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

Greg Minnaar has become a household name in South African mountain biking, firstly as the world renowned Downhill world champion and most importantly as an ambassador for the sport. By giving back to the sport and connecting with fellow riders, Greg will surely leave a long and healthy legacy in South African cycling…

The dates are Friday 9th – Sunday 11th December, come spend a weekend riding with GM on some of the sickest, toughest and best single track around. Part from all the riding there will be chilled evening braais, a few beers and loads of fun.

Rough idea for the weekend,

Mankele Bike Park Friday: Skills Clinic & Basic Bike Set Up & Quick Fixes Saturday: 60 – 75km Ride (depending on the group) Saturday: Bike Mechanics afternoon & some fun surprises Sunday : 50-75km Ride depending on group we have

As this camp is limited to 30 people only early bookings will be essential to avoid disappointment. 
Camp fee of R2995.00 Rand includes: • 2 nights accommodation (9th & 10th), including breakfast, lunch & dinner. There will be some juice at the meals but for any additional drinks during the day or beers can be bought at the little shop. • Basic mechanical support. • Personal tutelage from Greg Minnaar during the riding on the courses, stressing that its trail riding again and not the typical training camp. What we mean by that is that it will consist of longer rides and not stopping and doing sections as before, but still under the watchful eye of Greg to help where necessary. (As Mankele has some great singletrack so we might do these a few times as we all single track junkies) • GM will spend time with everyone on the rides where you will get some time to catch up with him.

• Spot prizes through out the camp

Participants are responsible for: • Getting to and from Mankele. • Bringing a well maintained bike. • Bringing a set of legs that can spend 3-4hrs in the saddle.

Please note that the camp is based on arrivals at Mankele on the 9th, and leaving after the 3rd day of riding on the 11th. This camp will be held in English language and there is a maximum set at 30 participants, but the camp will go ahead with a minimum of 15 participants. If you not staying at the venue and booked into Camp unfortunately you wont be able to join rides or functions.

For more info please call Mark on 082 445 5551 or email: mark@squireindustries.com

Our local hero, Greg Minnaar claimed the top spot yet again this past weekend at La Bresse but it unfortunately was not enough to hold off Aaron Gwin’s charge for the overall 2011 title…

Aaron Gwin made history, yet again, by becoming the first ever American man ever to win the World Cup Downhill title, a fact that will become even clearer to the 23 year old when he stands on the podium in Italy in 2 weeks’ time to receive the prized crystal trophy. His team mate, World Champion Tracy Moseley, won her 4th World Cup race of the season today and has extended her lead to 150 points going into the final round in Italy. Rounding out a perfect weekend, the team once again finished up number 1 for the week.

For the women’s event, Tracy had good cause to be anxious going into the finals as a second place to her main rival of season 2011, Floriane Pugin (FRA), would have reduced her points lead to just 70, and with 250 on offer at the finals in Italy, it would have made for a more difficult weekend. Rain had fallen overnight here in La Bresse making for a different track to that qualified on, and a large amount of water early on in the race nearly ended Tracy hopes.

“A huge puddle of water had accumulated on the approach to the top pedaling section and it caught me by surprise. I had to go for my tear-offs and then I struggled a little to get that off, and then I was really worried that I’d messed my run up with that. Floriane is a hard rider to beat on any course, but here in France, I really had my work cut out for me. The win is very sweet, and I’m happy to take the points for sure,” said Tracy.

2011 is without doubt Tracy’s greatest season of her career, with 4 wins and an appearance on every World Cup podium, as well as plenty of other diverse riding, including the Cape Epic and the Dalby XC World Cup.

In the Men’s event junior rider Neko Mulally had a run he wasn’t happy with. The rain started to fall in the middle of the men’s pack and Neko by his own admission he made too many errors in the slick conditions, and after qualifying 24th, finished 50th today. Justin Leov continued his run of top 10 placings, crossing the line to take the hotseat and eventually finishing with a 9th, scoring enough points to jump him from 10th in the overall rankings to equal 7th for the season.

In the lead up to the top 10 men, the rain had stopped and the course was starting to recover. It wasn’t anywhere near as fast as yesterday for qualifying, but it had improved over the previous hour. Greg Minnaar rode a very solid race and set the time to beat, the first man under 2mins 10secs, and Gee Atherton had slotted into 2nd. For Aaron Gwin this race was as important as any other and he wanted to win, but a top 8 placing would be enough the take the overall World Cup Title with one race remaining, something that hasn’t been done since 2000. Aaron made an error in the top 3rd of the course and then had some other hook ups further done the course resulting in a growing loss of time, eventually putting him into 3rd place; a run he was personally disappointed about, but the overall title was his, and that is in itself an amazing achievement.

Aaron said: “It’s obviously and sincerely a huge honor to win the overall World Cup title, amazing honestly, but any racer out there will know that it always feel better when you take something like that with a run you’re proud of. I made some mistakes today that cost me the win, and that’s frustrating. Any one of my practice runs would have been better than that, but hats off to Greg, he rode super strong today and deserves to take the win. The overall is a huge honor and I look forward to lifting that trophy high for all the fans in 2 weeks!”

