Set against the beautiful backdrop of the Spice Route in Paarl, Western Cape, the 2024 South African XCO and XCC Championships provided a thrilling display of South Africa’s cycling talent. The event drew quite the crowd, creating an exciting atmosphere for the riders. The event kicked off with Friday’s short, hard, and fast XCC races in hot, dusty conditions. Luke started strong, matching Alan Hatherly’s attacks, but soon the heat and dust took their toll, leaving him fighting nausea as he fought to keep up. In the end, he took 2nd place behind Alan Hatherly, with Ernie Roots rounding out the podium in 3rd.
Saturday dawned cold and rainy, with strong winds setting in and creating a whole new set of challenges for the riders. Sheer determination and fighting spirit saw the U23s taking on the soggy course and producing an intense race. Luke rode a spectacular race, taking 1st place and becoming the 2024 U23 Men’s XCO champion.
Source @rubenoosthuizenmedia
