GEAR UP FOR BUMPER MTB SEASON

MBABANE – The Eswatini cycling community is gearing up for what promises to be an action-packed Mountain Bike (MTB) season.

Cyclists will be back to the rocky, bushy and muddy trails from September this year. This was contained in a press release issued by the Eswatini Cycling Association (ECA), President Sifiso ‘Zwide’ Ndwandwe. He announced a revised calendar of events for the rest of the year. “As you may recall, our cycling events were decimated by the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. As with everyone else, we took a huge knock and are only just getting on track with the recovery.

“As a result, in trying to find our footing we are, unfortunately, forced to keep making adjustments as we respond to the situation on the ground,” said Ndwandwe. The president pointed out that due to delays in finalising and closing agreements with sponsors for some of the events, the association had to grant permission for postponements, as race organisers indicated a desire to ensure maximum exposure for their event sponsors and allowed sufficient time for planning and execution of the events at a highly desirable level,” he said.  

Challenge

The revised Eswatini ECA calendar of events will see four weeks of back-to-back MTB action that will be kicked off by the Nedbank Imvelo MTB Challenge that will be making a return following a two-year absence. This race will be hosted by Big Game Parks at Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary on September 3. It will be followed by the Inyatsi Nkonyeni G2G on September 17. A week later, focus will shift to the Swazi Reserves MTB. It will be staged at Mlawula in the Lubombo Region. The Mormond STIX Charity MTB event will be the final MTB race of the season on October 8.

“It’s an exciting season for MTB enthusiasts as we welcome back the warmth of summer after a very long cold winter. We would like, as an association, to encourage cyclists to sign up for the events and support as best they can, as this is the only way we can grow the sport,” he said. The location settings of the MTB events also offer a chance to experience the picturesque scenery of the Kingdom of Eswatini, so it is not only about the competition, but also the experience of the Eswatini outdoors. He said these races are open to all who want to ride, not just those looking to win.

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