Van Niekerk and Bell Dominate Muddy Sabie Classic MTB Race

Despite heavy rainfall leading up to the 2025 Sabie Classic MTB race on April 26, competitors braved tough, muddy conditions in an event that tested endurance, grit, and skill across multiple categories.

The standout performance of the day came from Emile van Niekerk, who dominated the 65km senior men’s race, finishing in a time of 03:09:03. Remarkably, this was the same winning time as Nico Bell, who claimed first in the vets category—an outstanding feat considering Bell is 21 years Van Niekerk’s senior.

In the senior men’s division, Kyle Laing and Jano Venter completed the podium, finishing in 04:23:45 and 04:37:23 respectively. Meanwhile, Gawie Combrinck topped the subvets category with a time of 03:18:00, closely followed by Dewald Coetzee and Gabriel Grobler.

Other winners in the 65km included Dirk Robinson in the masters, Paul Cannon in the grandmasters, and Carin Gouws, the first woman across the line in the masters female category with a time of 04:49:55.

The event also featured races over 10km, 19km, and 40km distances, with categories ranging from subnippers to grandmasters. In the 40km junior women’s race, Danel de Jager emerged victorious in 02:08:29. On the men’s side, Janco van Staden clinched the junior male win with a 02:00:54 finish.

From the youngest riders in the subnipper division to seasoned veterans, the 2025 Sabie Classic highlighted the spirit of mountain biking and the determination of athletes across all age groups.

Despite the mud, the event was a celebration of resilience, passion, and community spirit in one of South Africa’s most beloved mountain biking competitions.