Junior mountain biking action comes to the fore this weekend as the final round of the Spur Mountain Bike League is held at Hillview farm on Sunday.
Between 80 and 100 children are expected to compete in the weekend’s race, with the regional school champs named after the event.
“This is the final race for the East London area and is the last chance for schools to accumulate points to become the district champions,” said event organiser Luca Fanicchi.
“The points structure for the event is structured so that if schools brought more kids to compete they would garner more points, irrespective of if they won or not.
“So the Spur League is essentially about participation, the more people the better you do and so it goes on.”
Currently defending league champs Selborne College and Hudson Park Primary are leading their respective standings and they will be odds on to retain their titles.
Hudson also won the provincial championship last year so they will be especially eager to secure their place and have another crack at defending their title.
“The Eastern Cape finals are being held in Port Elizabeth this year and are taking place on August 27,” said Fanicchi.
“All the kids who took part from the winning schools, regardless off where they came, will qualify to go and represent them at those finals.”
Some of the leading riders in the various divisions to look out for this weekend are Lourens Spies, Madison Mann, Alex Fanicchi, Liam Venter and Elne Owen, and they will all be looking to continue impressing in the event.
This is the first time that the Hillview farm track is being used for the Spur series, which will make things interesting as some cyclists may be tackling it for the first time.
“The track needs to be easy enough to not to scare the kids away, while challenging enough that they are excited to come out and ride it again,” explained Fanicchi.
“This track is so spectator friendly, there is a deck out there and by just walking 50m either way you can see the whole track and watch the kids doing all the technical things as they take on the course.”
Adding a bit extra to this weekend’s race will also be a fun parents’ race which will take place before the main event.
“I wanted have a parents’ race where they will ride the same track that their kid does so that they can test it out and then even compare their time to what their kid’s is,” said Fanicchi.
“It is really a great day out for the family,” admitted Fanicchi.
Registration will be from 9.30am to 11.30am at the track.
The parents race will get under way at 11.15am, with the main event then kicking into high gear at midday.
Junior mountain bikers face Hillview test
Between 80 and 100 children are expected to compete in the weekend’s race, with the regional school champs named after the event.
“This is the final race for the East London area and is the last chance for schools to accumulate points to become the district champions,” said event organiser Luca Fanicchi.
“The points structure for the event is structured so that if schools brought more kids to compete they would garner more points, irrespective of if they won or not.
“So the Spur League is essentially about participation, the more people the better you do and so it goes on.”
Currently defending league champs Selborne College and Hudson Park Primary are leading their respective standings and they will be odds on to retain their titles.
Hudson also won the provincial championship last year so they will be especially eager to secure their place and have another crack at defending their title.
“The Eastern Cape finals are being held in Port Elizabeth this year and are taking place on August 27,” said Fanicchi.
“All the kids who took part from the winning schools, regardless off where they came, will qualify to go and represent them at those finals.”
Some of the leading riders in the various divisions to look out for this weekend are Lourens Spies, Madison Mann, Alex Fanicchi, Liam Venter and Elne Owen, and they will all be looking to continue impressing in the event.
This is the first time that the Hillview farm track is being used for the Spur series, which will make things interesting as some cyclists may be tackling it for the first time.
“The track needs to be easy enough to not to scare the kids away, while challenging enough that they are excited to come out and ride it again,” explained Fanicchi.
“This track is so spectator friendly, there is a deck out there and by just walking 50m either way you can see the whole track and watch the kids doing all the technical things as they take on the course.”
Adding a bit extra to this weekend’s race will also be a fun parents’ race which will take place before the main event.
“I wanted have a parents’ race where they will ride the same track that their kid does so that they can test it out and then even compare their time to what their kid’s is,” said Fanicchi.
“It is really a great day out for the family,” admitted Fanicchi.
Registration will be from 9.30am to 11.30am at the track.
The parents race will get under way at 11.15am, with the main event then kicking into high gear at midday.
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