On Sunday, the 1st September, I met the songo.info team at the clubhouse in Kayamandi, Stellenbosch, writes Bradley Stow. It was a beautiful first day of Spring and the ten songo kids who had been selected to race were all eagerly waiting for me along with Ntlantla. We finished packing the bikes onto the trailer and hitched it to the Toyota van, which Specialized Bicycles had kindly loaned us for the event, and headed down the road to Blaauwklippen farm where the race was taking place.
The wet Cape Town winters make hosting BMX races very difficult as the tracks take a serious beating from the rain so WC BMX decided to rather host the winter series at the Velosolutions pumptrack at Blaauwklippen farm in Stellenbosch. These pump tracks are tar so are far less affected by the rain compared to a traditional dirt BMX track and are also a great way to keep your skills sharp and maintain fitness during the winter months.
The format was different to a BMX race. Each rider did two separate timed laps on the track with their fastest lap counting towards the final results. The lap was short so times are very close and one small mistake could cost you a few positions. Fortunately the Songo team has spent a lot of time on the track and this was reflected in the results with some very impressive riding, especially from some of the older kids and the girls. Three of the top six riders on the overall standings were from Songo.info (four if you include Darryn:) I was also happy with the way the kids behaved and how they handled the different formats which can be challenging, particularly for the younger kids. There are a few areas I feel we need to focus on and improve but these are things we can get right over time.
Overall, it was another successful day out for the Songo.info team. This format of racing is super exciting and something different. It’s also a great way for the kids to prepare for SA BMX champs which will be taking place in the Western Cape at the end of September.
Once again a big thank you to Ninety One and Specialized Bicycles for their continued support. Without them this event would not have been possible. If you’d like to see the full results from the race you can do so by clicking here.