Big Dreams, Bigger Trails – How 12 young SA riders gained valuable experience racing in France
Twelve young Western Cape Downhill riders recently swapped dusty South African dirt for the grand descents of Les Gets, France, in an exciting new youth exchange program with Vélo Club Les Gets. They trained, raced, made new friends and got a taste of European racing life. Many volunteers worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this project work and what legends you all are. Eugéne Etsebeth was also part of this initiative and has captured the essence of it all for us. With lessons learned from it all, Eugéne also includes a few tips on how to create your own exchange program.
The French Connection
The Western Cape Downhill mountain-biking scene is brimming with wild-eyed, skilled, and gritty young riders. Jump parks, pump tracks, groomed mountain trails, and backyards keep these Nippers and Sprogs away from screens and devices.
In these backyards and guerrilla tracks, nine-year-olds and teenagers alike dream of leaping out of the start gate at a Les Gets Downhill World Cup like Greg Minnaar to a rabid, bell-ringing crowd or pronking down a DarkFest run at Hellsend Dirt Compound in the style of Theo Erlangsen. At any gravity event in the Western Cape, it’s abundantly clear that the mountain-biking community is ambitious for international success.
A dream was planted a few years ago by Helen Erlangsen, doyenne of the Western Cape Downhill committee, to buy a chalet in Morzine, France, for South African kids to bridge the gap between Euro speed and African speed. Helen has first-hand experience through her champion son, Theo, who spent many summer months in Morzine honing his skills. That bike time in Morzine was crucial to Theo’s success.
European kids have a distinct advantage in gravity sports due to easy access to chair lifts and bike parks. In summer, large ski areas transform into massive bike parks with terrain ranging from groomed flow lines to gnarly, rooted black-diamond descents. The sheer number of runs they can do in a day, combined with the demanding tracks, gives them an edge over South Africans. Additionally, familiarity with the European lifestyle and a strong cycling heritage sets European riders apart.
In 2024, the dream of a Morzine chalet was top of mind for Monique Etsebeth during a mountain-biking family holiday in the area. The question “What if?” is a great way to spark new ideas. Monique asked herself, “What if the Western Cape Downhill doesn’t buy a chalet, but instead we create an exchange program with French kids, allowing South Africans to integrate and access the European riding and racing scene?” In return, the French children could enjoy a trip of a lifetime to Jonkershoek, Spice Route, Zevenwacht, G Spot trail, Hellsend Dirt Compound, Paarl, and more.
Spurred by this refined idea, Monique visited the Mairie (town hall) in Morzine to ask the mayor if they’d be interested in an exchange where French kids could ride in the Western Cape and South African kids could ride in Morzine. The idea was well received.
Exploring other options, Monique traveled to Les Gets, where she connected with a French kids’ mountain-biking club called Vélo Club Les Gets. A relationship formed with an enthusiastic club member named Anthony Loew. The club was a better prospect than the Morzine town hall approach because it was a formalized organization. Les Gets is part of the same bike park (Portes du Soleil) as Morzine and is only 7km away.
A few weeks later, during a trip to Les Gets, Chris Nixon—representing Cycling SA and the Gravity discipline — met with Anthony Loew to solidify expectations, forming a ground-breaking agreement. The plan was set: our kids would join two training rides with the French club, share a combined barbecue/braai one evening, and participate in the international DH Kids Cup race in Les Gets. After the exchange idea crystallized and a mutual understanding between the French and South Africans was established, the hard work began.
Presenting the idea to the Western Cape community was a critical step. Downhill mountain biking is an expensive sport, and sending a child overseas often requires budgeting and family discussions. A preliminary list of about a dozen cyclists expressed interest, which was enough to build momentum. Several Zoom calls between the Vélo Club and South Africa took place. The administrative work was just beginning with Monique Etsebeth, Chris Nixon and Gina Nixon at the helm. It became clear that finding accommodation for nearly 20 people in one group was challenging. The solution was to secure three chalets in close proximity to each other and near the ski lift.
Ultimately, the Western Cape sent 12 kids (and about 10 parents/guardians) to Les Gets, France. Shamsher Essop from KZN, who was preparing for his first World Cup in Andorra, joined the group. As part of the exchange, Vélo Club Les Gets offered substantially discounted lift passes for the South African kids. Some chalets lacked space for all the bikes, so Jerome from 360 Outdoor, a local bike shop in Les Gets, offered to store them overnight and provided discounts on repairs and rentals. The Vélo Club organizes the popular DH Kids race annually, and Anthony Loew secured free entry and reserved spots for all the SA kids.
As the June 2025 departure date approached, more administrative tasks piled up. Key items included arranging shuttles from Geneva Airport to Les Gets (and back), accommodating varied arrival and departure dates, securing letters for unaccompanied minors, obtaining consent forms, drafting code of conduct agreements, arranging travel and racing insurance for Europe, managing extra luggage logistics, planning meal schedules, organizing meal money, and ensuring everyone had eSIMs or local SIM cards for connectivity.
Bike stickers featuring each rider’s name and French and South African flags were designed. Kamikaze provided custom shirts for the trip, and most riders secured discounts on Leatt rain jackets. When everyone landed in Europe and arrived in Les Gets, the kids downloaded the Life360 app—a live location-sharing tool that tracked riders across the bike park’s 22 lifts and five bike parks. There was an urgency to assemble bikes and hit the slopes. At dinner that night, the boys’ smiles were massive after a day in arguably the best bike park in Europe. One kid exclaimed, “I never want to leave Les Gets!”
On Tuesday, the young riders from the Western Cape and Vélo Club Les Gets met and introduced themselves. Cedric, the local guide, took them off-piste for a sneak peek at the DH race route scheduled for Sunday. By then, the Stone family had arrived from Switzerland. They were travelling through Europe in their camper van, visiting bike parks and racing in Switzerland. Their son Daniel was fresh from competing in Lenzerheide.
Another group ride took place on Friday, and the racers bonded over the camaraderie and novelty of riding with the French. That evening, the French parents and riders joined the South Africans for a barbecue at Lac des Écoles. Beer was on tap for the adults, and meeting the French parents was a highlight. Most kids swam and played soccer together. Monique gifted SA socks to the French club.
On Saturday, the tape went up for the DH race, and practice runs began. The SA kids enjoyed dangling their legs on the chairlifts, a change from being shuttled in dusty 4x4s back in South Africa. This took some adjustment, as lift queues could complicate planning, and with parents spread across the mountain, there were a few exciting moments when young kids tackled punctures alone.
Sunday’s race was an exhilarating mix of forest sections and dusty berms. All racers finished safely, revelling in the friendships forged and the racing experience gained. Daniel Stone earned the best SA result, placing 4th in the U11 category. At the prize-giving, there were hugs and farewells. “Au revoir,” we said to our French hosts as we departed. “We look forward to hosting you in South Africa soon.”
Tips for Your Own Exchange
- Just do it. Other clubs and sports groups are open to exchanges.
- Secure one shared accommodation venue with WiFi for better logistics.
- Stay within 1 km of the ski lifts.
- Create a Life360 circle (or similar) to track all riders.
- Use an AirTag (or equivalent) for bicycles to help with lost luggage or theft (one bike was recovered from a thief this way).
- Ensure each child has at least one parent/guardian present for improved responsibility and conduct.
- Use smartphones with eSIM capability (faster and easier than physical SIM cards, which can be tricky to organize and top up). //