South Africa’s Luke Moir and New Zealand’s Samara Sheppard won the 10th edition of the songo.info Champions Race, presented by fibertime, last Wednesday (12 March).
Held on the streets and trails through the heart of the Khayamandi community, where songo.info’s clubhouse is located, the race is part final shakeout before the Absa Cape Epic, part fundraiser for the charity. A record field of riders participated and mountain biking fans flocked into the township to see the action unfold.
The fans were not disappointed as the elite men’s, elite women’s and e-bike races served up thrilling racing. The open race was won at a canter, by the talented junior star Connor Kitching.
The Paul Roos Gymnasium learner was joined on the podium by PG Groenewald and Jan Vreken, after the first race of the day.
The women’s podium in the open race was filled by Lena Ronge and Khanya Xhapha, who was also songo.info’s top performer across all the races.
Matt Lombardi managed to defend the title he won in 2024 with a storming ride in the e-bike race, holding off the double Wines2Whales Pinotage e-MTB champion Benno Willeit and Specialized South Africa’s Dylan van der Merwe.
In the elite women’s race, a new champion would be crowned, as there were no previous winners among the starters. It was a race between Namibian Cape Epic winner, Vera Looser, her teammate Alexis Skarda, Mozambican Andrea Schöfmann, and eventual winner Sheppard.
With a lap-and-a-half to go, the four-time Oceania XCM champion made her move, powering to the front on the climb to the Get fibertime corner, at the highest point of the course. By the time she passed through the start/finish line half a lap later, she held a 10-second lead, which Looser and Skarda were unable to shut down on the final lap.
“It’s actually my fourth start here at the songo.info Champions Race, presented by fibretime, but it’s my first podium, let alone victory,” Sheppard said. “It’s always a lot of fun racing here, and it’s great to see the amazing work the charity does in the community too.”
In the elite men’s race, the battle for first looked like it would go down to the lone, until Moir surged clear on the final lap. The 22-year-old was active at the front with defending champion, Matt Beers, Arno du Toit and New Zealanders Craig and Ben Oliver.
Having had his 2025 racing plans dashed by the withdrawal of his team’s title sponsors in January, Moir has ridden the early South African season like a man on a mission. He featured prominently and podiumed in the Big 5 Challenge and the Cape Town Cycle Tour, two events outside his main cross-country skillset.
“Taking the win here at the songo.info Champions Race, presented by fibertime, is great! To line-up alongside all these guys who will be racing their hearts out at the Cape Epic over the next week is very special. For me, to win on just my third ride on this new Mondraker F-Podium is amazing.”
He was joined on the elite men’s podium by Craig Oliver, hile Ben Oliver, third, was treated for a minor cut.
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