Reid gunning for gold at the Cell C Arabella MTB Challenge

Elite South African mountain biker James Reid will be gunning for gold at the 5th annual Cell C Arabella MTB Challenge that will be held at the picturesque Arabella Hotel & Spa in Kleinmond on Saturday, 23 April 2016 and Sunday, 24 April 2016.

Elite South African mountain biker James Reid will be gunning for gold at the 5th annual Cell C Arabella MTB Challenge that will be held at the picturesque Arabella Hotel & Spa in Kleinmond on Saturday, 23 April 2016 and Sunday, 24 April 2016.

“A new race in a beautiful part of the world is as good a reason as any to enter,” says Reid. “We raced a bit of the Wildekrans trails at the 2015 FNB Wines2Whales MTB Race. The trail is so incredible that it is definitely a reason to go back and investigate. The area is uncharted, under explored and simply breath-taking. The diverse mix of terrain combined with a challenging route should make for a picturesque highlights tour of a fantastic area to host a mountain bike race. I’ve done some training in the Kogelberg Valley behind the Arabella Hotel & Spa. It can be brutal out there.”

“I think solo stage racing is a great idea,” continues Reid. “I’ve had my fair share of partners who either fell ill or got injured before or during a race. Taking part in an individual stage race suits me just fine. It also takes away one of the tactical elements of stage racing, making it cleaner and more concise in my opinion. My goal will be to win but I am also looking forward to beating Erik Kleinhans at a round of golf after Stage One.”

Competition will be strong in the men’s race with the likes of Erik Kleinhans, Adriaan Louw, Jurgens Uys, Stephan Senekal, Craig Boyes, Dylan Rabello and Sipho Madolo vying for the top spot on the podium.

The 2016 Cell C Arabella MTB Challenge has also attracted the attention of professional Rally Driver, Ashley Haigh-Smith. “When I heard that Stillwater Sports was involved, I knew that it would be another top class event,” says Haigh-Smith. “The sport of mountain biking gives me the opportunity to see places that I don’t get to see on other occasions. Mountain biking definitely helps keep me sharp between rally events. It helps with my fitness for the endurance side, but also gives me the opportunity to mix with so many people. My number one goal at the Cell C Arabella MTB Challenge will be to have fun. I am, however, excited to see where I stand overall as I am very competitive by nature.”