The 2026 Free State
The championship was both a battle for provincial honors and a crucial dress rehearsal for next month’s South African National XCO and XCC Championships, which will once again take place at the popular circuit.
The highly technical circuit challenged riders with steep climbs, fast descents, rock gardens and demanding singletrack sections, providing exciting racing for all age groups.
In the Nipper Girls category, Kayleigh Greyling claimed honors in a winning time of 32:58. Greyling had a strong ride, finishing two minutes and 36 seconds ahead of Giuliana Kennedy, who secured second place in 35:24. Anneke van Aswegen completed the podium in third.
The Sprog Girls race belonged to Karmi Cook, who crossed the finish line in 38:38. Minli van der Laarse took second place, while Raylene Down finished third, completing the podium for Maluti Cycling Club.
The Nipper Boys race produced one of the closest finishes of the day. Hannes van der Laarse rode to victory in 32:40, just five seconds ahead of Lian Symington. Pierre Cook was just eight seconds behind in third place with a time of 32:53, ensuring another impressive one-two-three finish for Maluti Cycling Club.
In the Sprog Boys division, Zayden Cotton put in a dominant performance, winning in 43:10. He enjoyed a comfortable margin of one minute and fourteen seconds over Ricco Daniel Fourie, who finished second in 44:24. Wihan Valks was just one second further in third place with a time of 44:25.
In the Sub-Junior Boys category, Gray College’s Dian Jacobs produced one of the standout rides of the championship. Jacobs stormed to victory in 53:17, finishing almost five minutes ahead of his nearest challenger. Fellow Gray rider Calib Roos came second in 58:13, while Ruben du Toit rounded out the podium in 1:02:52.
Minke Kruger took victory in the Sub-Junior Girls race with a time of 39:32. Lané Fouché pushed her all the way and crossed the line just 23 seconds later in 39:55 to take second place. Esmé Cronjé completed the podium in third.
The Youth Women’s title went to Inge van Heerde, who clocked 58:53. In the Youth Men category, Rolfe Brecher took top honors in 1:03:26. Joshua Mostert finished second in 1:04:52, while Kyle Meyer completed the podium in 1:05:21.
Jumar du Plooy proved untouchable in the Junior Men category and rode to an impressive victory in 1:19:39. Christopher Mitton took the silver medal in 1:25:10, while Pedri Grobler secured third place in 1:29:11.
One of the most dominant performances of the day was from the Men’s Under-23s, where André van Rooyen lit up the track with a fantastic drive. Van Rooyen crossed the finish line in 1:26:33, securing a big victory and underlining his credentials ahead of the national championships. Bart van Rooyen came second in 1:38:32.
Gerrit Moelich was the only participant in the Sub-Veteran Men category and completed the course in 1:04:08. Peter Hayley won the Veteran Men division in 1:08:25, while Morné Cotton finished second in 1:20:48.
With less than a month to go before South Africa’s best mountain bikers descend on Bloemfontein, performances at the provincial championships provided plenty of encouragement for the Free State contingent. Several riders showed they have both the form and confidence to challenge the country’s best when national honors are up for grabs.
The 2026 South African National XCO and – MORGANE PEAK
Morgan Piek
www.bloemfonteincourant.co.za