Of course, there’s also that gradual drop-off in performance that we all have to contend with as the years go by. But that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the road for your riding prowess. 

In fact, depending on how you embrace the ageing process, your later years can be turned into golden years on the bike. You can still race. You can still tour. You can still dawdle along with your chums. 

No matter what your youthful pedalling preference, there’s still a bright cycling second act to be had. It all comes down to mindset, how you approach your riding, and how you look after your body. 

Don’t take it from us, though; take it from these six experienced riders, all of whom know exactly how to keep the fighting spirit, the fun and the freewheeling alive. Here’s their real-world advice for riding into your 50s and beyond.

Do Your Strength Training 

PAUL GODDARD, 59, BICYCLING AD MAN

Looking in the rearview mirror at a full cycling life, Paul ‘Goddie’ Goddard can still see the Wednesday-night training rides that earned him his first sub-three-hour Cape Town Cycle Tour. 

“There were no fancy lights on bikes back then,” he says. “We’d ride from the Bishopscourt area of Cape Town to Killarney, do laps there, then race home before the sun disappeared. It ended up becoming a 100km training session.”

The man dragging him through those sessions was a former pro rider, the late Lionel Murray. “He basically taught me everything I know about cycling. He got me into it and got me faster. We did that for training rides, and we did track sessions for three or four months; I went under three hours, then did it again, then moved from road to mountain biking.” 

Back then, in the prehistoric days of mountain biking, Goddard was riding a fully rigid mountain bike that weighed “about 20kg”, with V-brakes and inner tubes. “We thought it was brilliant. I’ve been mountain biking ever since. I just fell in love with the culture straight away.”

Decades later, he still loves the culture and rhythm of cycling just as much as he did then. “I was always competitive, but honestly, I was – and still am – a rank amateur,” he says. “I just liked improving. I just like riding my bike and having a good time.”

“At this age, one of the highlights of my week is still a long ride with my mates.”

One result still stands out, though. A brutal old-school fun ride from Somerset West to Stellenbosch and back, where he somehow survived in the A-batch all day, averaging close to 40km/h. “That was probably the highlight of my cycling career – not getting dropped!” he says with a smile. “But honestly, I’ve never been (and never was) an ‘if I train hard, I can win’ kind of rider.”

Now, approaching 60, he credits two things with slowing the decline most riders fear. “The first is strength training. Heavy compound lifts. Squats. Deadlifts. Lunges. You’ve got to keep the body strong.” The second is indoor training. “Smart trainers are the silver bullet for older riders. A properly structured 75-minute session indoors is far better than noodling around outside for two hours.”

Still, he’s careful not to let cycling become joyless. He now works in structured three-month blocks towards major events, before deliberately stepping back. “Otherwise, you start getting anxiety around events and training.”

The social side has become equally important. “At this age, one of the highlights of my week is still a long ride with my mates.”

Goddie’s Essential Advice: “Lift heavier weights than you think you should. Stay strong. And always leave space to ride purely because you love it.”

Ride With People You Like

MICHELLE LOMBARDI, 57, ACCOUNTANT

A familiar and popular figure on the South African cycling scene, Michelle Lombardi has lived several different cycling lives. 

There was the early mountain-bike racing era in the 1990s, back when riders tackled cross-country and downhill on bikes with barely an inch of suspension travel. There were World Championship appearances. Then marriage, children, back injuries, long periods away from racing; and eventually, a return to the sport she thought she might never do properly again.

“I started riding in the early 90s after meeting Martin [her husband],” she says. “Back then, everybody was doing events like the Sedgefield Fat Tyre Festival. We just got pulled into it.” 

By 1993 and 1995, she was racing Worlds. “The bikes were ridiculous, by today’s standards,” she says. “Non-existent suspension – and we were racing downhill on them!”

Then came the kids, and a change in lifestyle and riding opportunities. After her son Matt was born in 1997 and daughter Megan in 2000, riding naturally took a back seat. A serious back problem in 2011 made things worse. “I stopped riding completely, and pretty much stopped competing at events.”

For years, Lombardi watched from the sidelines while friends raced Cape Epics and stage races. Then, unexpectedly, things changed. “My back just improved. Miraculously.” And around three years ago, she started riding properly again. Soon afterwards, she lined up for the Cape Epic with Hannelie Booyens. “After that, I just didn’t look back.”

Unusually, perhaps, Lombardi has no interest in complicated training programmes. “I hate intervals. I hate programmes. I just know what works for me.” 

“Find people you enjoy riding with. That’s the key.”

What works is consistency, strength training, and riding with people she enjoys spending time with. “I do my rehab and gym exercises religiously now – probably four or five times a week. I never had time for that before.”

And then there’s the unofficial sport within the sport: chasing down younger riders! “One of my favourite things is catching younger girls on long climbs, and riding past them,” she says with a laugh.

These days, the social side matters just as much as the racing. “You’ve got to find people you love riding with. Some days we race hard; other days, we just chat and ride.”

Lombardi’s Essential Advice: “Find people you enjoy riding with. That’s the key. The riding becomes easier when the people around you make you want to be there.”

Keep It Simple

STEPHEN GOLDING, 71, BUSINESS OWNER

Stephen Golding still rides the Cape Town Cycle Tour in around three-and-a-half hours. At 71. He also still goes into the office every day to help run the industrial water treatment business he started with his brother. 

Retirement, clearly, is not really his thing. “I’ve always been hugely competitive,” he says. “In sport, in business, in everything.”

Cycling arrived after a football injury ended his running days. “I damaged my ankle at university, and couldn’t really run properly anymore. At that stage I’d done one Comrades Marathon and one Two Oceans. Cycling became the next best thing.” 

Twenty-six Cycle Tours later, he still trains much the same way he always has. “Yes, the training hasn’t really changed,” he says. “I still ride three times a week, and walk with my wife four times a week. I try and hit 150km a week on the bike.”

The numbers still matter, too. “Every Cycle Tour, I want to get under 3:45. That’s the goal, every year.”

As a rule, Golding eschews all the modern trinkets and constant upgrades of the current cycling era. He laughs when remembering one of his early bikes. “I had this red Merida, with a pump attached to the frame. The guys absolutely ragged me about it. Eventually, I bought a new Giant.” 

But in his mind, new bikes come with responsibility. “When you get a new bike, you have to ride enough to deserve it.”

