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MTB
Is this the most fun you can have while racing a bike?
Red Bull Pump Track World Champs is coming to South Africa and the local riders are frothing
After retiring from racing pro downhill on the World Cup circuit, Andrew ‘Needles’ Neethling is amped to get back in the swing of things with the SA edition of the Red Bull Pump Track World Champs.
The South African qualifier round will be hosted by the GO!Durban Cycle Academy and Durban Green Corridors at the KwaDabeka bike park, where they have recently built the first Velosolutions pump track in the province.
Super excited to be involved but under no illusions about the racing, Needles is philosophical about his chances.
“I dusted off my hardtail jump bike and went to a pump track to make sure I can stay on two wheels,” he joked.
“I’m riding my Scott Voltage hardtail," Needles said, added that it is the type of bike he grew up riding on dirt jumps and pump tracks. "You want to be on a hardtail. I’ve got front suspension because I’m on a mountain bike and that is what I know. You set that pretty stiff and you pump the tyres really hard, and you just go as fast as you can and gain as much momentum as you can."
With athletes coming from across the country to participate in the hopes of winning the coveted first prize including a trip to the Red Bull Pump Track World Championship Finals, it is sure to be a day of fast-paced, nail-biting competition. The racing line-up will also include riders and coaches from the GO!Durban Cycle Academy who are eager to display their skills on home-ground.
"I'm definitely not as fit as I used to be," said Needles. "So I'm just looking to support the event and the initiatives around it, I haven’t ‘raced’ in the two years since retiring so I’m just looking to have some fun. I don’t have any expectations in terms of a results - I’m probably just making up the numbers, to be honest - but I know myself when I get in the start gate."
Needles helped build the track in KwaDabeka, which is a collaboration between Velosolutions, Claudio Caluori and the GO!Durban Cycle Academy. "When we first heard about Claudio Caluori's concept for an international Pump Track series, we immediately knew that our sites would be the ideal place to build a track as we already had the space and basic infrastructure available. By bringing the track and the qualifying event to Durban, we hope to encourage more community participation in cycling and to further promote a lifestyle of active mobility amongst all ages," says Shaun Peschl, Sports Director of the GO!Durban Cycle Academy.
The racing focus is still there
© Sven Martin / Red Bull Content Pool
Aside from the racing side of things Needles believes it will be a great day out for local spectators.
"South Africa hasn’t had an event like this in the past, so that is exciting for us. It’s just great to see Velosolutions have a tarmac track in South Africa and for South Africans to get a chance to go to the world champs later in the year is really cool."
This style of racing is pretty fun because you have two guys going head-to-head
You aren’t necessarily racing the clock but rather your competitor next to you, which brings in a host of challenges and makes it pretty interesting because spectators get to watch two people at the same time on one course. Also the spectators are quiet close to the action. I can't wait!"
