With all the stage races taking place in South Africa and its neighbouring countries, it can get a bit hectic trying to plan your schedule. Here is our list of the mountain bike stage races being held in 2019, so you can start organising your race calendar for the year. Enjoy the ride!
2020 MTB Stage Race Calendar
Time flies and 2019 is no more. Head over to our 2020 MTB Stage Race calendar, to find out about the latest dates for stage race in 2020.
January
19 – 20: EuroSteel Drak Descent (Underberg, KwaZulu-Natal) – Event Website
February
Do you enjoy rugged single track and mountaintop summits? Then Tankwa Trek should be your choice in February. Read our race reports from 2018 here. Photo credit: Oak Pics.
2 – 3: Fairtree Capital Simonsberg Contour (Stellenbosch, Western Cape) – Event Website
2 – 9: TransCape MTB (Western Cape) – Event Website
7 – 10: PE Plett (Garden Route) – Event Website
7 – 10: Momentum Health Tankwa Trek presented by Biogen (Ceres, Western Cape) – Event Website
15 – 17: Bridgestone Route 66 MTB Experience (Gauteng) – Event Website
16 – 17: Stanford MTB Classic (Stanford, Western Cape) – Event Website
20 – 23: Knysna Bull (Knysna, Western Cape) – Event Website
23 – 24: Lighthouse to Lighthouse (Gansbaai, Western Cape) – Event Website
March
17 – 24: ABSA Cape Epic (Western Cape) – Event Website
21 – 24: 3 Mountains Challenge (Clocolan, Free State) – Event Website
TBC: Route Six 2 Two Trails (Mooi River, KwaZulu-Natal) – Event Website
29 – 31: Sabie Xperience (Mpumalanga) – Event Website
The Absa Cape Epic dominates the calendar in March. Photo by Nick Muzik/Cape Epic/SPORTZPICS
April
5 – 7: Glacier Cradle Traverse (Gauteng) – Event Website
6 – 7: Cederberg 100 Miler – 2-day Trek (Cederberg, Western Cape) – Event Website
6 – 7: The Cradle Mountain Trophy (Maropeng, Gauteng) – Event Website
12 – 14: Liberty Winelands Encounter (Franschhoek, Western Cape) – Event Website
25 – 27: Trail & Trout (Mpumalanga) – Event Website
26 – 04 May: Old Mutual joBerg2c (Gauteng to KwaZulu-Natal) – Event Website
27 – 29: Trek 2 Teebus (Steynsburg, Eastern Cape) – Event Website
With nine days of riding, joberg2c has the most stages on the South African calendar. Photo credit: Kevin Sawyer / joBerg2c
May
02 – 04: Great Kei Trek (Queenstown, Eastern Cape) – Event Website
03 – 05: Gravel & Grape (Western Cape) – Event Website
04 – 05: Houw Hoek MTB Tour (Western Cape) – Event Website
TBC: Klein-Aus Vista MTB Challenge (Namibia) – Event Website
11 – 12: RidetheBerg (Northern Drakensberg, KwaZulu-Natal) – Event Website
14 – 16: sani2c Trail (KwaZulu-Natal) – Event Website
15 – 16: sani2c Adventure (KwaZulu-Natal) – Event Website
16 – 18: sani2c Race (KwaZulu-Natal) – Event Website
TBC: Mpekweni MTB Classic (Mpekweni Beach Resort, Eastern Cape) – Event Website
23 – 25: PwC Great Zuurberg Trek (Eastern Cape) – Event Website
31 – 02 June: 1Zambia MTB (Zambia) – Event Website
31 – 03 June: Bezhoek Extreme MTB Festival (Bezuidenhoutshoek Nature Reserve, Mpumalanga) – Event Website
The iconic cabbage Tree at the beginning of the famous ‘Umko Drop’ on stage two of the KAP sani2c from Mackenzie Club to Jolivet. Anthony Grote/ Gameplan Media
June
08 – 10: Liberty Waterberg Encounter (Limpopo) – Event Website
11 – 14: Kilimanjaro 2 Ngorongoro (Tanzania) – Event Website
12 – 16: Grindrod Bank Umngazi Pondo Pedal (Wild Coast, Eastern Cape) – Event Website
15 – 17: Trans Augrabies (Green Kalahari, Northern Cape) – Event Website
12 – 20: Race To Rhodes (Kwa-Zulu Natal to Eastern Cape) – Event Website
14 – 16: Katberg Quest (Eastern Cape) – Event Website