Unlike many modern riders, Golding has little interest in gravel riding, smart trainers or endless gadgets. For him, cycling remains wonderfully straightforward.

“It’s about being outdoors. It’s about riding with the guys. There’s always competition somewhere – on a hill, a sprint at a robot, wherever.” 

And perhaps that’s the point. The goal isn’t always dramatic; it just exists. “If you don’t have something to aim for, then you don’t really have a plan,” he says. “You might as well stay on holiday.”

Golding’s Essential Advice: “Age is nothing to be scared of; embrace it. But have a goal. It doesn’t matter if it’s a 5km run or the Cycle Tour. You need something that gets you out the door. A goal makes you plan things, and having a plan gets you out the door.”

Say No To The Voice In Your Head

INGRID AVIDON, 56, MIND MASTERY AND NERVOUS SYSTEM COACH

Some cyclists race to win. Ingrid Avidon seems more interested in finding out what happens after things go wrong…

She started cycling in her mid-20s through triathlon, and gradually drifted towards longer and harder events. Ironman followed. Then stage racing. Eventually, ultra-distance riding and Freedom Challenge-style events. 

“I always want to test myself,” she says. “I do one distance, and then I wonder if I can do the next one.” 

What keeps pulling her back is the uncertainty of the long ride. “You learn that you’re far tougher than you think…”

For Avidon, it’s a cycling lesson that has arrived the hard way. “I’m not a very good navigator,” she admits cheerfully. “I’ve got horrifically lost, many times.” 

She describes nights spent sleeping under bushes after navigating errors left her too exhausted to continue. “You start having all these thoughts: ‘I’m an idiot. I shouldn’t be here. Everybody’s watching me fail.’”

But very soon, the doubts start to fall away. “You just have to say no to that voice. Yesterday was yesterday. Go back to basics. Keep moving.” 

That ability to reset emotionally has become one of the biggest lessons endurance riding has taught her. “There’s no point throwing your toys. Things go wrong. You just have to make a plan.”

Unlike some riders who become less disciplined with age, Avidon has become more structured. Strength training, mobility work and gym sessions now play a major role in her riding.

“Strength, endurance and mobility are probably the biggest differences between my riding now and my riding in my 30s.” 

“Strength becomes incredibly important, especially for women. Strength, endurance and mobility are probably the biggest differences between my riding now and my riding in my 30s.” 

She also believes variety matters. Recently, she qualified for the Hyrox World Championships and the Deadly Dozen World Champs events. “Doing only one thing all the time eventually becomes stale.”

At the centre of everything, though, remains the simple joy of movement. “Cycling lets you see South Africa in a way you never would otherwise.”

Avidon’s Essential Advice: “Consistency matters more than perfection. You don’t even always need to ride your bike; just keep doing something aerobic.”

Always Have A Goal

JIMMY MILLS, 64, BUSINESS OWNER

Jimmy Mills still races mountain bikes like a man who means it. National championship jerseys, Masters and Grand Masters racing, Gravel Nationals and Wines2Whales titles continue to fill his calendar. 

Yet his relationship with cycling started long before any of that. “I’ve been riding bikes all my life,” he says. “But I only really became competitive in my mid-30s.”

Ironically, his most competitive years arrived later in life. “When the kids left home and became independent, suddenly I had more time again. The last 10 years have probably been my strongest on the bike.”

A defining moment came years earlier, while travelling through Austria in 1998. “I hired a mountain bike and rode up into the Alps. There were snow-capped mountains, crystal-clear lakes and green forests everywhere,” he says. “I still remember that feeling of freedom. Cycling became my oxygen.”

Still, Jimmy’s motivation remains deeply tied to competition. “I’ve always had that competitive edge. That’s what keeps me going. I like having goals.”

But age has forced him to rethink the way he trains. “You slow down. You have to!” he says. “Recovery becomes more important. Everyone says train harder, ride harder; but you can’t keep doing that forever.”

Instead, he has learnt the value of restraint. “One of my first coaches, Lance Stephenson, used to tell me: ‘When I prescribe a recovery ride, let the granny with the shopping basket ride past you.’”

It took years for that lesson to sink in. “In your 30s and 40s, you think you can do everything. But we also didn’t have the information available back then that riders have now.”

Mills still trains hard, but smarter. He watches his diet carefully, limits alcohol before events, and pays close attention to sleep. “You notice very quickly how badly poor sleep affects you as you get older.” 

More than anything, though, cycling still gives him the same thing it gave him as a child. “When I was 11 or 12, I’d disappear on my bike for the whole day. Even now, riding bikes is still my soul food.”

Mills’ Essential Advice: “Listen to your body. Slow down when you need to. And keep riding with younger riders. That keeps you motivated.”

Just Keep Moving

MARTHA KOEKEMOER, 51, ACCOUNTANT

For Martha Koekemoer, cycling has become less about racing and more about belonging; although big races are still a major part of her riding life. 

Most of the rides and adventures she remembers best started the same way: somebody in the group suggested something mildly ridiculous. “A lot of what we do starts because one person says, ‘Who wants to do this?’ And suddenly, everyone’s in.”

Koekemoer’s group of like-minded ladies has been riding together for roughly 15 years. Some met when putting together a team for the Double Century (“It’s still the one race we all get together for”), others through stage races and tours. Together they’ve crossed the Cederberg, the Tankwa Karoo, and countless gravel back roads – carrying all their own gear.

“We rough it properly,” she says. “We get lost all the time.” 

Sometimes, spectacularly so… “We once went 70km off route in pouring rain!” 

But remarkably, nobody seems too bothered when things unravel. “That’s the whole thing; we still laugh about it afterwards.”

Age, she says, has shifted her relationship with cycling entirely. “When I was younger, I was much more competitive in my own head. Back then, I would rather go out alone and train hard.” 

Now, the priorities are different. “I’d rather ride slower with people I love than smash myself on my own. The joy matters more now. I also think it makes you a nicer person if you do things with joy in your heart.”

That joy extends well beyond the actual riding. The planning, accommodation logistics and route plotting have become part of the fun. “We love mountains. We love travelling by bike. One day, we’ll sit in an old age home and still talk about these tours. The idea is to see the country. We all love being out there, and that’s why we do it; that’s what motivates us to find more adventures.”

