Saturday 15th of February was characterised by high temps, towering peaks and
the most competitive international field seen at a one-day marathon in South Africa.
All eyes were on the action in the Limietberg Mountains to see who would arise
victorious at The Big 5 by Imbuko and Canetsfontein.
Leaving the Imbuko Wines Private Cellar, the intensity was on from the first climb.
Even the veterans of the race were taken aback by the pace. Marco Joubert was off
the lead bunch at 14km with Nino Schurter starting to loose touch on the steeper
slopes as well while Luke Moir and Matt Beers drove the pace.
Hitting the slopes of Seven Peaks at 20km, Tristan Nortje led Filipo Colombo,
Beers, and Moir into the single track climb with Wout Alleman and Marc Pritzen
hanging onto the back of the freight train. Frischknecht, Joubert and Schurter were
out of sight off the back. Much to the relief of the chasing riders the race eased up
and the 9 riders cam back together after the Canetsfontein Waterpoint at 30km.
Joubert moved to the front up the switchback ridden Aap du Huez trail, dropping
Alleman and Pritzen in the process. Frischknecht would soon also fade from the
group as the leading six neared the summit of the Canetsfontein Cliffhanger trail, a
riding experience that draws riders from around the world for its indescribable views
and expertly crafted switchback descent. Tristan Nortje ascended at a rate of knots
opening up a 30 second gap over the rest of the field by the summit, pocketing R20
000 in the process as King of the Mountain!
The chase was on as they plunged towards the valley floor, Schurter and Colombo
employing their World Cup XCO skills to close down the gap to Nortje. Luke Moir
was 20 seconds back over the summit followed by Joubert leading Beers in pursuit
of the leaders. The break was looking strong until, in what would prove to be a
consequential moment, Nortje took a wrong turn and lead the Scott SRAM duo
astray while Beers, Moir, and Joubert charged on past them unaware.
Beers twisted the throttle leaving the Canetsfontein Waterpoint for Groenberg with
Joubert and Moir in tow, looking to close down what he thought was a 30 second
gap to the leaders when they had in fact overtaken them. This wild chase seemed
to take its toll when they reached the base of the final sting, Patatskloof, a chainring
bending gravel ascent that cuts below the Seven Peaks trail. As Beers charged on
up the increasing gradient, Moir started loosing the wheel and Joubert was closing
in after loosing touch on the previous climb.
This was to be the ultimate deciding moment of the race but not in the way we
expected! From the shadows of 4th position, Filipo Colombo launched his attack,
surging past Joubert, then Moir, and finally Matt Beers. Out of the saddle he
squeezed every last watt he could from his legs to make the move stick. Joubert
accelerated in chase, moving past Moir.
All Colombo needed to do was hold onto the gap he’d opened up on the climb as
the course traversed rocky jeep tracks and a couple more brief climbs to secure the
win and that he did! Back to back victories for the Swiss XCO specialist at The Big
5 with 39 seconds between himself and Imbuko ChemChamp’s Marco Joubert.
“We had to push quite hard in the last 20km as we weren’t exactly sure where we
were [after taking a wrong turn]. It was hard but super nice. I knew I had to close
the gap, especially on Matt, more on the climbs than on the flats. I knew I had to
make the move on the last climb and I pushed as hard as I could and thankfully got
the gap” – Filipo Colombo
“I just rode my own pace today. I think it paid off as I felt pretty good towards the
end. The race was on with 6 of us in the group, strong riders, World Champions,
Epic Winners, and I think we showed our strength today. Epic is about 4 weeks out,
we’re feeling good. Big thanks to Imbuko for hosting this event, its the perfect timing
and perfect prep for whatever the season holds for you” – Marco Joubert
Charging into 3rd was Luke Moir (2:39 back from the leader), showing impressive
endurance and tactical mastery from a young XCO Racer! He certainly showed
what he was capable of in a field of world class athletes.
The big question at the finish line, where was Matt Beers? Tragically he had
suffered a catastrophic wheel failure on a brief rocky descent shortly after the
Patatskloof Climb that ended his race when he was still in sight of a podium finish.
Rounding out the top 5 was Nino Schurter and Tristan Nortje, 5:11 and 5:40 off the
leader respectively.
The women’s field was deep but one name stood out amongst the heavy hitters
and it was Candice Lill. Fast becoming known as the Queen of The Big 5, Candice
doesn’t hide the fact that she loves this race and has an uncanny knack for winning
it!