15 – 17: The Greyt Escape (Greyton, Western Cape) – Event Website
16 – 20: Cape Country Unplugged (Western Cape) – Event Website
16 – 04 July: Freedom Challenge: Race Across South Africa – Event Website
28 – 30: The Midlands (Howick, KwaZulu-Natal) – Event Website
July
12 – 14: Zambezi Cycle Challenge (Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe) – Event Website
14 – 18: Imana Wild Ride (Wild Coast, Eastern Cape) – Event Website
23 – 28: Tour de Tuli (Botswana – Zimbabwe – South Africa) – Event Website
August
02 – 04: Y2Karoo (Colesberg, Northern Cape) – Event Website
09 – 11: Glacier Storms River Traverse (Garden Route, Eastern Cape) – Event Website
TBC: The Umko Adventure (Richmond, KwaZulu-Natal) – Event Website
23 – 25: Magoeba Trek (Magoebaskloof, Limpopo) – Event Website
30 – 01 Sept: Darling Hills MTB (Darling, Western Cape) – Event Website
31 – 01 Sept: Greyton MTB Tour (Greyton, Western Cape) – Event Website
September
06 – 08: Namaqua Quest MTB (Namaqualand, Northern Cape) – Event Website
TBC: iSimangaliso MTB (iSimangaliso Wetland Park, KwaZulu-Natal) – Event Website
06 – 08: Ride2Nowhere (McGregor, Western Cape) – Event Website
08 – 14: Cape Pioneer Trek (Western Cape) – Event Website
TBC: Cape Pioneer Trek Adventure (Western Cape) – Event Website
19 – 21: Dr Evil Classic (Western Cape) – Event Website
19 – 28: Rift Valley Odyssey (Kenya) – Event Website
20 – 22: Isuzu 3 Towers (Mpumalanga) – Event Website
20 – 22: Langeberg Link (Swellendam, Western Cape) – Event Website
22 – 23: Funky Fynbos Festival (Gansbaai, Western Cape) – Event Website
23- 28: Lesotho Sky (Roma, Lesotho) – Event Website
27 – 29: De Hoop Vlei MTB Experience (De Hoop Nature Reserve, Western Cape) – Event Website
27 – 29: Lormar Endurance MTB Tour: #FarmTrail (Eastern Cape) – Event Website
TBC: The Magalies Adventure (Gauteng) – Event Website
Coming out of winter, September is packed with stage races. Cape Pioneer Trek is a favourite amongst the racers whilst the more adventurous riders should definitely seek out mountain biking’s soul at Lesotho Sky (Pictured above. Photo credit: Wayne Reiche).
October
04 – 06: Lormar Endurance MTB Tour: #SheepTrail (Eastern Cape) – Event Website
TBC: Combo X MTB Tour (Arniston, Western Cape) – Event Website
04 – 06: Berg & Bush Descent (Drakensberg, KwaZulu-Natal) – Event Website
08 – 10: Berg & Bush Great Trek (Drakensberg, KwaZulu-Natal) – Event Website
10 – 12: The INYATSI Swazi Frontier (Swaziland) – Event Website
12 – 13: Berg & Bush 2 Day (Drakensberg, KwaZulu-Natal) – Event Website
TBC: Eselfontein Festival (Ceres, Western Cape) – Event Website
18 – 20: The U MTB (Piket-Bo-Berg, Western Cape) – Event Website
TBC: Grit Colin Mayer Tour (Mauritius) – Event Website
25 – 27: FNB Wines2Whales Chardonnay (Western Cape) – Event Website
29 – 31: FNB Wines2Whales Pinotage (Western Cape) – Event Website
In only a few years, The U MTB has developed a cult following and it’s not hard to understand why. The race boasts some of the best trails in the country with genuine family hospitality and a relaxing race village. Photo credit: Chris Hitchcock.
November
1 – 3: FNB Wines2Whales Shiraz (Western Cape) – Event Website
TBC: Wild Corridor MTB Ride (Western Cape) – Event Website
16 -17: To Hell And Back (Western Cape) – Event Website
TBC: Sondela (Bela-Bela, Limpopo) – Event Website
27 Nov – 02 Dec: The Munga (Single stage) – Event Website
30 Nov – 01 Dec: Origin Of Trails MTB Experience (Stellenbosch, Western Cape) – Event Website
December
It seems everyone agrees that December is a time to take a break after a busy year of stage racing.