For Koekemoer, movement itself has become the goal. “As soon as you stop moving, that’s when the trouble starts!”

Koekemoer’s Essential Advice: “Find people who make you excited to ride. Adventure is always better when it’s shared. And don’t stop moving!”

“The shift older cyclists need to make isn’t away from the bike, but away from the idea that riding is enough.”

The post How To Ride Strong at 50+ appeared first on Bicycling.

Due to flooding in May and damage to the Ou Wapad route out of Uniondale toward Avontuur, the twenty-fifth edition of one of South Africa’s most iconic bike races followed a slightly shorter course. Rather than the standard 96km route, the detour via the R399 Poortjies Road removed a significant climb and reduced the total distance to 89 kilometres. This meant that no course records could be broken, and exceptionally fast times were anticipated.

Drizzle on race day, on saturated soil, led to water pooling in potholes on Prince Alfred’s Pass and the smoother stretches of gravel developing a muddy film. This made the going slower than it would be in the dry, particularly on the long descents. “On the road, in the early kilometres I thought I’d made a mistake riding my mountain bike. But as soon as we hit the gravel, I was very happy with my choice!” Hopf noted.

“It was so slippery in places; the descents were washed out and rough in places too.”

“It was so slippery in places; the descents were washed out and rough in places too,” the women’s winner explained. Hopf managed to follow Claire Malik through the fast rolling first 10 kilometres, on the asphalt to Avontuur. Then the Hollard Racing rider descended under the R62 bridge, on a 200-metre grassy singletrack segment and established a 20-second advantage over Malik by the time they joined the Price Alfred’s Pass gravel road.

Rather than wait and regroup with her primary rival, Hopf pushed on, creating a 40-second advantage by the summit of Zondaghsberg, the highest point of the race at the 15-kilometre mark. On the long and relatively smooth descent to De Vlugt, Hopf added another 70 seconds to her lead before climbing to the Queen of the Mountain Hotspot Prize 36 kilometres into the race.

By that point Malik was riding to finish, rather than in pursuit of Hopf. “When I saw so many mountain bikes on the start line this morning, I knew I might have made a mistake,” she confessed. “My arms feel like orangutan arms now. They’re all shaken out and wobbly. By halfway, my biggest issue was getting nutrition out of my jersey pockets; I couldn’t reach back properly.”

Malik is nonetheless the first woman to podium on a gravel bike, showcasing that in better conditions the drop bar machines will prove faster over the Karoo to Coast course. Hopf’s victory was secured in a time of 4 hours, 43 minutes, and 53 seconds. Malik finished 25 minutes and 24 seconds down, with Zanlie van Zyl in third. Larissa Meintjes and Amorine Olivier were fourth and fifth.

In the men’s race, the top five were all on gravel bikes. Having finished fourth in 2025 and third in 2024 on a mountain bike, Beaukes was confident that a gravel bike would be faster. The Ou Wapad segment is traditionally the section where gravel bikes lose the most time, but since it was replaced by 10 kilometres of tar road, higher average speeds were predicted.

“I didn’t expect it to be so muddy though,” Beukes stated. The mud made it slower, yet both Beukes and the runner-up, Johan van Zyl, managed to break the 3-hour mark. The groundwork for the fast time was laid by collaboration between Beukes and Van Zyl in the first 50 kilometres.

“There was a bit of a headwind, and the roads were slow, with the water and mud,” Beukes explained. “Johan (van Zyl) and I worked together well, until the big climb from De Vlugt. There I tried to drop him, but couldn’t get away. I tried again somewhere between 40 and 50 kilometres (between Assegaibos and Buffelsnek) and managed to get away.”

“I really enjoyed the race. We had a bit of everything out there”

From there the George local soloed to victory. Riding into Knysna with a 2-minute and 45-second buffer. Van Zyl was quick to praise his rival, having finished second. “Cronje was next level strong today,” he granted. “I really enjoyed the race. We had a bit of everything out there; it even felt like a cyclocross race at one point. We also had all four seasons in one day. It was really fun.”

Another George cycling legend, Vickus Boshoff, completed the podium places. The 2026 Karoo to Coast was Boshoff’s twenty-third, and he held off Dean Hopf and the fast-finishing Josua Wagner to claim a hard-fought third.

The race is well supported by local riders. Due to its status as a foundation of the Garden Route cycling landscape, the Karoo to Coast has given young Knysna- and George-based riders a platform to showcase their talent and test themselves on a national level. Beukes was once one such rider. For this reason, and because it showcases the beauty of Prince Alfred Pass, George Municipality, as well as George, Wilderness, and Uniondale Tourism, supports the race. The finish in Knysna also brings not only riders, but their friends and families too, to Knysna Municipality and provides a valuable low-season boost for the Visit Knysna tourism initiative.

One man who will be heading home from his visit to Knysna very happy indeed is Pieter Gers. He won the lucky draw at prize-giving for a Titan Racing Cypher Carbon Limited, worth R75 000.

2026 Lions Karoo to Coast Results:

Elite Men:

1. Cronje Buekes: Specialized George Coimbra (2:52:17)
2. Johan van Zyl: Insect Science (2:55:02 | +2:45)
3. Vickus Boshoff: Coimbra Cycles (3:20:38 | +28:21)
4. Dean Hopf: Hollard Racing (3:23:14 | +30:57)
5. Josua Wagner: FiTsportslab (3:24:13 | +31:56)

Elite Women:

1. Chloé Hopf: Hollard Racing (3:43:53)
2. Claire Malik: Privateer (4:09:17 | +25:24)
3. Zanlie van Zyl: Privateer (4:28:02 | +44:09)
4. Larissa Meintjes: Privateer (4:35:25 | +51:32)
5. Amorine Olivier: Privateer (4:40:49 | +56:56)

For the full results, please click here.

The post Beukes and Hopf Triumph in Muddy 25th Edition of Karoo to Coast appeared first on Bicycling.

Traditionally, the final stage of the Race with Soul takes riders into Chandelier Game Reserve, south of Oudtshoorn, for a day where wildlife sightings and spectacular riding thrill in equal measure. Chandelier does also pose risks, however, as the rocky trails have been known to inflict punctures. Though the rain made the gravel road segments leading to the reserve very slippery, in the park moisture settled any dust and perhaps made the racing safer.