The overall mens results were:

Women’s results:

2011 Windham World Cup DH on pinkbike.com

Congratulations to our local hero Greg Minnaar who reigned victorious today and as a result had the Scottish countryside come alive with the sound of vuvuzelas and a roaring crowd.

The final results were as follows:

1          Greg  MINNAAR                         RSA      4:43.854

2          Danny  HART                             GBR      +01.299

3          Brook  MACDONALD                   NZL       +01.934

4          Gee  ATHERTON                         GBR      +03.004

5          Aaron  GWIN                             USA      +03.193

6          Cameron  COLE                          NZL       +03.748

7          Samuel  BLENKINSOP                 NZL       +04.269

8          Justin  LEOV                               NZL       +04.331

9          Samuel  HILL                             AUS      +04.579

10         Steve  SMITH                             CAN      +05.823

11         Steve  PEAT                               GBR      +06.481

12         Marc  BEAUMONT                       GBR      +06.866

13         Matti  LEHIKOINEN                     FIN       +07.246

14         Josh  BRYCELAND                       GBR      +07.606

15         Luke  STROBEL                          USA      +07.694

16         Florent  PAYET                           FRA       +07.953

17         Ruaridh  CUNNINGHAM               GBR      +08.050

18         Fabien  PEDEMANAUD                 FRA       +08.646

19         Ben  CATHRO                             GBR      +09.219

20         Matthew  SCOLES                       NZL       +09.343

21         Joshua  BUTTON                         AUS      +09.499

22         Michael  HANNAH                        AUS      +09.579

23         Damien  SPAGNOLO                   FRA       +09.865

24         Duncan  RIFFLE                         USA      +10.212

25         Mickael  PASCAL                        FRA       +10.364

26         Bernat  GUARDIA PASCUAL         ESP       +10.462

27         Joseph  SMITH                           GBR      +10.646

28         Cédric  GRACIA                          FRA       +10.760

29         Fabien  COUSINIE                      FRA       +11.066

30         Troy BROSNAN                          AUS      +11.151

31         Marcelo  GUTIERREZ VILLEGAS   COL      +11.245

32         Shaun  O’CONNOR                      AUS      +12.066

33         Mitchell  DELFS                           AUS      +12.080

34         Filip  POLC                                 SVK      +12.933

35         Nico  VINK                                 BEL       +12.985

36         Robin  WALLNER                         SWE      +13.149

37         Pierre Charles  GEORGES            FRA       +13.435

38         Mark  SCOTT                             GBR      +13.804

39         Thibaut  RUFFIN                         FRA       +13.866

40         Thomas  BRAITHWAITE              GBR      +13.984

41         Greg  WILLIAMSON                    GBR      +14.493

42         Ben  REID                                 IRL       +14.626

43         Romain  PAULHAN                      FRA       +14.861

44         Harry  HEATH                             GBR      +14.940

45         Patrick  THOME                          FRA       +15.096

46         Will  RISCHBIETH                       AUS      +15.329

47         Mitch  ROPELATO                        USA      +15.416

48         Adam  BRAYTON                        GBR      +15.419

49         Jack  READING                          GBR      +15.643

50         Rémi  THIRION                          FRA       +16.144

51         Markus  PEKOLL                         AUT      +16.260

52         Matthew  SIMMONDS                  GBR      +16.731

53         Boris  TETZLAFF                         AUT      +16.843

54         Wyn  MASTERS                          NZL       +17.638

55         Timothy  BENTLEY                      RSA      +17.792

56         Antonio  FERREIRO PAJUELO       ESP       +17.852

57         Fergus  LAMB                             GBR      +17.919

58         Dan  STANBRIDGE                     GBR      +18.246

59         Scott  MEARS                             GBR      +18.427

60         Lewis  BUCHANAN                      GBR      +18.440

61         Lorenzo  SUDING                       ITA       +19.458

62         Richard  THOMAS                       GBR      +20.522

63         Curtis  KEENE                             USA      +20.575

64         Emanuel  POMBO                       POR      +22.309

65         Alexander  KANGAS                   SWE      +22.418

66         Florian  ARTHUS                         FRA       +22.735

67         Ziga  PANDUR                            SLO      +23.882

68         Sam  DALE                                GBR      +24.523

69         Dan  ATHERTON                         GBR      +25.018

70         Seanan  O’RIORDAN                   IRL       +25.369

71         Neko  MULALLY                          USA      +27.485

72         Ivan  OULEGO MORENO              ESP       +33.290

73         Christopher  MCGLINCHEY           IRL       +35.491

74         Loic  BRUNI                               FRA       +42.017

75         Joris  BIGONI                             FRA       +47.924

76         Mathieu GALLEAN                       FRA       +4:53.950

77         Julien CAMELLINI                        FRA       +5:45.571

78         George BRANNIGAN                   NZL       +16:04.336

Women’s results:

