Mountain biker out to defend title
"It's always a tough route because it's all about tackling the Paarl Mountain."
Pieter Seyffert and Hanco Kachelhoffer will be participating in the Sanlam Mountain Bike (MTB) Invitational that is taking place in Paarl this weekend.
The duo, despite not having ridden together this year, will be aiming to defend their title during the two day race, which starts at the Rhebokskloof Wine Estate and stretches over the Paarl Mountain in a 40km or 60km stage.
Pieter, who won the TransCape alongside Travis Walker earlier this year, will be renewing an old association when he teams up with Hanco. “I had Travis as a partner at the start of the year, but he has since stopped competitive cycling. I will be joining forces with Hanco this weekend and next year. We’ve been friends for as long as I have been racing, which is about 15 years, and it’s always fun and enjoyable to race with him.
I think we will gel quite well together but I have had quite a few commitments lately, so Hanco might even put me under a bit of pressure,” Pieter said.
He added that much of his time has been taken up by work commitments, which has limited his time on the bike, but he believes that they will be able to be competitive. “We want to compete to the best of our ability in any race we enter and it will be interesting to see what sort of competition we are up against,” he said.
For Pieter, the two-day racing concept was a step in the right direction, and he said, “I think it is amazing, especially for the guys who have to travel far and do not want to do just a one-day race. The two-day event is a great initiative.”
The two cyclists were looking forward to the new fresh challenges that were offered, and could not wait to take on the trails of the region. “It is always a tough route because it is all about tackling the Paarl Mountain, where you go up and down with a number of kicks and climbs on the course. Last year, I remember, there was thick sand in some stretches, as well as loose rocks, so you have to be careful. But all in all it’s an amazing route,” said Pieter.
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