Pritzen and Stehli had controlled the pace for the first half of the 66km route, then increased the tempo on the homebound leg of the loop. Lood Goosen was suffering after a near-sleepless night, and Toyota Specialized Imbuko followed Insect Science off the back of the lead group. Pump for Peace Abashovi remained at the sharp end, following the Honeycomb 226ers, Insect Science Safari Essence, and Cape Vulture Nature Reserve teams.

“My back wheel hooked a wire hidden in the mud and next thing I was flying through the air”

Wessel Botha and Jan Withaar were excluded from the battle for stage honours by a minor mechanical inside 10km to go. Then Zindela and Nxumalo put in an acceleration which was countered by Pritzen, Stehli, Herman Fourie, and Keegan Tullis. With the bunch whittled down to two teams, a sprint seemed inevitable until Tullis was brought to an abrupt halt. “My back wheel hooked a wire hidden in the mud and next thing I was flying through the air,” the Cape Vulture Nature Reserve rider retold. “That was just indicative of our luck this week! We’ve been close, been competitive, but we’ve had mechanicals, and Herman got sick yesterday.” “We’ll keep trying though; that big win can’t be far off,” Fourie promised.

With Fourie and Tullis waylaid, Pritzen and Stehli could coast onto the Oudtshoorn High School Fields, sit up, and celebrate their fourth stage win and the overall title. The Honeycomb 226ers put in a perfect performance over the five days, with their only non-victory coming from a second place to Toyota Specialized Imbuko in a sprint. After a commanding win on Stage 1, where they gained 8 minutes and 5 seconds, a run of three sprint finishes saw Pritzen and Stehli maintain their buffer, before adding time over their main rivals again on Stage 5. In total the Honeycomb 226ers final margin of victory was 9 minutes and 28 seconds over Insect Science Safari Essence.

Cape Vulture Nature Reserve finished second on Stage 5, 38 seconds ahead of ⁠Pump for Peace Abashovi. Withaar and Botha were fourth on the final day, 1 minute and 19 seconds down, while securing second overall. Ignatius du Preez and Lood Goosen were fifth, to wrap up third in the general classification for Toyota Specialized Imbuko. Du Toit and Bontekoning were fourth in the final standings, ahead of Nxumalo and Zindela, who leapfrogged the Tshenolo Pro Cycling team to claim fifth.

The Women’s Race

Where Pritzen and Stehli had been near perfect, Maré and Sanders were entirely flawless. The Efficient Infiniti Insure team had gained 16-, 8-, 4-, and 6-minutes plus change on the first four stages and took a commanding 36-minute lead into the final day. Once again, Maré and Sanders proved too powerful for the Hollard Summerplace Racing and Cycle Nation Enza Construction teams.

Maré led Sanders, Chloé Hopf, and Lilian Baber into Chandelier Game Reserve after Rachel Seaman and Bianca Botha had eased off in the neutral zone already; then Sanders put the hammer down. Once the Efficient Infiniti Insure team had distanced Hollard Summerplace Racing, the women in the pink First Ascent jerseys were galloping away to a fifth stage victory.

“The plan was for me to set the tempo today,” Maré laughed. “But when we started climbing in Chandelier, Sammy (Samantha Sanders) must have found that too slow, so she went to the front and drilled it.”

“It was great to get the opportunity to come to the Cape Pioneer and race alongside a world-class rider like Sam.”

“As the third rider in the Efficient Infiniti Insure team, I’m not the first choice to race stage races, but I feel I’ve had a consistent season, and it was great to get the opportunity to come to the Cape Pioneer and race alongside a world-class rider like Sam,” Maré said.

Maré is Sanders’ fourth race-winning partner at the Race with Soul, following in the shoes of Kim le Court (2023), Danielle du Toit (2024), and Vera Looser (2025). “I love the riding, I love the gees of the race, Dryland Event Management always put together a superbly organised event, and I love that it’s a bit more relaxed, so I get to spend time with the other riders,” Sanders praised.

Hopf and Baber were second on each of the five days. The Hollard Summerplace Racing combination, despite finishing 47 minutes and 33 seconds down, were the revelation of the 2026 edition. “I’ve really enjoyed racing with Lillian (Baber),” Hopf emphasised, clarifying the joke for anyone who had not realised their banter was faux animosity. “Despite Lilly being quite a bit younger than me, we get along really well. And because I’m new in the sport, I’ve been able to learn from her this week.”

“I’m proud of Chloé (Hopf),” Baber laughed. “I had to walk the river crossing today, and Chloé rode it!”

Seaman and Botha fought valiantly to finish the race. “I’ve been nursing a stomach bug for the last two days,” Botha confessed on the final finish line, after wrapping up third overall. “It’s been rough. But Rachel (Seaman) was a great teammate and dragged me through.”

“We learnt a lot this week, but mostly we learnt to push through the bad moments and keep going,” Seaman philosophised. “In a way, after Roxy (Roxanne Kemp, of Safari Essence Titan Racing) and Luzaan (Durand, of Absolute Motion) withdrew on Stages 2 and 3, the only pressure was to finish. In a way, it was a safe environment to fail and to learn.”

2026 Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen, Results

UCI Men’s Stage 5 Results:

1. ⁠⁠⁠Honeycomb 226ers: Marc Pritzen & Felix Stehli (2:43:19)
2. ⁠⁠⁠CVNR: Herman Fourie & Keegan Tullis (2:43:49 | +30)
3. ⁠Pump for Peace Abashovi: Unathi Nxumalo & Thabiso Zindela (2:44:27 | +1:08)
4. ⁠⁠Insect Science Safari Essence: Jan Withaar & Wessel Botha (2:44:38 | +1:19)
5. ⁠Toyota Specialized Imbuko: Ignatius du Perez & Lood Goosen (2:47:26 | +4:07)

UCI Women’s Stage 5 Results:

1. Efficient Infinity Insure: Samantha Sanders & Sarah Maré (3:20:57)
2. Hollard Summerplace Racing:  Chloé Hopf & Lilian Baber (3:32:27 | +12:30)
3. ⁠Cycle Nation Enza Construction:  Rachel Seaman & Bianca Botha (3:49:46 | +29:49)

UCI Men’s General Classification Standings after Stage 5:

