Giba Gorge Birthday ChallengeIt was time to celebrate the second birthday of KwaZulu Natal’s famous mountain bike park, Giba Gorge, with their Giba Gorge Birthday Challenge MTB Race! Cyclists were encouraged to behave like mountain goats when climbing the steep slopes of the valley on the creative new courses. For the less adventurous ‘mountain goats’, the 19km was designed to offer a short, sharp, more manageable course.
It was a fantastic family day out where everyone, from riders to supporters, could enjoy the beauty of the mountain biking park.
Well done to Channing Smith caming 2nd overall in the 19km MTB race. And Cameron Wright for his 18th overall (4th Underage Boys).
See our gallery and race report below...
Jason's Report
Well there you have it, Giba Gorge MTB Park is two years old! And the birthday celebrations were were conducted under a festive day of racing at the park.
While the turn out for the race was relatively low with 150 entries for the 19km and 110 entries for the 50km, those that rode seemed up for the challenge, and what a challenge it was!
With some last minute feedback, we altered the route for the 19km to cut out Cucumber run and the climb to get there, which proved to be a very good move indeed. The feedback from the 19km riders was that it was still tough, but everyone really seemed to enjoy the route. Interestingly enough, we had at least over 20 riders who had never been or ridden at Giba Gorge before, and some riders came down from Cape Town and JHB, just to experience the trails at the park and left with smiles on their faces.
The 44km route, which ended up being two laps was definitely tough and a test of all mountain bike skills. With the ever technical cucumber route decent, and the endless single track with countless twists and turns, riders were put to the ultimate test. With the two big climbs being Heartbreak Hill and Gravity Dice (in reverse) riders legs would have been burning, I am sure, and then they still had to keep a little in reserve for lap two! The top end riders of course loved the route, and the challenge it set out, I think the second half of the group took a bit of strain, but all in all, it seems most people took the challenge for what it was, which is single track heaven highlighting the parks trails, and with the endless hill climbs that have become a natural part of every Giba riders experience.
This 44km route is a unique race in that it combines cross country skills and tactics, in a standard mountain bike race. The dynamics of the race may change slightly as we figure out what best suits the Giba Gorge trails, and we will strive to find an easy route for beginners, but one thing you can always count on, is any race inside Giba, will be a challenge and a fine test of your riding skills and stamina, you are after all riding inside a mountain bike park!
Please send any race feedback, both positive or negative (constructive) to me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Race Results can be found at http://results.mrpricegroup.com/
Results Overview
19km Race
1. Calvin VAN WIERINGEN (Youth Men - 1st) 01:02:39
2. Channing SMITH (Underage Boys - 1st) 01:02:39
3. Craig JARRETT (Underage Boys - 2nd) 01:06:10
4. Matthew VAN WIERINGEN (Junior Men - 1st) 01:08:40
5. Bryce RAWLINS (Underage Boys - 3rd) 01:09:34
19km Race - Female
27. Michelle BATTEN (Senior Women - 1st) 01:24:23
32. Robyn CANNON (Junior Women - 1st) 01:28:34
49. Ashleigh MARAIS (Youth Women - 1st) 01:35:52
53. Mandy COBBING (Sub Vet Women - 1st) 01:37:28
74. Elaine BYRNE (Vet Women - 1st) 01:46:24
45km Race
1. James REID (Junior Men - 1st) 02:15:55
2. David LEIMAN (Senior Men - 1st) 02:20:08
3. Roan EXELBY (Sub Vet Men - 1st) 02:23:12
4. Luke ROBERTS (Youth Men - 1st) 02:23:18
5. Shaun PESCHL (Sub Vet Men - 2nd) 02:29:35
45km Race - Female
28. Shawna THUNDER (Vet Women - 1st) 03:06:50
31. Robyn ADENDORFF (Sub Vet Women - 1st) 03:09:44
32. Sarah VAN HEERDEN (Vet Women - 2nd) 03:09:44
40. Tamryn TAYLOR (Senior Women - 1st) 03:22:49
41. Annik CRYNEN (Sub Vet Women - 2nd) 03:25:26
GALLERY
