January:The racing year starts slowly with no stage races in January, but if you have any serious race coming up in February or March we suggest you enter either the Fairview Attakwas Extreme Challenge (16 Jan | www.atta.co.za), the two day, fairly social, Euro Steel Drak Descent (23 & 24 Jan | www.drak.co.za), the first leg of the Ashburton Investments National MTB Series (30 Jan | www.nationalmtbseries.com), or the Barberton XCM (30 Jan | www.barbertonxcm.co.za).

STAGE RACE

CALENDAR2016 Here’s your

2016 stage race calendar, pull it out, stick it up and make notes. Good

luck for all your 2016 riding

goals, from the Full Sus team!

Full Sus Helps with Race Choices: Full Sus now has three years of race reports, pre-event features and pro columns covering just about every major race in SA. So if you’re unsure of which races to enter go to www.fullsus.co.za scroll down to the bottom of the website and type the race name in the search bar – it’s a great way to collect all the advice you need to help make those tough choices between stage races.

February:

January:

February:6 – 7: Fairtree Capital Simonsberg Contour (www.dirtopia.co.za) 7 – 13: TransCape MTB (www.transcapemtb.co.za)13 – 14: Stanford MTB Tour (www.mtb-adventures.co.za) 13 – 14: Lighthouse To Lighthouse (www.gansbaailions.com) 12 – 14: Du Toit Tankwa Trek (www.tankwatrek.co.za)12 – 14: Route 66 MTB (www.route66mtb.co.za) 19 – 21: The Trans Outeniqua MTB Tour (www.trisport.co.za)26 – 28: Garden Route 300 (www.gardenrouteevents.co.za)

Left: Mother and daughter combo, Lolita Van Aardt and Simone Rhoda Van Aardt claiming the women’s category victory in the 2015 W2W Adventure.V

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FS Stage Race Calendar

March:18 – 21: 3 Mountains Challenge (www.3mountains.co.za)13 – 20: ABSA Cape Epic (www.cape-epic.com)31 March – April: Spur Lord Of The Chain Rings (www.spurlotcr.co.za)

March:

April:15 – 17: Liberty Cape Winelands MTB (www.mtb-adventures.co.za) 22 – 30: Old Mutual joBerg2c (www.joberg2c.co.za)23 – 24: Arabella Challenge (www.africanpridehotels.com)30 April – 1 May: 7 Passes MTB (www.gardenrouteevents.co.za)29 April – 1 May: Klein Karoo X (www.quantumadventures.co.za) 30 April – 1 May: Houw Hoek MTB Tour (www.mtb-adventures.co.za)30 April – 3 May: Spar Sabie Xperience (www.sabiexperience.co.za)

April:

May:6 – 8: Gravel and Grape (www.gravelandgrape.com)10 – 12: Sani2c Trail (www.sani2c.co.za)11 – 13: Sani2c Adventure (www.sani2c.co.za)12 – 14: Sani2c Race (www.sani2c.co.za)22 – 27: Windhoek Namib Quest (www.africanextremepromotions.com)27 – 29: Croc2Croc (www.verlorenkloof.co.za) 28 – 29: MTBike Girl 2 Day MTB (www.trisport.co.za)

May:

June:1 – 6: Grindrod Bank Pondo Pedal (www.pondopedal.com)3 – 5: PwC Great Zuurberg Trek (www.greatzuurbergtrek.co.za)5 June – 6 July: The Freedom Challenge (www.freedomchallenge.org.za) 3 – 5: FNB 1Zambia MTB [Zambia] (www.1zambiamtb.com) 10 – 12: Liberty Waterberg Encounter (www.asgevents.co.za) 11 – 12: Dusi2c (www.dusi2c.co.za)17 – 19: RECM Knysna 200 (www.recmknysna200.co.za)18 – 19: Fish River Sun MTB Challenge (www.mountainevents.co.za) 26 – 28: Kalahari Challenge [Botswana] (www.kalaharichallenge.com)

June:

Stage Race Calendar FS

September:

October:

July:5 – 10: Laikipia XC [Kenya] (www.laikipiaxc.com)24 July – 2 Aug: Nedbank Tour de Tuli (www.childreninthewilderness.com)

July:

August:TBC in 2016: Imana Wild Ride (www.wildride.co.za) 6 – 8: Glacier Storms River Traverse (www.stormsrivertraverse.co.za)6 – 15: Red Island Ride [Mauritius] (www.redislandride.com) 18 – 21: iSimangalio MTB (www.isimangaliso-mtb.co.za) 25 – 28: Jozi2Kozi (www.jozi2kozi.co.za)

August:

September:1 – 3: Namaqua Quest Mountain Bike (www.trisport.co.za) 1 – 4: PE>>Plett (www.peplett.co.za) 3 – 4: Greyton MTB Tour (www.mtb-adventures.co.za)3 – 4: Potberg & De Hoop MTB (www.gardenrouteevents.co.za) 13 – 16: Eastern Cape Odyssey (www.quantumadventures.co.za)9 – 11: Ride2Nowhere (www.ride2nowhere.co.za)15 – 17: Dr Evil Classic (www.drevilclassic.com)19 – 24: Lesotho Sky (www.lesothosky.com)23 – 24: Sani Dragon (www.sanidragon.co.za)30 Sep – 3 Oct: Isuzu 3 Towers (www.3towers.co.za)

October:7 – 9: Berg & Bush Descent (www.bergandbush.co.za)11 – 13: Berg & Bush Great Trek (www.bergandbush.co.za)12 – 14: The INYATSI Swazi Frontier (www.theswazifrontier.sz)13 – 15: The Inyatsi Swazi Frontier, Swaziland (www.theswazifrontier.szwww.facebook.com/theswazifrontier)15 – 16: Berg & Bush 2 Day (www.bergandbush.co.za)16-22: October 2016 – Bridge Cape Pioneer Trek (www.capepioneer.co.za)17 – 21: Wild Corridor (www.wildcorridor.co.za)

FS Stage Race Calendar

November:

November:4-6: Wines2Whales Adventure (www.wines2whales.co.za)7-9: Wines2Whales Ride (www.wines2whales.co.za)11-13: November: Wines2Whales Race (www.wines2whales.co.za)19-20: To Hell and Back (www.tohellandback.co.za)25-26: Pennypinchers Origin of Trails (www.originoftrails.co.za)

Is there any better way to experience the natural beauty of SA than on your mountain bike?

Stage Race Calendar FS

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