1. ⁠⁠Honeycomb 226ers: Marc Pritzen & Felix Stehli (14:43:58)
2. Insect Science Safari Essence: Jan Withaar & Wessel Botha (14:53:28 | +9:28)
3. Toyota Specialized Imbuko: Ignatius du Perez & Lood Goosen (14:58:03 | +14:04)
4. ⁠⁠Insect Science: Arno du Toit & Keagan Bontekoning (15:02:42 | +18:44)
5. Pump for Peace Abashovi: Unathi Nxumalo & Thabiso Zindela (15:14:30 | + 30:32)

UCI Women’s General Classification Standings after Stage 5:

1. Efficient Infinity Insure: Samantha Sanders & Sarah Maré (18:11:51)
2. Hollard Summerplace Racing:  Chloé Hopf & Lilian Baber (18:59:24 | +47:33)
3. ⁠Cycle Nation Enza Construction:  Rachel Seaman & Bianca Botha (21:11:13 | +02:59:22)

For the full results from the 2026 Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen, click here.

The post Cape Pioneer Perfection for Pritzen, Stehli, Maré, and Sanders appeared first on Bicycling.

Squirt recently launched their Performance Hot Wax, and it’s a game-changer. You still need to set up a pot in your garage or workshop, but that’s about the hardest part of the whole process. Simply clean your chain thoroughly, dip it into the hot wax in the pot, pull it out and it’s ready to install on your bike again, after a simple pull-through between your forefinger and thumb to ensure smooth articulation.

You’ll be blown away by the performance of a waxed chain: it’s ultra low-friction and so quiet; it naturally repels dust, water and grit; and one wax should last at least 30 ‘normal’ lube cycles.

R750 for a 500g packet | bikeaddict.co.za

The post NEW STUFF: Squirt Performance Hot Wax appeared first on Bicycling.

The Odyssey is a one-day marathon MTB race with routes that cut through SA’s first UNESCO biosphere, the Kogelberg, so expect relentless climbing, technical descents, flowing singletrack and trails with ominous names like The Sphinx, Cyclops, Scylla, The Sirens, alongside a crack at the iconic Groenlandberg normally only reserved for Absa Cape Epic stages.

Three distinct races will be on offer, and Bicycling readers get 15% off all entry fees (see details below).

The Odyssey: 120km, 2700m
Ride it solo or as a team of two, with a 6:30am start. No e-bikes allowed. Rough terrain, smooth singletrack and off-piste climbs make this a genuine test of endurance and skill.

E Odyssey: 70km, 1800m
Something new for the local calendar: the country’s first dedicated e-bike marathon MTB race. Solo riders set off at 7:00am to tackle most of the main route on a single battery. Managing your power will matter as much as managing your legs.

Lite Odyssey: 40km, 700m
Open to all mountain bikes, e-bikes included, the Lite is the rider-friendly way to experience The Odyssey. It starts at 7:30am, offering exhilarating trails, sweeping views, and plenty of time to soak up the finish-line atmosphere.

The Route
What truly sets The Odyssey apart is where it goes. The route links famed Kogelberg trails – including sections that have never hosted a race – with fresh additions designed to thrill. Think weather-beaten tracks, old mountain passes and sublime singletracks, with Groenlandberg among the highlights. 

The Date
The Odyssey lands in late January, ahead of the Western Cape’s stage racing season, making it an ideal opportunity to put yourself or your team through one massive day of racing.

Use it to gauge your fitness, fine-tune your equipment and nutrition, sharpen your skills and see how you and your partner handle hours of hard riding together. Better to discover a flawed hydration plan in January than halfway through a multi-day race.

With the venue within an hour of Cape Town, there is no need to give up a whole weekend. Drive in, race to your limit and drive home again.

The Route
The Clüver family has cared for De Rust Estate in Elgin since 1896, and today the farm is known for cool-climate wines, apple orchards and a serious commitment to conservation. More than half of the estate is set aside for nature, with vineyards and orchards woven among fynbos, forest and wildlife habitat.

Riders will travel along vineyard roads, orchard tracks, mountain slopes and forest trails before finishing at the iconic Paul Clüver Amphitheatre, where good food, local wines and warm Elgin hospitality await.

The wider Kogelberg Biosphere covers roughly 100 000 hectares, from the mountains above Gordon’s Bay to Hermanus and inland towards Botrivier and Grabouw. Known as the heart of the Cape Floral Kingdom, it is home to more than 1880 plant species, 77 of which grow nowhere else on earth.

The Odyssey supports two causes that protect this playground. The Cape Leopard Trust works to conserve leopards and their habitats while promoting coexistence between people and wildlife, and the Kogelberg Biosphere wildlife rescue centre rehabilitates injured animals, from tortoises and owls to porcupines and Blue Cranes, before releasing them back into the wild.

Secure your place

The Odyssey is sanctioned by Cycling South Africa, and entries are open now via EntryNinja. Early bird pricing is currently available.
Bicycling readers get a further 15% off entries. Use the code ‘Bicycling15’ when entering.

• The Odyssey (120km): R1500 solo, or R2700 for a team of two 
• E Odyssey (70km): R1000
• Lite Odyssey (40km): R350

Entries close on 14 January 2027 or when the event sells out, so enter early to secure your spot at the best price.

Your challenge awaits. Visit their website HERE for full event details, or head straight to EntryNinja to enter HERE 

The post New 120km Marathon MTB Race Set For January appeared first on Bicycling.

But here’s the thing: the Northern Cape, and Namaqualand in particular, boasts a ‘secret season’. From April to September, the temperature levels out, and there are even shimmers of green on the plains and ridges. Early mornings and late afternoons deliver tequila-clear light, magnificent sunsets and clear night skies.

“Rain in May, flowers on the way!”

The locals here have a saying: “Rain in May, flowers on the way!” This year, a solid 150mm fell over a few days, drenching much of the region. I was at Naries Namakwa Retreat at the time – a lodge near Springbok – and I could almost hear the veld responding to the deluge. Within days, bokspoortjie bulbs had bloomed and snake-head lilies appeared; gannabos and taaibos pushed new shoots, and untold wildflower seeds began to germinate.

The lodge is at the top of the Spektakelberg, and a perfect place to base yourself if you want to experience Namaqualand’s annual wildflower bloom on two wheels. Quiet gravel roads and tracks connect Naries to the Namaqua National Park and Goegap Nature Reserve, as well as to the wild northern parts of the West Coast. How far you want to go, and for how long, is entirely up to you. 

