Young South African mountain biking stars James Reid and Gert Heyns will be riding the 2016 Absa Cape Epic together after their respective partners both had to withdraw from the event.
23-year-old Reid had been scheduled to ride with American Cross Country Champion Howard Grotts as Team Spur-Specialized, but the USA professional was recently injured in a crash.
22-year-old Heyns, meanwhile, was due to race with countryman and long-standing partner Matthys Beukes as Team SCOTT LCB Factory Racing, but the latter has not recovered fully from an illness.
Reid and Heyns have both come through the Cross Country ranks but are proficient marathon riders. Reid is doing the Cape Epic for the first timer but Heyns has taken part the past two years and won the Absa African special jersey – for the first team from the continent to finish – with Beukes in 2014.
They will race as Team Spur, but each will represent his own team’s bike and gear sponsors.
Reid, the South African Marathon Champion in 2013 and 2014, has been looking sharp in recent weeks and won the Cape Town Cycle Tour mountain bike race two weeks ago. Heyns is a former National Under-23 Cross-country Champion and has also been among the front-runners in recent races.
“I never imagined racing the Epic with James. We race for opposition teams and are always rivals,” said Heyns. “I have a lot of respect for him though. He’s a really high quality racer and because we are both from a cross-country racing background, we have similar styles and I believe we will complement each other. It’s quite exciting.”
Reid said: “I am looking forward to racing with Gert. He is a classy racer and he’s very underrated. We are similarly matched in terms of skill and mindset. Let’s hope we have some good luck too,” said Reid.
Nic Lamond, Team Spur owner, said: “Losing Howard was a big blow. He is a world-class rider and, with James, could have shaken things up. SCOTT LCB Factory Racing is in the same boat – Matthys’s unfortunate and untimely illness scuppered a powerful team with loads of potential. But professional sport is unpredictable and it teaches us to continually rise to challenges and see the opportunity beyond the disappointment.”
He added: “Our ‘new’ Team Spur is a chance for James and Gert to battle for the African Jersey. These two athletes are in fantastic form and lighting up mountain bike racing around the country. I am proud to see Specialized and SCOTT come together in this way, allowing James and Gert to have a significant impact on the racing.”
Phillip Erasmus, SCOTT Sports Africa Marketing Manager, added: “Matthys falling ill is very unfortunate. He’s been the foundation of the SCOTT team’s success at the Cape Epic in the past three years, having partnered twice with Philip Buys and once with Gert, each time claiming the top African team title. The new Team Spur collaboration of Gert and James makes it possible for them to compete for this prestigious title. These two riders are currently in the top form and we are thrilled that we were able to come to an agreement which allows them to compete at the Cape Epic.”
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