With Vera Looser out of the race due to illness, the task of pursing Lill through the
Limietberg mountains was left in the hands of Emilly Johnston, Bianca Haw, Sam
Sanders and Malene Degn.
With the gates opened on the first climb, Lill took hold of the reigns and set an
unruly pace for her competitors to follow. It would be Emilly Johnston (U23 World
Cup XCO race for Scott SRAM) who would have the closest thing to an answer for
Candice’s blistering pace. The Canadian settled into a fast tempo to stay clear of
the raging battle for 3rd behind her throughout the day, lapping up the endless
singletrack descents that this course is renowned for.
“It was very painful but fun. The trails were so good but that last hour I really
suffered. Really I just wanted to go out and explore some new trails. I rode as best I
could to try and make it through, it was a brutal day out there!” said Emilly on the
Big 5 experience.
The Scandinavian XCO racer, Malene Degn was the 3rd woman into the Seven
Peaks climb at the 20km mark with Sam Sanders (Efficient Infiniti) hot on her heels.
Not far back in 5th, Bianca Haw was taking a moment to warm up but wasn’t going
to give up the fight after just one climb!
Sam and Malene traded blows over Seven Peaks, through the Canetsfontein water
point and up the Obiekwa mountain towards the Cliffhanger trail. As the gradients
ramped up, Sam would slip back into the clutches of Bianca Haw while Malene
danced her way up to the towering heights of the Cliffhanger.
Candice Lill comfortably secured the Queen of the Mountain title and R20 000
prize, with Emilly 5 minutes behind her over the crest of the climb. Malene 3rd,
Bianca 4th, and Sam 5th.
After 20 minutes of eye-watering descent, the top 5 women were on their way home
via the Greenberg and Patatskloof climbs. Sam Sanders regained her position over
Malene Degn and thus were the final standings. Lill 1st, Johnston 2nd, Haw 3rd,
Sanders 4th, and Degn 5th.
“The pace was really fast at the beginning as everyone tried to stay in the front as
long as possible. I probably went a bit over the limit but it was a cool day to test
how I was feeling, where my form is, and what I can handle. After breaking away on
the first climb I managed to pace myself OK to the finish, the last 2 climbs were
definitely tough, but the trails were amazing!” – Candice Lill
The race winners walked away with R25 000 each but it was the last man across
the finish line, William Neff, who would land one of the best prizes of the day; a bike
touring trip to Europe (for a trip such as to tour around the Mont Blanc mountain) to
the value of R60 000 from MTB Adventure ( www.mtb-adventure.com ) symbolising
the achievement of any rider who managed to complete the monumental 3000m of
climbing in 77km.
photo: The views from the top of the Canetsfontein Cliffhanger Trail are unparalleled. (c) Max Sullivan
Top 10 Men:
1st – 03:41:48 – Filipo Colombo (Scott SRAM)
2nd – 03:42:27 – Marco Joubert (Imbuko ChemChamp)
3rd – 03:45:06 – Luke Moir (Privateer)
4th – 03:45:59 – Nino Schurter (Scott SRAM)
5th – 03:46:28 – Tristan Nortje (Imbuko ChemChamp)
6th – 03:48:19 – Wout Alleman (Buff Megamo)
7th – 03:49:05 – Marc Pritzen (Honeycomb 226ers)
8th – 03:50:39 – Andri Frischknecht (Scott SRAM)
9th – 03:52:23 – Urs Huber (Bulls Bikes)
10th – 03:52:33 – Simon Stiebjahn (Singer KTM Racing)
Top 5 Women:
1st – 04:33:09 – Candice Lill ( Seattle Coffee Co / Sabi Sabi )
2nd – 04:43:13 – Emilly Johnston (Scott SRAM)
3rd – 04:49:05 – Bianca Haw (Safari Essence Titan Racing)
4th – 04:50:31 – Sam Sanders (Efficient Infiniti)
5th – 04:55:42 – Malene Degn ( Scott / GripGrab / Topeak / Good Habits)
This iconic route has undoubtedly solidified its place in the global marathon for
amateurs and pros alike, drawing an unprecedented field of pro riders from South
Africa and abroad. The Big 5 by Imbuko and Canetsfontein will be back in 2026 to
test the worlds best and the every-day heroes who just love a huge day out in the
mountains!
To see the action from the day, head over to @big5mtbchallenge on Instagram
where all the latest content and biggest moments can be found.