If the flowers are blooming, you won’t know where to look. But even if they’re not, you’ll still experience quiet roads, campfire nights, starry skies, prime steaks and superb red wine from the Olifants River valley to the south – and you’ll meet plenty of warm-hearted people, too. 

Three Route Options

1. Naries Namakwa Retreat / Springbok

This plush guest farm is also a nature reserve of its own, with cosy twin-sleeper units, a manor house for hire and other self-catering options. A well-marked network combines roads and singletrack for trail runners, hikers and mountain bikers. 

The MTB trail is an easy 11km loop that dashes past gemsbok and springbok, but true gravel heaven awaits just beyond the entrance gate. Summit the spectacular Spektakel Pass, and ride to the historic farmstead of Nigramoep and back – about an 80km return trip.

Distance: 11km MTB loop; or as far as you like on the gravel roads. 

Entrance fee: Only guests are allowed to ride the Naries trail; the gravel roads are open to everyone. 

More info: naries.co.za / experiencenortherncape.com

2. Goegap Nature Reserve / Springbok

Goegap rates as ‘entry-level’ desert: big enough to feel vast, but small enough not to scare you. Quiver trees spike the sky, backdropped by rugged koppies that rise from craggy plains. 

The riding unfolds along a network of reserve roads and 4×4 tracks. From a flower perspective, the 150km2 reserve is a global biodiversity hotspot – nearly a quarter of the plants found here occur nowhere else on earth!

Distance: 30km or 60km 

Entrance fee: R40 per adult, R20 per child aged 6-17; free for children under six. Get a free map of all the trails at the entrance. 

More info: ‘Goegap Nature Reserve’ on Facebook

3. Namaqua National Park / Kamieskroon

The Skilpad section of this massive park is on a ridge about 700m above sea level. The altitude ensures it catches more mist and rain than the lowlands, making it a very reliable spot for flowers, even in drier years.

Check out the fields of Namaqua daisies, then head off on your bike and give the flower crowds a miss. There are days and days of riding to be had on the park’s roads and 4×4 tracks – you’re permitted to cycle anywhere that’s open to public vehicles. A great option is the 4×4 trail from Skilpad to Soebatsfontein (27km one way; 54km return). It’s arguably the most famous and prettiest route in the region, leading down off the escarpment to the coastal lowlands.

Distance: Up to you.

Entrance fee: R62 per adult, R32 per child aged 2-11; free with a Wild Card.

More info: sanparks.org

The post Explore the Beauty of Namaqualand During Flower Season appeared first on Bicycling.

If you want advice on how to remain a competitive athlete and coach, ask Friel — he’s now 82, just published the second edition of the book, and, to do so, he studied the latest scientific research to learn how your training should change while still challenging yourself.

“At this age, “your sport-specific movement skills have become well refined, meaning it takes less effort at a given pace, power, or speed to  do whatever your sport demands of you physically.”

For more real-life inspiration, Friel also interviewed many “superager” cyclists for the book. Each of their stories, including injuries and illness, illustrates how, with the right mindset, you can continue to ride energetically, powerfully, and happily as you get older.

In fact, at this age, “your sport-specific movement skills have become well refined, meaning it takes less effort at a given pace, power, or speed to run, cycle, swim, row, or do whatever your sport demands of you physically,” Friel says.

In other words, your future can be bright, even though it won’t look like the past.

Lesson No. 1: Keep Your Motivation Because Your Spirit Knows No Age Limit

“My biggest and best thought is that motivation never stops with athletes,” Friel says. “Even if they get injured or have an illness that makes them have to start their training all over again, they will always find motivation.”

With motivation, though, sometimes comes an eagerness to do too much, too soon. “You may have been riding for a lifetime, but when you’re older, you need a longer base period,” Friel explains. “Too many athletes cut this short and because of this, they don’t experience their full potential. You have to build a good aerobic base before we do higher things.”

In the athlete profiles, Friel details all the various illnesses and health issues each athlete has overcome to continue cycling. Bruce Bird, three-time UCI Grand Fondo World Champion, underwent cardiac cryoablation (in which unhealthy cells are frozen to fix arrhythmias), and later won his gender and division in the 2025 Canadian Gravel Championships. This proves two things: first that being athletic does not automatically save you from encountering health challenges, and, second, that facing those circumstances does not have to stop you from winning races.

Don’t talk yourself out of an athletic future if you get a diagnosis that stops you in the present. Stay motivated to overcome those challenges or work within the boundaries of your health condition in order to remain active, and, possibly, competitive.

Lesson No. 2: Focus on Building Power to Stay Strong

While riding fast is how athletes often define their ability, it may be more helpful to focus on power, which will, in turn, help create speed on the bike.

You know that you lose muscle mass as you age, but consider the ramifications of that: it’s muscle, including cardio power, that allows you to push up hills and pedal fast. If you mourn your speedy rides, you need to build strength, which means lifting weights.

“If I were your coach,” Friel writes in the book, “I would have you do gym workouts once or twice weekly throughout most of the season.”

In fact, he says, “I strongly suggest you include two types of gym training in your routine: weight lifting and joint mobility exercises.” This will help you avoid injury and improve performance. “You can’t bypass this,” he adds.

Concurrently, on the bike, build power through sprints and hill work, Friel says, even if you haven’t been that type of cyclist in the past. Remember, you are now using those aspects of your ride to stay strong, not as a performance metric.

“My cycling has changed a lot, and it’s mostly a loss of power,” Friel says. “In your 80s, it diminishes quite quickly, so it’s a concern of mine to lift weights and do sprints and hills. I want to maintain the force.”

As long as you’re at the gym or using weights in your home, do a little balance work, too.

If you’re worried that all of this exercise will leave you stiff and sore, be more observant about how you feel after workouts compared to being sedentary. “Discomfort usually comes after missed workouts, not hard workouts,” Friel explains.

Lesson No. 3: Measure Active Days, Not Cycling-Specific Metrics

Over the years, Friel has seen the research flip-flop numerous times on the value of high-intensity training and lower-intensity training, but there is one thing that has remained true: “You can reverse what once appeared to be inevitable when it comes to age if you remain a consistent athlete.”

