The annual Momentum Medical Scheme Tankwa Trek, presented by Biogen mountain bike stage race has become the preferred warm-up race for the annual Absa Cape Epic, attracting many of the world’s best mountain bike racers over the years. But let it be known that this event delivers some of the fiercest contests among Veteran and Master age group racers. Here’s why.
Paid partnership with Dryland Event Management
South Africa undoubtedly has one of the largest and most competitive older age-category mountain bike racing communities in the world. An endurance sport-mad generation of hardened men may have lost some of their speed, but they’re as competitive as ever and always up for a tough race.
Outside of the Cape Epic, stage races in South Africa don’t come much tougher than the Tankwa Trek, a four-day UCI-graded race through the rugged terrain of the Koue Bokkeveld region in the Witzenberg Municipality. Although the route changes each year, it always includes a high volume of energy-sapping singletrack and the imposing Merino Monster climb. As if that’s not enough, the race is held in early-to-mid February, when summer temperatures see the mercury regularly in the 40s!
Presented by Dryland Event Management since 2013, Tankwa Trek offers world-class organisation and four stages that are long enough to be a challenge, but short enough to actually race. Highly conditioned Veteran men in their forties and Master men in their fifties are able to truly contest the stages and not just survive them. This means that by lunch time, most teams are finished and able to relax, recover and relive their stage in detail under the shaded race village over some cold beverages. Only to do it all again the following day.
Because the race is four days long, it’s easier for most to get the time off work than for a longer event. An interesting additional challenge has been when the race has fallen on Valentine’s Day, as it has done several times. Fortunately, the 2025 edition is from 6-9 February, eliminating any potential Valentine’s Day absenteeism anxiety.
As with other mountain bike stage races, all categories get to start together and race the same route simultaneously. This sees Veteran and Masters racers mixing with top Elite men and women from South Africa and from abroad. The podium battles among the Veteran and Master men are just as fierce as the overall race podium contests and there’s a high standard with the top Veteran team usually finishing inside the top 15 and the top Masters team around the top 30.
As with the Elite category, leader jerseys for Veterans and Masters, with the team’s logo printed on it, are given after each stage at the daily prize-giving. This helps elevate the prestige of the event for the age-group racers, most of whom represent corporate brands or clubs.
The total number of Veteran and Masters men’s teams in 2024 was 126 (252 riders), which is almost half the total field. There were 84 Veteran men’s teams and 42 Master men’s teams that contested 2024 race.
The Veteran men’s title has been contested for the past three years between South Africans, Craig Uria and Michael Postumous (introduction image) and five-time Cape Epic winner, Karl Platt and his teammates (former road pro Udo Boelts and former SA MTB pro Erik Kleinhans). There’s been a different pairing in third place each year, indicating the vast depth in this racing division.
The Masters category has seen three different podiums in the past three years, with only Peter Winn appearing more than once – and with different teammates.
The 2025 edition of Tankwa Trek takes place from 6-9 February. There’s going to be another four days of intense racing among the mostly Generation X (born 1965-1980) men. Will you be there? Enter now to secure your spot in one of the world’s favourite Veteran and Master men’s stage races. Click here to find out more or to enter.
Momentum Medical Scheme Tankwa Trek, presented by Biogen
Veteran and Master men’s podiums 2022-2024
2024 final GC
Veteran men
1 Craig Uria and Michael Postumous (12th overall)
2 Karl Platt and Erik Kleinhans
3 Justin Hornsby and Jarrad van Zuydam
Master men
1 Franso Steyn and Piet Swiegers (26th overall)
2 Igna de Villiers and Fanie Venter
3 Peter Winn and Delaney Impey
2023 final GC
Veteran men
1 Craig Uria and Michael Postumous
2 Karl Platt and Udo Boelts
3 Roland Muller and Andre Bachmann
Master men
1 David de Lima and Peter Winn (37th overall)
2 Bernd Barbrock and Felix Prinz
3 Stefano Madies and Graham Parker
2022 final GC
Veteran men
Karl Platt and Udo Boelts (11th overall)
Craig Uria and Andrew Duvenage
Jandri Ferreira and Franso Steyn
Master men
1 Thorkild Nielsen and Richard Lurie (26th overall)
2 Warren Squires and Deon Kruger
3 Joel Stransky and Geoff Lee
