OUDTSHOORN NEWS - The South African and international mountain biking season gets underway on Saturday 17 January at the Momentum Medical Scheme Attakwas Extreme, presented by Biogen. 

Known as the Hell of the South, the iconic 120km race runs from Chandelier Game Lodge near Oudtshoorn to Pine Creek Resort in Great Brak, and with UCI Class 1 status, once again attracts a world-class field.

This year's 20th anniversary edition features defending champion and double cross-country World Champion, Alan Hatherly.

Hatherly begins his 2026 campaign, split between road racing with Team Jayco AlUla and mountain biking for the Giant Factory Off-Road Team, on the legendary Attakwaskloof route. He will line up alongside 48 UCI elite men, 19 elite women, and nearly 1 000 amateur riders, all facing a revised course that enters the kloof from Safranriver for the first time in 18 years.

The updated route is 4km shorter and includes 250m less climbing in the opening 50km. According to Dryland Event Management, the changes are expected to make the race faster and more tactical early on, before the brutal climb through the Attakwaskloof and the demanding final 54km to the finish remain unchanged. 

While temperatures are forecast to stay below 30°C, the heat in the Little Karoo and sheltered kloof is expected to feel far more intense.

Women competing

The heat and rugged terrain play to the strengths of double defending champion Samantha Sanders. 

The 2024 and 2025 winner faces strong competition from South African Gravel Champion Hayley Preen, five-time title holder Yolande de Villiers, and 2023 winner Sarah Hill in what promises to be a fierce battle for victory.

Kelsey van Schoor could also feature after three fifth-place finishes since 2021, but will be challenged by rising talents Chloe Chesterton, Karlise Scheepers, Lianke Fourie, Ella Corrigan and Julia Marx. Roxanne Kemp makes her debut for the Safari Essence Titan Racing squad, while former German U23 champion Felicitas Geiger, Chloe Bishop, and Sanchia Malan will all be in contention. 

Tshenolo Pro Cycling's Tania Bugarin Ortiz makes her Hell of the South debut, and Tarryn Povey returns from injury to complete a competitive elite women's field.

Men competing

In the elite men's race, Hatherly faces a strong challenge from riders representing Toyota Specialized Imbuko, Singer KTM, Honeycomb 226ers, Insect Science, and Tshenolo Pro Cycling. 

Tristan Nortje, Hatherly's closest rival in 2025, will aim to complete a clean sweep of Momentum Medical Scheme presented by Biogen events, having already claimed the Tankwa Trek and Cape Pioneer titles. Backed by an expanded Toyota Specialised Imbuko squad, team tactics could play a role despite the race not being team-based.

Nortje's teammates, Marco Joubert, Travis Stedman, Lood Goosen, Ignatius du Preez and Jaedon Terlouw are all capable of influencing the outcome.

At the same time, Singer KTM brings depth and experience through Jakob Hartmann, Simon Stiebjahn, Martin Frey, and European Marathon Champion Andreas Seewald. 

Honeycomb 226ers' Marc Pritzen and Felix Stehli are also strong contenders, with Pritzen looking to build momentum after consistent marathon performances.

Insect Science fields a formidable line-up led by Arno du Toit, third last year despite mechanical issues, and course record holder Wessel Botha, whose time could be threatened by the updated route. 

Tshenolo's Johan de Villiers headlines a group of outsiders, alongside notable individuals such as Sascha Weber, Damon Terblanche, Cronjé Beukes, and Rogan Smart, who rounds out a highly competitive elite men's field.

The favourite remains South Africa's top mountain biker, Hatherly.

Though doubling up has proved difficult over the two decades of the event, in the men's race. Only Matthys Beukes has achieved this feat in the last 10 years. 

The reasons for this are not limited to the difficulty of the route, or the roughness of the terrain, which makes two puncture or mechanical free years in a row unlikely, but also its position at the start of the season. 

Fitness and form are still largely unknown heading into the race, and though preseason data might point to a good off-season, only racing can really tell what an individual's performance level is.

To watch the action as it unfolds, like the Momentum Medical Scheme Attakwas Extreme, presented by Biogen, Facebook page or follow @attakwasmtb on Instagram. For more information, visit www.atta.co.za.

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