Four mountain bikers (MTB) from Stellenbosch were of the first to benefit from the development arm of the Great Zuurberg Trek (GZT).
The two-person MTB teams of Halalisani Ndebele and Masixole Zondani, and William Majapholo and Kabelo Tshukudu placed fourth and sixth overall respectively in the gruelling mountain biking event held at Addo outside Gqeberha from Friday 27 to Sunday 29 May. The organisers of the Great Zuurberg Trek adopted a policy of using the iconic Eastern Cape MTB race to help broaden the development of the sport.
The three-stage event was won by Stellenbosch rider Rossouw Bekker and teammate Matt Keyser from Strand.
Race owner Trevor Hayter said they are aware of the need to look at the bigger picture, adding that in recent years, after consultation with event sponsors, they had donated entries to several development riders. “We thought this was a great opportunity to give something back to the sport because part of our tagline has always been ‘Great Impact’,” he said.
“In our most recent event, we had three teams from the development programme on the entry list and we want to go a step further to afford our facilities to development organisations on a complimentary basis.”
Such facilities include Hayterdale Trails, a network of purpose-built trails on his and neighbouring farms alongside the Zuurberg mountains in the Greater Addo area.
Hayterdale has hosted the national cross-country champs and is also the playground of other events in the Zuurberg Collection, including the Rubicon Great Zuurberg Trek E-edition, Zuurberg Weekender, Zuurberg Trail Run and Hayterdale Classic.
The development teams this year came from the Exxaro Mountain Bike Academy in Stellenbosch, which provides riders from disadvantaged communities the opportunity to compete in races such as the Cape Epic – and now the GZT.
Hayter said the invitation to the academy riders had been very successful and they had done well during the event. “It was their first experience of the GZT and I think they loved the scenic riding and the exceptional convenience and comfort,” Hayter said.
“They also recognised the substantial positive impact we have on the immediate community and our willingness to accommodate development riders.”
Hayter said their focus at the GZT has always gone beyond the racing, with genuine efforts to give back to the local community on their agenda.
“Our objectives include the upliftment of the community and to this end we have helped to develop a private school, acquire two buses as well as many other projects,” he said.
“One bus is used to transport children to extra-curricular activities while the second takes children to the Addo Elephant National Park.”
Hayter said they worked closely with the Sundays River Citrus Company Foundation and Engeli – both race partners – to raise capital as “one cannot have a material impact without finances”.
