Downhill Challenge, to be held in Paarl on the 4^th and 5^th of Feb 2012.

“First off, just a little background on downhill mountain biking, it’s the most extreme discipline in mountain bike racing. The riders race against the clock down a marked course which is between 2 and 5 minutes long, it can be really steep and has big jumps, rocks, roots, tree’s and many other exciting obsticles. Downhill is picking up in South Africa every year and many people don’t realise it but we have two of the top riders in the world wearing the SA jersey. Greg Minnaar is the current world #2 and Andrew Neethling is the current world #9.

This is the 3^rd year we are running the event and the number of competitors increased by more than 30% from the first event to second. We will be expecting around 100 competitors this time round and hopefully loads of spectators. Downhill MTB is really exciting to watch and will draw lot’s of attention. This event will one of the best in the country with top riders there like, Andrew Neethling, Johann Potgieter, Stefan Garlicki (Paarl), Jonty Neethling and other up country possibilities include Hayden Brown, Tim Bentley, Travis Browning and Tiaan Odendaal. These riders all have international experience and will be battling it out for the R7000 in prize money.

Last year the event was won by 3 time SA champ Johann Potgieter, Stefan Garlicki 2^nd and world #9 Andrew Neethling 3^rd, these riders were only separated by 1.5 seconds. This time around the racing will be even closer with all of these riders wanting start the year with a bang.

The event will be held in Paarl at the Taal Monument and registration will open at 09:30 on Saturday 4 February 2012 followed by the practice which will run from 10:00 until 16:00. On Sunday 5 February there will be practice from 08:30 until 09:30 and racing will start at 10:00 sharp. Spectators should come for the race on Sunday which should prove really exciting, so bring your friends and come enjoy the action!

The event is proudly sponsored by Avis Van Rental, Red bull, Leatt and Csixx.”

For more info please contact event organiser, Stefan Garlicki:

s.garlicki.74@gmail.com / 0761829281