1          Tracy  MOSELEY                  GBR    5:21.898

2          Rachel  ATHERTON                         GBR    +01.721

3          Floriane  PUGIN                    FRA    +07.530

4          Myriam  NICOLE                  FRA    +08.251

5          Sabrina  JONNIER                 FRA    +10.072

6          Jill  KINTNER                        USA    +15.010

7          Emmeline  RAGOT                FRA    +16.698

8          Manon  CARPENTER           GBR    +18.989

9          Fionn  GRIFFITHS                GBR    +21.690

10        Emilie  SIEGENTHALER     SUI     +22.282

11        Mio  SUEMASA                    JPN     +22.336

12        Petra  BERNHARD               AUT    +23.337

13        Micayla  GATTO                    CAN   +27.015

14        Harriet  RUCKNAGEL         GER    +30.759

15        Morgane  CHARRE               FRA    +32.814

16        Miriam  RUCHTI                   SUI     +39.730

17        Jacqueline  HARMONY        USA    +40.874

18        Sandra  REYNIER                 FRA    +42.010

19        Emily  HORRIDGE               GBR    +45.668

20        Miranda  MILLER                 CAN   +2:15.615

21        Céline  GROS                         FRA    +5:14.746

Photograph by Jonothan Sherwood (Fort William 2010)

Event organiser Morne Odendaal always puts up a good show and great events. This is her feedback from the weekend’s racing:

Hi Everyone,

The feedback I had from a lot of riders for this event was Fun, Fun and fun, it seems that everyone enjoyed the track and though it was short and sweet it claimed a couple of serious injuries.  Get well soon to those guys.

The star of the day was Tiaan Odendaal, winning both Junior Men and 1^st Overall title, Hayden Brown was a couple of seconds behind him followed by Alasdair Fey in 3^rd, Kyle Davids rounded off the victory for the Junior men in the overall positions with a well-deserved 4^th place, and Kelvin Purchase as our 5^th overall winner, well done guys.

A Big thank you to everyone that helped making this event possible from the track builders and helpers to the trusty Downhill “staff” and to all riders, see you at the National, weekend 3 -5 June 2011.

The overall results are as follows:

1              Tiaan Odendaal JM          1.37.56

2              Hayden Brown  EM         1.39.10

3              Alasdair Fey        JM          1.39.92

4              Kyle Davids         JM          1.42.76

5              Kelvin Purchase                EM         1.42.91

6              Sam Bull                             JM            1.43.79

7              Anthony Botha EM         1.43.92

8              Gian-Pierre Orselli           EM         1.44.34

9              Simon Dinkelman             EM         1.44.96

10           Steve Jackson    JM          1.45.24

11           Alan Hatherly     YM         1.45.53

12           Brad Purchase   EM         1.45.61

13           Dave Dinkelman               EM         1.48.25

14           Nigel Hicks          SVM      1.48.42

15           David Hogan       EM         1.49.01

16           Michael Reid      JM          1.49.41

17           Andre van Aarde              EM         1.49.99

18           Andrew Martin YM         1.50.10

19           Shane Martin     JM          1.51.21

20           Jonathan Philogene        SJB         1.51.82

21           Chad Curtis         EM         1.52.11

22           Ian Duxbury       EM         1.52.28

23           Damien Craig     YM         1.52.79

24           Mark Sydney     SVM      1.53.04

25           Byron Morey     EM         1.53.27

26           Matthew English              EM1       .54.25

27           Chrisjan Smit      JM          1.54.28

28           Gregg Brown     YM         1.55.05

29           Sven Pottow      JM          1.55.41

30           Raymond Acutt JM          1.56.18

31           Dean Henning   SVM      1.56.28

32           Fabien LeMasson             EM         1.56.42

33           Doug du Plessis EM         1.57.56

34           Kyle Du Toit        EM         1.59.80

35           David Blackman                JM          2.01.32

36           Dylan Jacklin       YM         2.02.31

37           Chris Rigby          YM         2.04.29

38           Christopher Philogene   SJB         2.06.62

39           Leon Cronje       VM         2.06.71

40           Craig Richards    EM         2.07.28

41           Tim Stark             EM         2.08.48

42           Joshua Bull          YM         2.10.59

43           Jasvir Maharaj   JM          2.12.26

44           Lawrence Henning          VM         2.15.12

45           Craig JarretYM2.21.94

46           Daniel van Vuuren           SJB         2.30.50

47           Mike Bradley     VM         2.32.54

48           Richard Voigt     SVM      2.42.82

49           Peter Hoyer       MM       2.47.79

50           Ryan Cochrane  SVM      2.51.64

51           Nic Venter          EM         3.03.46

52           Elisio Ramos       EM         3.05.94

53           Claire Wager      VL           3.11.60

54           Norman Hatherly             VM         DNS

Cover picture by Eric Palmer.