Challenge yourself to “maintain,” Friel says, “because you are fighting loss,” and to do that push yourself on the bike and in the weight room, but also be as active as you can on the low end of intensity, such as swimming and easy bike rides.

“My goal is to always stay as active as I can given the range of possibilities,” Friel says. In the past, maybe you kept track of metrics such as kms or watts, and it’s fine to do that now, but you might consider adding “days I am active” to your training log, and feel free to expand your idea of “active.” For example, taking a walk on days when you don’t cycle will reduce your chances of developing a metabolic disease, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Lesson No. 4: Limit Comparison and Invite Inspiration

Friel discusses the importance of caring for not only your body, but also your mental health, too. He reminds you to not assume that exercise is enough to save you from mental health issues or the everyday emotional struggles that come with aging.

This is especially true if your physique has changed. Maybe you’ve gained weight or notice changes in your musculature. Worrying about these changes should not impel you to push yourself to reach the goals you did when you were younger. Overtraining is associated with detrimental physical and psychological consequences for athletes of all ages, even older, wiser ones.

Therefore, try not to focus on what you have lost over the years, and instead observe what you have gained through experience and, yes, mistakes. Cultivate a beginner’s mindset to remain young because that frame of mind will help you continue to learn and grow, i.e., stay young.

That’s because it’s literally never too late to learn, change, and improve. A recent Yale University study found that in a survey of 11,000 adults over 65, those with “more positive age beliefs were significantly more likely to show improvements in both cognition and walking speed.” If you think of this time of your life with excitement and for the potential of growth, you will be more likely to actually be happy and fast!

“I try to avoid comparing my fitness today with my fitness years ago, although it is sometimes inevitable,” Friel says, “but I also remember that I’m going in the direction of a longer, healthier life.”

This article originally appeared on bicycling.com 

The post Four Tips for Better Cycling Later in Life appeared first on Bicycling.

Zone 2 is different for everyone. The most important thing is to pay attention to your own effort to make sure you’re hitting the right intensity.

For a long time I considered zone 2 to simply be a conversational pace, but more specifically it’s the aerobic zone. This is a pace that some riders call an all-day pace, but it should be a step up from zone one to have the intended effects.

It can be challenging to perfect this sweet spot, but we have the tricks to help you keep it between the lines. From tech tips to feeling it out, we have what you need to get the most out of zone 2 training this year.

Considered the leading global expert on all things zone 2, Iñigo San Millán, Ph.D., has spent three decades studying the effects of training in this aerobic zone. The former cyclist has worked with clinical populations dealing with diabetes, and he’s working with the upper echelon of the cycling world.

When he spoke to Bicycling a while back, he was in the middle of a rainstorm in France after chasing Tadej Pogačar up a Tour de France climb. “Let’s be clear,” he joked. “A normal person would be in zone 5 trying to keep up with Pogačar in his zone 2.”

That’s the just beginning of the nuances around this aerobic zone that’s gotten so much press coverage in recent years. (This fact bemuses San Millán, as someone who spent decades toiling away in labs and in the field on this work before it went viral.)

Before we get into the how to do zone 2 training, let’s briefly dig into the science side, which explains why it’s so important.

San Millán’s original interest in zone 2 came when he realised that optimal cellular mitochondrial function (the powerhouse of our cells) is key for both health and performance.

While you can’t see your mitochondria making moves when you exercise, you can feel how well your muscles clear lactate that’s produced by more intense exercise. “When you don’t clear lactate correctly, it builds up in the blood, and that’s a sign that your mitochondria are not keeping up very well,” says San Millán.

He started to notice that training more in the aerobic-based zone 2 — the zone where the body produces lactate but is able to clear it equally quickly — allowed athletes to better clear the lactate from their muscles when they did increase their intensity and lactate production. Essentially, training at this lower intensity allowed them to train harder at higher intensities.

The same effect applies to pro athletes and recreational cyclists: Training that aerobic zone where the body is burning fat rather than glycogen improves both performance and health outcomes, thanks to how it improves mitochondrial function.

What makes zone 2 training particularly interesting is that it’s one of the few training stimuli that’s as good for health and longevity as it is for performance. San Millán’s research has found that many clinical populations — those with certain cancers, type 2 diabetes, and other metabolic diseases — have significant mitochondrial dysfunction.

While exercise alone isn’t a cure-all, San Millán found that adding a protocol of zone 2-based exercise led to significant health improvements for those populations. Meanwhile, it also makes top pros like Pogačar get up hills faster.

Because it’s become so popular, there are many misconceptions around zone 2 training.

For starters, there’s the question of “what is zone 2?” Most people will say it’s all-day pace, conversational pace, or refer to it as LSD (long slow distance). But often, the pace you’re riding at in zone 2 is a bit harder than you may think. “You should be able to hold a conversation,” says San Millán. “But it shouldn’t be easy to do so. If it’s easy to chat, that’s more zone 1 recovery versus zone 2.”

It’s also not that slow. Again, see Pogačar’s “all-day pace,” which is likely faster than most of us could do on our best threshold testing day.

On the flip side, popular health and wellness blogs that have honed in on zone 2 will talk about walking as a great way to get in some zone 2 exercise. That may work for someone who doesn’t regularly exercise, but if you are training regularly, you’ll need to make that walk pretty brisk in order to move from zone 1 training into zone 2.

In other words: Zone 2 is different for everyone. The most important thing is to pay attention to your own effort to make sure you’re hitting the right intensity.

Also, if you got interested in zone 2 for health reasons, you may think that it’s all that you ever need to do. However, San Millán is quick to point out that while it’s the building block for cyclists, you do still need to do intervals and harder efforts if you want to make gains in your cycling. After all, if you never go hard, why did you bother improving that mitochondrial function that allows you to push the intensity in the first place?

While zone 2 trains you to be efficient at burning fat, once you get above that zone, you start burning glucose for fuel — and that’s something you need to train your body for, rather than hoping that on race day, you’ll magically be really good at going hard after training solely in zone 2.

The ultimate test for finding your zone 2 pace is a lactate test, because zone 2 is where your body is clearing the lactate you produce during exercise, not letting it accumulate.

While in an ideal universe, San Millán would send you to a lab for lactate testing in order to find your zone 2 pace, you can also base it off of your functional threshold power or heart rate.

