Every edition of the Momentum Medical Scheme Attakwas Extreme, presented by Biogen, creates hundreds of new chapters as returning mountain bikers pit themselves against one of the toughest ultra-marathons. After the 2025 edition, the Muller brothers will have enough chapters to fill a book.
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Richard Muller is the youngest of the mountain biking Muller brothers. He says he’s also the weakest in cycling terms. But, having completed all 18 editions of the annual Attakwas Extreme MTB Challenge, it’s saying something about the strength of his brothers. For the first time, all three of the mountain biking brothers will contest the iconic race in January 2025.
Corrie Muller, the second youngest, has completed Attakwas Extreme on five occasions. According to Richard, Corrie is the most competitive of the family and has finished on the podium of high profile international races. Corrie is a dentist by profession, but a trailbuilder and cycling coach by passion. He built the XCO course in Stellenbosch that was used for a UCI World Cup in 2018 and which is used regularly to host UCI-graded South African Cup races.
Pieter is the oldest of the three Muller brothers that love mountain biking. According to Richard, Pieter only started mountain biking six years ago and quickly became hooked. Pieter lives in Saskatchewan, Canada and has completed several significant international races, including La Ruta, BC Bike Race, TransAlps and more.
Richard and Pieter teamed up to contest the 2023 Epic Series Four Islands stage race in Croatia. And now it’s time for Pieter to contest his first Attakwas Extreme, which has been on his bucket list for some time.
Also on Pieter’s to-race list in 2025 is the Absa Cape Epic, where he will be teaming up with brother Corrie. As with many Cape Epic entrants, completing Attakwas Extreme a couple of months before is considered essential. It not only gives you an idea of your form and what needs improvement still, but it gives you a tough goal race to train for during the Festive Season.
“Besides riding bikes with my brothers as kids, I never really got into mountain biking while living in South Africa. Eventually, I moved to the Canadian prairies and started working as an ICU doctor. The land here is so flat that mountain biking didn’t even cross my mind. That all changed after a trip with friends to the Red Rock Mountains near Las Vegas. On the second day of trail riding, I crashed into a Joshua Tree and broke my collarbone. I figured my short-lived mountain biking career was over. But a few weeks later, I got myself a new bike, and every ride since has been pure joy,” recalls Pieter.
“My first race was the Joberg2C, a nine-day mountain biking event that I did with my two brothers. That race got me hooked, and I started signing up for more multi-stage events. Shift work has given me the chance to travel a lot, especially now that my kids are grown. I’ve raced all over the world: La Ruta, TransAlp, BC Bike Race, Breck Epic, Pikes Peak and The Four Islands, just to name a few. I also started the Wines2Whales race with my brother Corrie, but he broke his ankle on the first stage. Earlier in 2024, I finally completed the Cape Epic too,” said Pieter, who has been preparing for the upcoming South African races in the snow.
“Training through Canadian winters isn’t easy. I use a bike trainer at home and picked up cross-country skiing, which is a great way to stay in shape. I’m really excited for my first Attakwas Extreme race. It feels like the perfect way to kick off the season and get ready for the 2025 Cape Epic. And getting to do it with my brothers will be the cherry on top,” added Pieter.
The 2025 Attakwas Extreme takes place on Saturday 18 January. It follows a point-to-point route from Chandelier Game Farm in the Karoo to Pine Creek Resort at Groot Brak on the coast. It covers a distance of 121km with 2900 metres of climbing.
It’s not too late to enter the 2025 Momentum Medical Scheme Attakwas Extreme. But you should already be in decent mountain bike racing condition. It’s a great form tester for both the Momentum Medical Scheme Tankwa Trek, presented by Biogen and the Absa Cape Epic. Or just a significant challenge on its own..
For more information or to secure a late entry, click here.
