{"id":102943,"date":"2017-10-15T16:53:17","date_gmt":"2017-10-15T14:53:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/its-on-sibling-showdown-for-team-pyga-euro-steel\/"},"modified":"2017-10-15T16:53:17","modified_gmt":"2017-10-15T14:53:17","slug":"its-on-sibling-showdown-for-team-pyga-euro-steel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/its-on-sibling-showdown-for-team-pyga-euro-steel\/","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019s On! Sibling Showdown For Team Pyga Euro Steel"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s On! Sibling Showdown For Team Pyga Euro Steel<\/a>: <\/p>\n

\n

<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

For the first time in mountain biking history, the Ashburton Investments National MTB Series<\/strong> is about to take over Kaapsehoop, a quaint town situated in Mpumalanga.\u00a0Spectators are in for a treat as Team Pyga Euro Steel’s Philip Buys <\/strong>and Matthys Beukes<\/strong> gear up for battle.<\/p>\n

Less than 200 points separate the mountain biking giants, who are equally determined to take the series title in an epic sibling showdown.<\/p>\n

Buys made his intentions clear: \u201cThe main goal is obviously to have Pyga Euro Steel on the top of the podium. So the plan is to race as a team initially, and sort out our competition first. But once that\u2019s out the way\u2026 it\u2019s race on for the overall win!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Beukes will certainly be a tough competitor to beat, especially after the form he displayed at Berg & Bush <\/strong>recently when he completely annihilated his competitors on the climbing challenge. He will have ample opportunity to maximise his strengths this weekend as both stages have about a 1600m elevation gain!<\/p>\n

\u201cMatthys is a mentally strong rider and a really good climber, and that\u2019s probably going to be the greatest challenge for me. I\u2019ll give it my best though – I like to think of him as \u2018friendly competition\u2019,\u201d<\/em> said Buys.<\/p>\n

Beukes admits that the technical skills of his teammate will be the greatest obstacle to overcome. He\u00a0looks\u00a0forward to the challenge, however, and has already thought out his race strategy:<\/p>\n

“This is very exciting!\u00a0I know a lot about Philip, from the way trains\u00a0right down to his strengths and weaknesses. I’ve planned my race strategy around that, and I’m pretty sure he’s done the same,”<\/em> said Beukes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

With marathon champion Nico Bell<\/strong> and his Team NAD Pro teammate, Gawie Combrinck<\/strong> out of the mix, Gert Heyns<\/strong> (Ascendis Health) will present the next greatest threat. This race will also mark the return of dark horse Max Knox<\/strong>, who has fully recovered from an injury and has the potential to cause a major upset.<\/p>\n

Another potential podium contender confirmed to start is Wessel Botha<\/strong>, currently sixth in the 2017 Series, who is bracing himself for a \u201cbrutal route with lots of climbs.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the women\u2019s race, Candice Lill <\/strong>(Dormakaba) has raised her hand as the lady to beat. With series leader Robyn de Groot <\/strong>absent from the event and Sam Sanders<\/strong> unconfirmed, it looks like victory is steering in Lill\u2019s direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always like a challenge, so I\u2019d prefer to race against\u00a0Robyn and Sam. But if everything works in my favour, I stand a pretty good chance of winning this one,\u201d<\/em> said Lill.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Should Sanders attend the event, Lill is fully aware of the stiff climbing competition she will face:<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel pretty confident when it comes to climbing, especially after winning the climbing challenge at Berg & Bush.<\/strong> Sam is explosive and does well on the shorter climbs , while I much prefer grinding it out on the longer stuff. Looks like Kaapsehoop will have both kind of climbs, so it will\u00a0be tight if she races!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Kaapsehoop<\/strong> is a little town with a fairytale charm and historical appeal. Situated at 1586m above sea level on the Highveld escarpment, this mountain village is home to more wild horses than people!<\/p>\n

While the name may be misleading, the venue is a mere 3 hour trip from Johannesburg and 30 minute trip from Nelspruit. The De Kaap Valley has been hidden from the public eye until now, and has remained a secret training ground for mountain bikers lucky enough to discover its exquisite trails.<\/p>\n

That is all about to change, however, as riders gear up for an exciting Ashburton Investments National MTB Series season finale. It\u00a0will be a race of unparalleled beauty <\/strong>with sheer cliffs and singletrack trails through the indigenous Sappi forests and Komatiland plantations.<\/p>\n

Sections of the race will also take riders through the Blue Swallow Reserve<\/strong>, a countryside that is characterised by rolling hills and Blue Swallows that the area is renowned for.<\/p>\n

One of the most exciting features of this event will be the finish line. For the first time in the mountain bike series, riders will end the stage race on a mountain-top.<\/p>\n

This is an event not to be missed!
Entries are still available at http:\/\/advendurance.com\/nationalmtbseries\/<\/p>\n

Registration:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Friday:
10:00 \u2013 13:00 Bell\u2019s Cycles
15:00 \u2013 18:00 Race venue<\/p>\n

Saturday:
06:00 \u2013 09:30 Registration & Line entries
Sunday:
06:00 \u2013 10:00\u00a0 \u00a0Race office open & 10km Fun Ride registration<\/p>\n

Programme:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Saturday:
07:30\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Marathon (Stage 1) & Single Day Marathon Fun Race
08:30\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Half Marathon (Stage 1) & Single Day Marathon Fun Race
09:30\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Fun Race
11:00\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Preliminary Results Day 1 posted
12:00\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Fun Race Prize Giving<\/p>\n

Sunday:
07:30\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Marathon (Stage 2)
08:30\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Half Marathon (Stage 2)
09:00\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Fun Ride
11:00\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Preliminary Results Day 2 posted
12:00\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Prize Giving (Day 2 & Overall)<\/p>\n

Source:<\/strong> MyPR<\/a><\/small>
\n<\/p>\n

Submit your own Press Release<\/a> or get free content for your publication.<\/p>\n

Video – How to post your Press Release on MyPR:<\/strong>
\n