Always adventurous and willing to innovate, the Old Mutual joBerg2 is now boldly shaking up the mixed racing category in South African mountain biking.
The nine-day race across South Africa, which starts Friday 20 April, has pumped a substantial amount of money into the mixed racing category, also renaming it the Amabokkebokkie Global Mixed Champs. The winners of the title will take home R100 000.
The joBerg2c had initially labelled it the Mixed World Champs, but a kind note from the UCI kindly informed the organisers that the naming, while a fine idea, was not allowed.
Undeterred, organiser Craig Wapnick is determined to make a noise about the future of his event and of the mixed racing scene in general.
“Along with my co-organsiers Gary Green and Glen Haw, we’ve looked at our event and where there is growth, and we see that growth in the mixed racing,” says Wapnick. “We also see it in the mixed participation from regular riders, with lots of mixed teams entering joberg2c. I believe it’s also a great avenue for women to get involved in the sport, and we want to encourage that. There are some strong riders out there; so why shouldn’t the best mixed teams be rewarded.”
In the mix for the mixed will be Amy Beth McDougall, competing this year with Arno du Toit. Defending champs Candice and Darren Lill will be back, while Carmen Buchacher and Nico Pfitzenmaier will also be strong contenders. Yolandi du Toit and Ben Melt Swanepoel will also be fierce competitor own the division.
At nine days and 910km, the joBerg2c is a demanding ask for racing teams. While it’s never sought to cultivate a reputation as the country’s toughest event, the joBerg2c still requires mental and physical fortitude.
Riders must combat fatigue, the chance of illness, the vast distances, the enthusiastic farmers who might get insulted if you only eat one boerewors roll and the lack of creature comforts like B&Bs, hotels and guest houses that mark the accommodation stylings of other multi-day stage races in South Africa.
“Everyone is in the race village here,” says Wapnick. “It makes for a great sense of camaraderie as all riders are in it together. Staying in a tent for nine days also makes the experience a little harder. But we feel this a true journey, a true test of character with the added element of it being a fun experience.”
The fun for the mixed riders in the Amabokkebokkie Global Mixed Champs will come in the shape of the impressive prize purse, while the fun for the men’s and women’s teams will come in the form of the hot racing that always takes place at joBerg2c.
As usual, South Africa’s top marathon riders Nico Bell and Gawie Combrinck will be in attendance, while emerging long-distance talents Declan Sidey and Shuan-Nick Bester will also be chasing the top of the podium. Sidey and Bester won the tough FedGroup PE2Plett earlier in the year and will be looking to build on that success at joBerg2c.
As far as the racing is concerned, the top cyclists tend to stick together – even through the combined 280km of singletrack – before exploding into life just kilometres from the daily finish. It makes for a compelling nine days of pure mountain biking in the best mountain biking back yard in the world.
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