However, San Millán believes that FTP tests aren’t a perfect power-setting option when it comes to zone 2. Use that as a starting point, but make sure the power or heart rate matches up with the correct feeling: Your zone 2 pace should be sustainable for a few hours, and you should be able to hold a conversation, though it shouldn’t feel easy to do so.

Kristen Legan, a gravel cycling coach, knows a thing or two about spending a lot of time in zone 2. When you’re training for races, most of your time is spent in the aerobic zone, though as with racers like Pogačar, she does need to spend some time going really freaking fast.

She says that even if you aren’t riding for six hours, it should feel like you could if you wanted to. “Zone 2 is the pace that you can sustain for a really long time — as long as you’re eating and drinking!” says Legan. (Often, the reason zone 2 starts to feel harder as the ride gets longer is fuel-based, not leg- or lung-based.)

However, while this sounds like the ride should be easy, don’t confuse conversational with “easy pace.” “Zone 1 is a recovery or easy ride,” says Legan. “In these rides, you’re in easy gears, you’re really relaxed, and the goal is just getting your body moving. It’s not about pressure on the pedals. Zone 2 is a bit harder than that.”

This article first appeared on bicycling.com

The post Zone 2 Training Can Make You Faster and Healthier — If You Stop Making These Common Mistakes appeared first on Bicycling.

Signing up for the Old Mutual Wealth Double Century and riding what seems like too far to most non-cyclists is a goal well worth celebrating. But first you’ll want to consider actually training for it! 

The Double Century ‘only’ has a few thousand metres of climbing over 200-plus kilometres, most of which comes in the two Tradouw passes; so tailor your ride time and routes to get used to flatter, faster rides too. This can be a huge factor in ride-day success – so include enough hills in your ride lead-up, but don’t forget to focus appropriately on training with your team on flatter, faster routes, or you could well end up destroying your DC dreams on the terrain you least expect.

As with all endurance training plans, this one is based on time, not distance, due to the effects of weather and elevation – because 20km into a headwind, or with a long draggy climb, is very different from 20km of tailwind or flowing descent. So a training plan could include ‘Ride for 90 minutes in zone 2.’ The distance may well vary, but the training volume can be ascertained.

For the first 80-90km, if it feels too slow, it’s probably about right.

This eight-week programme from long-time Bicycling guru and endurance maven Selene Yeager, to which you should add a day for stretching and core work, a day off, and maybe another (gentle) long ride, if you have the time – all while keeping an eye on your nutrition and sleep, will get most of us to the start line ready to rumble.

The most important thing you can work on is getting used to the feel of metering effort all day, and never riding into the red or at threshold-effort level. On a rate-of-perceived-exertion (RPE) scale of one to 10, the DC should be ridden at a three to four, or possibly a five to six if you feel you can sustain that. For the first 80-90km, if it feels too slow, it’s probably about right. 

Save your heroic efforts for when you’re near the finish. Your technique and posture will fall apart, and you’ll probably go to what Page-Hanson calls “a dark place”. “Only light your fireworks when you see the finish line.”

The Rides on Your DC Training Plan

Long Ride: The Meat

In your first week you’ll want to ride 1.5 to 2 hours, or about 35km, and build from there. If you’re already comfortable with a longer ride than week 1 prescribes, start with 2.5 to 3 hours and follow the same guidelines for mileage building, topping off at about 130km.

Do your long rides at a steady-but-not-taxing pace – about 70 to 75 per cent of your maximum heart rate. Though most cyclists find that Saturdays or Sundays work best for their long rides, it doesn’t matter which day you choose as long as you get it done.

Steady Ride: The Bread and Butter

During these endurance training plan rides, aim for two to four longer efforts (15 to 30 minutes in length; 15 minutes easy pedalling in between) that increase your breathing and elevate your heart rate to around 80 to 85 per cent of your maximum heart rate.

Ride at threshold, as if you’re pedalling with someone slightly faster than you. These rides will simulate your goal for crushing a century, and train your body to ride more briskly – while maintaining comfort, so you can finish faster and fresher.

Speed Ride: The Secret Sauce

Distance riders often skip speed work because they think they need volume, not intensity, to go long. But riding fast improves your endurance by raising your lactate threshold, the point at which your muscles scream “Slow down!” When you raise this ceiling, you can ride faster and further before your body hits the brakes. So… don’t skip your speed work!

Aim to do four to six very hard or max efforts ranging from 30 seconds to 2 minutes; in between, spin easy for twice the length of the interval. Do these on a challenging stretch of road, such as a hill or into a headwind, during the suggested ride lengths listed in the chart.

The post Your 8-Week Double Century Training Plan appeared first on Bicycling.

For CIOVITA, the answer was to listen, test and refine – rather than start again.

“The original chamois is South Africa’s most used, trusted and proven one. Our aim was to improve everything else around it.”

The new Corsa Avia builds on the Corsa 2.0, retaining its familiar chamois while introducing updates to the fabric, fit and construction. Before its launch, the bib shorts underwent more than 500 hours and 6,000 kilometres of real-world testing.

The idea was simple: improve the details that affect comfort on the bike, without losing what made the original a favourite.

Keeping what works

At the centre of the Corsa Avia is an updated, recycled Italian Lycra – the same fabric used in CIOVITA’s Supremo range. Combined with a refined fit and construction, it’s designed to provide support and comfort whether you’re doing a short morning spin or a long race.

One feature that remains unchanged is the Corsa 2.0’s chamois. According to CIOVITA’s head of R&D, Lauren Neethling, the decision was deliberate. “The original chamois is South Africa’s most used, trusted and proven one,” she says. “Our aim was to improve everything else around it.”

It’s a sensible approach to product development: if a feature already works for a broad range of riders, there’s good reason to leave it alone!

The Corsa Avia also gets an updated silicone leg gripper, intended to keep the shorts in place without creating unnecessary pressure.

Updates for Women

For women, the Corsa Avia introduces an updated Pace harness construction. This design aims to make nature breaks easier without requiring riders to remove their jerseys and other upper layers.

The changes to the new Corsa bibs aren’t about reinventing the design. They’re about refining a familiar piece of kit, with attention to the details that affect how it feels and functions on the bike.

The Corsa Avia Collection is available from CIOVITA.

The post Refining an Everyday Favourite appeared first on Bicycling.