In 2017, there were more than 50 stage races in South Africa! That’s no longer the case. But there are still more than in most countries. Blame the crushed economy; blame the government’s restrictions in reaction to Covid-19; blame increasing emigration. All valid reasons. But there’s one thing that’s affecting stage race entries that’s not being addressed and really should be…
By Sean Badenhorst
Time. When the first Cape Epic was held in 2004 it appealed largely to endurance-sport-mad athletes in their 30s, 40s and 50s – Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) and Generation X (born 1965-1980). That event became the reason so many stage races were launched and within a few years, almost every South African mountain biker was looking to complete a stage race, often a few, each year.
The demand grew and some events added a second and even a third sub-event to cater for the demand. Stage races became hugely appealing for large corporates to sponsor and it helped the sport flourish on many different levels. Nobody really knew how long this stage-race purple patch would last. But the deep purple started to fade in 2018.
The South African economy began to falter and a ridiculously wide choice of stage races made it difficult for this state to be maintained. Entries for stage races began to decline through 2018 and 2019 and by 2020, when the government introduced varying levels of lockdown restrictions, it was the final nail in the coffin for some stage races.
Now that Covid-19 has abated, stage races aren’t attracting the numbers they used to and yes, the three reasons I mentioned in the intro are all significant contributing factors. But one thing that’s quietly marched on is time.
Almost 19 years have passed since the first Cape Epic and essentially the birth of stage racing in South Africa. Yes, To Hell and Back and Imana Wild Ride preceded the Cape Epic, but didn’t influence the entire industry like the Cape Epic did. Those who were in their 30s and 40s when stage racing was born in are now in their 50s and 60s. Most have done all the major stage races more than once. But significantly, most have had children that have grown up in a mountain biking environment.
The world has changed considerably in 19 years. Baby Boomers and Generation X got into mountain bike stage racing because it was a fresh way to test endurance and stamina, travel to new places and an opportunity to suffer and compete – regularly – on bicycles. But some Millennials (born 1981-1995) and pretty much all of Generation Z (born 1996-2010) don’t have the same desire to suffer for hours – and days – on a mountain bike.
In September 2022, the Absa Cape Epic launched a Great Grand Masters Category aimed at those older than 60. Smart move but that was the moment that really confirmed to me that mountain bike stage racing is gradually becoming a grand-dad activity. My son, who is nearly 17, loves mountain biking. He rides almost every single day and hungrily consumes mountain bike media (mostly on Youtube and Instagram). But he has no interest in stage races.
He isn’t alone. His generation of mountain bikers are drawn to the fun side, which includes shuttling flow lines, sessioning dirt jumps and learning new tricks. It’s not that they’re not competitive. They are just as competitive as our generation (likely inherited) but they want their competition to be frequent, technically challenging and short in duration. They’re drawn to racing XCO, Enduro and Downhill. They have no real desire to ever enter a stage race.
That’s the challenge faced by stage races. Yes, the stage-race target market remains predominantly 35-55 in the mid-to-high LSM sector. It’s a real luxury to be able to afford a stage race entry, never mind the related costs in getting there and back. But what are stage races doing to futureproof themselves and ensure that in five or 10 years time, they’re still attracting enthusiastic mountain bikers?
Anyone that’s done a South African stage race knows that the actual riding is only one element of the experience. The escape from the daily grind, the trip to get there, the sleeping in a tent, the mingling for hours after the stage, the incredible vibe and energy that is generated when hundreds of health-loving, adventure-seeking people with positive attitudes share the same space for a few days. That’s where the magic is. That’s what will give young mountain bikers an indication of why stage races are worth doing. But none of them are really getting a taste of this.
I don’t expect stage races to give away entries because that doesn’t make business sense but they should be introducing ways to attract young riders. Berg and Bush has been most progressive in this regard with its Two-Day edition that’s aimed at Novice and Intermediate level mountain bikers and includes categories for the young, including High School, Mother/Teen, Mother/Child, Father/Teen, Father/Child categories. It’s not my problem to solve, but it is my duty to raise the alarm. I’m sure stage races will come up with solutions to this problem.
We have a TREAD media entry to the 2022 FNB Wines2Whales. For various reasons, we can’t make it. So we asked the organisers if we could give two young riders that have never done the event an opportunity to do so with our media entry. In exchange, they will generate some content about the experience for our website and social media channels. Hopefully this will create some intrigue among other young mountain bikers both now and in the future to find out why the South African mountain bike stage race is rather special and needs to be preserved…
