Event Primer: SRAM Western Cape DH all set for new Paarl Track
Paarl gears up for a downhill showdown
On the 18th and 19th of October, the Taal Monument in Paarl will host the 2025 SRAM Western Cape Downhill Championships.
The smell of wild fynbos and dust is about to fill the air as some of the country’s best gravity riders line up for this year’s regional championships. Whilst it’s the same iconic venue that has featured on the circuit for three decades, the riders will be facing something a little different this time – a new track. Rebuilt over winter by the Rossouw family, Owen Greeff, Arno van der Merwe and a lot of volunteers, almost 70% of the track is brand new. The result; along with a lot of re-routing, it is now slightly longer in both time and distance.
“There’s plenty of drop-offs, techy sections and a couple of jumps.” says Pieter Rossouw. “We’ve tried to use as many of the natural features of the mountain as possible, with a few man-made features too. On an eMTB, I am doing runs in 2min30secs and so it is almost 30 seconds longer than the old track.” he continued. “The track is open for riders and just to let everyone know we have plans to add a few more features, in the coming weeks.“
Of course, as is the case with all of the SRAM Western Cape Downhill Racing, spectators are welcome to attend and there will be plenty of catering on offer; burgers, coffee, pastry and more. This will be the fifth event of the 2025 provincial season that is resuming after a winter break that saw many riders competing in Europe.
“Firstly, a big congratulations to all our riders who competed in Europe this year. Secondly, we are delighted to return to the Taal Monument Track that has been rebuilt by a team of volunteers with special mentions to Pieter Rossouw, Owen Greeff and Arno van der Merwe who sacrificed so much time on this. Co-ordinating their efforts with the municipality means the track is both a permanent structure and free for all to use. A fantastic effort from all involved.” – says Helen Erlangsen.
The race format for Sunday involves two runs for every rider, with the second run being the Championship run. Catch the action from 7.30 am on Saturday morning with Sunday’s racing beginning at 9.00 am. Learn more and enter here //